The 68th Grammy Awards took over downtown Los Angeles on Sunday night, and from the jump, this one felt louder and more pointed than in recent years. With Trevor Noah back as host, the ceremony didn’t shy away from the moment we’re in — politically, culturally or otherwise. Jokes landed with bite, some with audible gasps, and the room felt fully awake in a way awards shows don’t always manage to be anymore.
Inside the arena, it was the kind of night where big, carefully planned moments lived right alongside the unscripted ones — tech hiccups and funny slipups that somehow made the whole thing feel more human. Politics loomed large throughout the telecast, but so did music-first moments that reminded you why the Grammys still matter when they get it right. There were performances that felt intimate despite the scale, crowd reactions that didn’t quite match what viewers saw at home, and a few exchanges that will almost certainly live forever online.
And then there was the celebrity watching. Did Miley Cyrus shade Lady Gaga? What does a Bieber date night actually look like up close? And which star quietly pulled the most attention in the room? After six hours on the red carpet, I watched the night unfold from high in the arena, close enough to spy on the action with the help of my phone’s zoom. Let me take you inside the show.
One big thing
It’s what everyone was talking and laughing about as we exited Crypto.com Arena.
Cher’s most delightfully chaotic moment of the night came during the Record of the Year presentation — and it technically started earlier. After accepting her Lifetime Achievement Award and speaking about longevity, the icon turned and began walking backstage, only for Noah to call out that she still had another job to do. Despite speculation online, that moment felt rehearsed. What came next did not.
When it was time to announce the winner, Cher paused, admitted she thought the name would be on a teleprompter, then briefly announced “Luther Vandross” — as in the famed singer who died in 2005. Vandross inspired Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther,” which was the actual winner for Record of the Year. Cher corrected herself, but it could barely be heard over laughter and applause as the winners made their way to the stage.
Cher accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award during the 68th Grammy Awards. No one was ready for what came next. (Chris Pizzello/AP)
(Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
The room loved it. The crowd cracked up, especially my section, with whispers of “Best part of the night,” “We deserve a little levity” and “Oh my God, this is instantly classic.” Even better, the team behind the song leaned in. Producer Sounwave opened his speech with, “First and foremost, let’s give a shout-out to the late, great Luther Vandross,” before Lamar walked onstage, laughing, and summed it up perfectly: “This is what music is about.”
One political thing
From his opening monologue on, Noah made it clear he wasn’t tiptoeing around the political climate the way some recent awards shows have. One of the biggest laughs came at the expense of Nicki Minaj, who’s become one of President Trump’s most vocal celebrity supporters. “She is still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues,” Noah joked, before continuing in a Trump impression: “Actually, Nicki, I have the biggest ass. Everybody’s saying it. … Look at it, baby: WAP, WAP, WAP.”
Trevor Noah did not hold back in terms of politics while hosting the Grammys for the last time. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for the Recording Academy)
(Kevin Winter via Getty Images)
But the line that drew more gasps than laughs came later, after Billie Eilish won Song of the Year. “That’s a Grammy every artist wants — almost as much as Trump wants Greenland,” Noah said, before adding, “Which makes sense, because since Epstein’s gone, he needs a new island to hang out with Bill Clinton.”
Noah capped it with a shrug to the audience: “I told you, it’s my last year! What are you gonna do about it?”
As it turns out, Trump’s answer appears to be: threaten to sue.
One misunderstood thing
Did Miley Cyrus really diss Lady Gaga? I’m making the case for: no.
A video circulated online of Cyrus seemingly looking bitter and not clapping after Lady Gaga beat out the former Disney star for Best Pop Vocal Album. I’m not sure exactly how it was cut on TV, but I have video of the whole crowd — Cyrus included — when Lady Gaga’s name was announced. Cyrus clapped right away. She actually clapped a lot as Gaga made her way up to the stage. She may not have stood up, but honestly, she didn’t stand a ton throughout the ceremony. Maybe her shoes were uncomfortable. Let’s give the girl a break.
Lady Gaga shares a moment with fiancé Michael Polansky at the Grammys. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for the Recording Academy)
(Kevin Mazur via Getty Images)One thing that wasn’t on TV
The Biebers are Little Monsters.
Justin, Hailey and Lady Gaga shared a sweet moment away from prying eyes. (OK, most prying eyes.) Admittedly, I got turned around trying to get from the red carpet inside Crypto.com and ended up in a holding area for celebrities before they hit the photo pit. I saw the trio run into each other and they seemed so happy to catch up before the craziness got going. I saw the couple give Gaga some kind of compliment (on her outfit? already picking up two Grammy Awards?) and the songstress just said, “Thank you so much.”
One couple’s thing
Speaking of the Biebers, there’s always so much noise around them. Read any headline or blog and it seems like they’re perpetually in a “rough patch.” One lip-reader even claimed they were testy on the red carpet, their first in four years. Well, I watched them most of the night, and it felt less like a spectacle and more like seeing one of my friends out on a date. Sorry to the haters, but they seemed happy and … normal?
Inside the show, Justin wasn’t shy about showing PDA. He put his arm around Hailey’s back multiple times, and the couple shared quiet, intimate moments, leaning in to whisper to each other throughout the night. It was also clear Justin was a little nervous — these high-profile awards shows don’t exactly seem to be in his comfort zone — and he visibly relied on Hailey for grounding.
During his performance of “Yukon,” which was a standout moment of the night, watching Hailey sway, sing along and smile at a song written about her was genuinely sweet. I’m pretty sure they left after his awards category, only to hit an afterparty together. Sorry, haters, but they seem solid.
Hailey and Justin Bieber inside the Grammys. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for the Recording Academy)
(Kevin Mazur via Getty Images)One weird thing
When Alex Warren performed his hit song “Ordinary” as part of the Best New Artist medley, there was a brief technical glitch, apparently due to a problem with his earpiece. Inside the arena, though, it was barely noticeable. If anything, Warren — whose breakout song was snubbed from the Grammys’ major categories — seemed to get the last laugh. Of all the Best New Artist nominees, he arguably had the biggest production moment, glitch aside, literally ascending into the air as the crowd not only sang along, but shouted along, belting out every word. It was a moment Cyrus really seemed to enjoy. If Warren was rattled, he didn’t show it, blowing kisses to the crowd afterward — then addressing the mishap on social media later.
One loud thing
Bad Bunny used his first televised win of the night to send a political message, and the crowd overwhelmingly responded. “Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say: ICE out,” he declared onstage as he accepted the award for Best Música Urbana Album. The response in the room was almost deafening and certainly louder than you heard at home, as the crowd stood and cheered for more than 25 seconds. Every star, from Reba McEntire to Pharrell Williams to Cyrus, was on their feet.
“We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens,” he continued. “We are humans and we are Americans.”
Bad Bunny won a total of three awards on Sunday, including the Recording Academy’s highest honor, Album of the Year.
Oh, and if there was any doubt: Bad Bunny was the biggest star in the room. Everyone — and I mean everyone — wanted a moment, with celebs constantly stopping by to say hello (Cyrus! Gaga! Hailey!). Every time he won, the arena erupted. Next up, he’ll be performing at the NFL Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday.