SOUND & VISION BLOG
2023 Grammy Awards
Los Angeles, CA
February 5th, 2023
By Bruce Pilato
Living up to its well established trademark phrase as “Music’s Biggest Night,”
The Recording Academy delivered with a Grammy Awards show that offered something for
every music lover. From Beyonce breaking the record for the most Grammy Awards ever won
by any artist; to several surprise upsets by Brandi Carlile, Bonnie Raitt, and Harry Styles; and to
a number of expected wins by Adele, Lizzo and Sam Smith, this may go down as the most even
handed show in the 65 years of its existence.
Dominated once again by female artists, -at least when it came to who walked away the
most small statues -, the 2023 Grammys didn’t offer a shutdown of any artist that had multiple
nominations. It did, however, snub Taylor Swift who only received one win this year: for her
long form video. All Too Well. No single artist walked out with an armful of Grammys, although
long time Academy favorites Brandi Carlile and Bonnie Raitt, each walked out with three.
Among the big surprises was the upset win of Harry Styles Harry’s House which won for
ALBUM OF THE YEAR. Backstage after the show, he commented: “None of us go in the studio
to make records with the goal of winning a Grammy, however, when it does happen, it seems
to be some sort of validation for what you have been doing. So, for that reason, I am incredibly
grateful. I am so grateful for my fans who created an environment for me that allows me to be
creative and have the freedom I need.”
Among the most overwhelmed artists when their names were announced as winners
was Lizzo, who thought should would be a shut out until winning Record Of The Year near the
end of the show. Her acceptance speech was sincere and bursting with excitement. Bonnie
Raitt had a similar shock when she won for Song Of The Year with “Just Like That,” told the
audience: “I don’t know what to say. I never expected this…this is an unreal moment.”
A joyous Brandi Carlile told the press backstage after winning in the Best Rock Song
category for her powerful track, “Broken Horses:” “We’re bringing it home! Someone told me a
long time ago, if someone asks me what type of music I play, always say Rock N Roll. That’s
because Rock’n’roll encompasses everything and it’s less risky.” Prior to this, Carlile had built
her biggest audience playing country twinged Americana music with songs that often expressed
the hardships of life as an openly gay woman in the music industry. “Not anymore, I am a
happy gay now,” she said, obviously grateful for the huge outpouring of support her music has
gathered in recent years. In a more traditional outcome, Ozzy Osbourne won for Best Rock
Album, propelled by the success of the song, “Patient 9,” which featured the late Jeff Beck on
guitar.
All Photos are © 2023 Pilato Entertainment Marketing & Media LLC.
The music industry has known for years that the Grammys view the awards as a
secondary division of the TV show; the live performances and the exposure they garner always
is the priority. Last night’s show was no exception. As in recent years, rap and R&B dominated,
with a heavy emphasis on Latin pop stars, such as Bad Bunny, who opened the show with a high
energy Spanish medley of “El Apago?n” / “Despue?s de la Playa.”
The last 30 minutes of the show focused on the 50 th Anniversary of Hip Hop, with a
massive tribute that included Grandmaster Flash, Salt-N-Pepa, Chuck D & Flavor Flav, Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot , Queen Latifah, Nelly, Swizz Beatz, Lil Wayne, LL Cool J and many
others.
Other highlights included Stevie Wonder & Chris Stapleton duetting on “Higher
Ground” and Kacey Musgraves paying tribute to the late Loretta Lynn. During the memoriam
segment Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt, and Mick Fleetwood performed “Songbird” in memory of
Christine McVie.
Grammy Week offers a number of record industry events. These included the popular
MusiCares Person of The Year dinner, which raises millions for music artists in need, and the
Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala, the hottest ticket in LA which featured many of same artists who
appeared on the Grammy Telecast and a packed room of A list celebrities. The Special Merit
Awards held on Saturday afternoon included formal recognition of Lifetime Achievements
for artists such as Nirvana, Heart’s Ann & Nancy Wilson, Bobby McFerrin, The Supremes,
Blues icon Ma Rainey, and several others. Beginning in 1957, this year marked the 65th
Anniversary of the legendary awards show.
Bruce Pilato is a contributor to our social media sites and is a music journalist, artist manager and music educator.