Taylor Swift, Women Win Big at Grammy Music Awards

Taylor Swift, Women Win Big at Grammy Music Awards

American pop singer and songwriter Taylor Swift won Album of the Year for Midnights” on Sunday at the Grammy Awards.

She has now won that award four times, breaking the record for wins in that category. Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon, and Stevie Wonder each won the award three times.

An album is a collection of songs on a single recording.

“For me, the award is the work,” Swift said. “All I want to do is keep doing it.”

Earlier, when receiving another Grammy, for Best Pop Vocal Album for Midnights, she shared a surprise. She announced that her new album, The Tortured Poets Department, will be released April 19.

Women lead the awards

Women earned the biggest awards and gave the majority of the performances on the American television broadcast.

Of the eight nominees for Song of the Year, seven were performed by women.

Billie Eilish’s song from the movie Barbie, What Was I Made For? won Song of the Year for her and co-writer Finneas O’Connell, her brother.

Finneas, left, and Billie Eilish accept the award for song of the year for "What Was I Made For?" during the 66th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Miley Cyrus won Record of the Year for her song Flowers. The record of the year recognizes the best-sounding recording of a particular song. Flowers also earned Cyrus the award for Best Pop Solo performance.

Solána Imani Rowe, known professionally as SZA, won for best R&B song, Snooze. R&B stands for rhythm and blues. SZA also won for Best Pop Duo/group Performance for Ghost in the Machine with Phoebe Bridgers.

Rock group boygenius, whose three members are women and include Bridgers, won Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance for their song Not Strong Enough. The group also won a Grammy for Alternative Album of the Year. Their album is simply named The Record.

Phoebe Bridgers poses in the press room with awards during the 66th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Victoria Monét won the Grammy for Best New Artist. But it has taken her years of work to become a successful performer.

“Thanks to my mom, a single mom raising this really bad girl,” said Monét when she received her award. Then she started to cry, adding that this award was “15 years in the making.”

Karol G of Colombia become the first female performer to win Best Música Urbana Album for Mañana Será Bonito.

New awards

The Grammys added three new categories this year: African Music Performance, Alternative Jazz Album, and Pop Dance Recording. Women were the winners in each of them.

South African singer Tyla won the African music performance Grammy for her hit song, Water.

“I never thought I’d say I won a Grammy at 21 years old,” she said in her acceptance speech. “Last year, God decided to change my whole life.”

Meshell Ndegeocello, an American singer-songwriter, rapper, and bass player, won Best Alternative Jazz Album.

And Kylie Minogue of Australia won Best Pop Dance Recording for her hit Padam Padam.

Rap

Rapper Killer Mike won three awards Sunday, his first since winning a Grammy in 2003. He won Best Rap Performance for Scientists & Engineers, which featured André 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane. The performers won for Best Rap Song for the same song. Killer Mike also received the award for Best Rap Album, for Michael.

Jay-Z won the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award. Jay-Z has won 24 Grammys and has been nominated 88 times. He spoke about the times that rap artists did not get enough attention from the Grammys, although they sold lots of recordings.

Jay-Z’s wife, Beyoncé, has won 32 Grammys, more than any other artist. Because she has won so many, Jay-Z thinks it is unfair that she has never won album of the year. “Think about that. The most Grammys, never won album of the year. That doesn't work," Jay-Z said.

“When I get nervous, I tell the truth,” he added.

From young to old

The awards show included performers both young and old. American pop singer and songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, aged 20, was nominated for six Grammys, including top awards such as Song of the Year and Album of the Year.

Singer and songwriter Joni Mitchell, aged 80, won for Best Folk Album. It was her eleventh Grammy win. She performed Both Sides Now from her 1969 album Clouds. Mitchell suffered a brain aneurysm in 2015 and has had to relearn how to walk and speak.

Joni Mitchell performs "Both Sides Now" during the 66th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

American singer and songwriter Billy Joel, 74, ended the awards show with two performances. First, he played his new song Turn the Lights Back On. It is his first pop music release since 1993. Later, he played his 1980 hit, You May Be Right.

The first Grammy Awards show was held in 1959. The awards now include 94 categories.

I’m Jill Robbins.

And I’m Andrew Smith.

Andrew Smith adapted this report for VOA Learning English from Associated Press and other sources.

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Words in This Story

category –n. a group of things that are considered similar and are subject to the same kind of consideration

aneurysm –n. an abnormal and dangerous expansion of a blood vessel that can bleeding