Kendrick Lamar says he ‘finally found perfection’ with album

Kendrick Lamar won his 15th Grammy, this one for best rap album, thanks to “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.”

“As artists we’re all entertainers. We say things to provoke thoughts and feelings and emotions,” he said in his acceptance speech. “Making this record, one of my toughest to make, allowed me to do that and share other people’s experiences.”

Lamar beat out Jack Harlow, Future, DJ Khaled and Pusha T for the honor.

“I finally found perfection with this album,” Lamar added.

Why does Ben Affleck kind of look like he’d rather be at Dunkin’?

Social media users are sharing screenshots of Ben Affleck during the Grammys, joking that it seems like the actor has zero enthusiasm about being there (he’s seated next to his wife, Jennifer Lopez, who presented earlier).

“Ben Affleck looks like he’d rather be at Dunkin,” one person tweeted.

“However bad of a day you’re having, I promise you’re not as miserable as Ben Affleck at the Grammys right now,” another person wrote.

Another person tweeted: “Never seen a man with more of an Existential Dread Resting Face than Ben Affleck.”

“Whoever keeps cutting to Ben Affleck as he gets more and more exasperated, thank you,” another person quipped.

Harry Styles performs ‘As It Was’ in silver jumpsuit

Harry Styles is one of the hardest-working men in the biz! Given the number of shows the man does per week, it’s a marvel that he can give us such a great performance tonight.

Styles brought out the iconic “As It Was” for his performance of the song on the Grammys stage. He almost slipped, but in true Styles fashion, he quickly rebounded.

Beyoncé stuns after late arrival

There you are, Queen.

Beyoncé finally was spotted at the Grammys, where she had a front row seat to Harry Styles’ performance. Iconic.

It won’t ever be a summer without Bad Bunny

After kicking off the night with a party, Bad Bunny’s “Un Verano Sin Ti” won best música urbana album at the 65th Grammys.

Dedicating the win to his homeland of Puerto Rico, he said making the album was all about “love and passion.” He is also nominated for album of the year and best pop solo performance.

Jennifer Lopez, who is always full of Puerto Rican pride, could be seen cheering for Benito following his win.

‘Unholy’ winning is gay rights

Kim Petras made Grammy history as the first transgender woman to win a Grammy in the best pop duo/group performance category. She got a standing ovation for her win alongside Sam Smith.

“I want to thank all the incredible transgender legends before me who’ve kicked these doors open for me so I could be here tonight,” she said.

Petras paid homage to her late friend and music producer Sophie, who she says always believed in her. She also thanked Madonna for fighting for LGBTQ rights.

“I don’t think I could be here without Madonna,” she said.

Lizzo makes us all feel special

Lizzo, who is nominated for five Grammys tonight, graced the stage for a moving performance.

She was joined tonight by a powerful gospel choir.

An hour into the Grammys feels like 15 minutes

What a show so far.

Bad Bunny opened the show with a dance party, followed by Brandi Carlile performing “Broken Horses,” which won best rock performance earlier in the night.

Beyoncé tied for most Grammys win but wasn’t there to receive her historic trophy because she was … stuck in L.A. traffic? Newly minted EGOT winner Viola Davis got a well-deserved standing O.

Stevie Wonder was joined by a stellar group of musicians for a get-off-your-couch Motown mix. And Sam Smith gave the spotlight to Kim Petras at the microphone when she became the first transgender person to win a Grammy for best pop duo/group performance for their song “Unholy.”

If the next couple of hours are anything like the first, we continue to be in for a treat.

Some people are apparently having Paramount+ streaming woes

The Grammys are available to stream live on Paramount+, but some subscribers took to Twitter to blast the streaming service.

In their tweets, some were confused about why they couldn’t watch the show. Others alleged that it appears you can stream the show on Paramount+ only if you pay for the Premium plan, which costs $9.99 a month. The lowest-tier Essential subscription allows viewers to watch the broadcast the next day for $4.99 a month.

A spokesperson for Paramount+ did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

If you’re not dancing to Stevie Wonder, you don’t like music

Stevie Wonder, or the ninth wonder of the world (as Billy Crystal described him), graced the Grammys stage to bring some Motown magic to the awards show.

The performance featured Smokey Robinson and Chris Stapleton, with Boyz II Men’s Wanya Morris’ kids on background vocals.

The audience rose to their feet to dance, clap and groove as Wonder performed his classic “Higher Ground” with Stapleton.

Now, that’s a show.

Spotted in the audience: Jay Z. But WHERE is Beyoncé?

Jay Z was spotted in the crowd during Stevie Wonder’s performance. Unfortunately, we have to wait a bit longer to see Beyoncé, because she is nowhere to be seen.

EGOT winner Viola Davis gets a standing ovation

“R&B is not a fad; it’s the truth,” Viola Davis announced before she revealed the winner of the best R&B song award, Beyoncé’s “Cuff It.” Yoncé is so close to beating the record for most Grammy awards ever.

Davis, 57, earned the rare and coveted EGOT status earlier in the evening.

Beyoncé wins again … but is late to the Grammys

Beyoncé is one step closer to becoming the most awarded artist in Grammys history. She has now equaled the record for the most Grammys of any artist of all time, with 31.

She won for her song “Cuff It,” beating Muni Long, Mary J. Blige, Jazmine Sullivan and PJ Morton. The song was a viral sensation on TikTok.

However, per host Trevor Noah, Beyoncé is not yet at the ceremony.

“The upside of hosting the Grammys in L.A. is everyone can be here. … The downside is the traffic. Beyoncé is on her way.”

Can we get a little commotion for the stans?

The Grammys brought out a roundtable of fans to stump for their favorite artists in the race for album of the year. So far, we’ve heard arguments for Beyoncé’s “Renaissance,” Bad Bunny’s “Un Verano Sin Ti” and Harry Styles’ “Harry’s House.”

Harry Styles beats Adele and Lizzo

Harry Styles has snagged the first Grammy of the night, best pop vocal album for “Harry’s House.”

“This album from start to finish has been the greatest experience of my life,” Styles said in his acceptance speech. “From making it with two of my best friends to playing it for people has been the greatest joy I could have asked for.”

Styles, 29, beat out ABBA, Adele, Coldplay and Lizzo for the honor, prompting his ex, Taylor Swift, to stand up and applaud.

I’m not crying, you’re crying

Brandi Carlile’s performance of “Broken Horses” was introduced by her wife, Catherine, and two daughters, Evangeline and Elijah.

Carlile has already won best rock song tonight for “Broken Horses,” in addition to best rock performance and best Americana album.

Trevor Noah gives a delightful opening monologue

What was more culturally significant? The Renaissance or Beyoncé’s “Renaissance”?

According to host Trevor Noah, it’s the latter, and I think we can all wholeheartedly agree. He even said Beyoncé’s hit song “Break My Soul” from the album inspired him to quit his job.

Noah also poked fun at the Chinese spy balloon, Harry Styles’ fangirls and Adele’s desire to meet Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

So, has everyone been pronouncing Adele’s name wrong?

The queen of the belty ballad, Adele, has collected a staggering 15 Grammys since she dropped her debut album, “19,” in 2008. Her talent is indisputable — but have we been pronouncing her name wrong all along?

At the premiere of her latest music video, “I Drink Wine,” Adele praised a British fan’s pronunciation of her name during a Q&A session. “Where’s she from? She said my name perfectly.”

Adele told the crowd that her name should be imbued with a touch of North London twang (it’s “uh-dehwl,” not “uh-dell”). Keep that in mind, Grammys presenters!

Lizzo is at the Grammys with her man

Talk about a hard launch.

Lizzo, who is nominated for five Grammys, graced the red carpet in a floral orange caped gown with her beau, Myke Wright.

The appearance came after the couple made it Instagram official, with the “About Damn Time” singer sharing a photo of her and Wright embracing.

Bad Bunny kicks off with show-stopping dance party

No sazón was left out of this performance.

Bad Bunny opened the Grammys with a medley of songs from his hit album “Un Verano Sin Ti.” There were live instruments, bobbleheads (we think?) and a never-ending beat.

It was a dance party we’ll never forget.

Cardi B is a vision in blue

Rapper Cardi B looked incredible in a structural blue Gaurav Gupta gown. While she isn’t up for any awards tonight, she definitely won the red carpet!

Taylor reacts to her director debut win for ‘All Too Well’

Taylor Swift tweeted her gratitude after she won her 12th Grammy.

“I can’t put into words what this means to me,” she wrote.

She is for sure living her “wildest dreams” and is also nominated in the song of the year category, among others.

Sam Smith looks red hot with their entourage

Sam Smith served an unholy look in a bright red puffy gown with fellow nominee Kim Petras and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alums Violet Chachki and Gottmik.

Smith and Petras are nominated for best pop duo/group performance for their collaboration, “Unholy.”

Smith performed the hit with Petras last month on “SNL.”

Take a chance on ABBA

If you are an ABBA stan like me, you know that the beloved Swedish pop group recently reunited after 40 years to make a new album called “Voyage,” which is nominated in several categories.

But despite having made people dance and jive for decades, up until this year, the group had never been nominated for the coveted music accolade. (Even though it was inducted into the Recording Academy’s Hall of Fame in 2015.)

Manifesting a Lizzo-Harry Styles duet

As if it’s not exciting enough for two iconic besties to be nominated for the same Grammy, Lizzo and Harry Styles share nominations in five categories this year. Oh, and they’ll both be taking the stage as performers.

Their adorable friendship has been living rent-free in fans’ heads since 2019, when Styles first snagged Lizzo’s attention by covering her hit song “Juice” and expressing his admiration for her on a BBC Radio 1 show.

The pair reunited in October when both their tours made stops in Chicago. Over the last few years, they’ve gifted us a few onstage collabs — including a joint performance at Coachella — and I’m obsessed with the way they often gush over each other’s talents and successes.

It’s Harry’s House, and we’re here for it

Harry Styles has made his way to the carpet, and he’s shining (literally) in a sparkly, multicolor jumpsuit.

The “As It Was” singer recently took Los Angeles by storm with a 15-night residency at the Forum. Tonight, Crypto.com Arena will become Harry’s House, too.

Styles is nominated for six Grammys, including album and record of the year. A One Direction alum, Styles cemented his legacy as a solo performer after he won the Grammy for best pop solo performance for the hit single “Watermelon Sugar” in 2021.

Styles also revealed he is already working on his next album, so Harry’s House may be on its way to becoming an empire.

We can’t wait to see him perform tonight. 

Is Taylor Swift’s red carpet look an Easter egg?

Taylor Swift hit the red carpet for the first time this year, and Swifties are, naturally, deciphering her outfit for clues.

Her 10th album, “Midnights,” may not be eligible for this year’s Grammys, but her glittering two-piece sure looks a lot like the night sky. “Red (Taylor’s Version)” is up for consideration by the Recording Academy this evening, and Taylor’s “red-lip classic” never disappoints.

The industry titan already picked up her 12th Grammy for best music video during the pre-ceremony for “All Too Well: The Short Film,” and she is also nominated in three other categories, including song of the year.

Shania Twain dazzles red carpet with a ‘Cruella de Vil’ look

Shania Twain, who is presenting tonight, arrived on the red carpet with an unforgettable look: a black and white polka dot outfit with bright red hair.

With a tall hat and diamonds all over and completing the look with a bold red lip, it’s an outfit that we will all remember “forever and for always,” as she sings in her 2002 hit. The look is from Harris Reed’s spring 2023 collection.

ICYMI: FLOTUS is headed to the Grammys

The Grammys is getting the presidential treatment, with first lady Jill Biden announced as one of tonight’s presenters.

She’s not the first lady to grace the stage: Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance at the 2019 Grammys, referring to Motown Records and Beyoncé in introductory remarks, emphasizing her deep appreciation for music.

Let’s see whom Biden is rooting for tonight.

All eyes on the red carpet

The Grammys Premiere Ceremony has wrapped, so all eyes will be on the carpet as the celebrities continue to trickle in and pose for the cameras before they head into Crypto.com Arena.

Will TikTok success translate to Grammy gold tonight?

Over the past couple of years, TikTok has proved itself as a powerful marketing tool for artists. Its impact has only solidified as a number of TikTok hits were nominated for Grammys this year.

Breakout artists Wet Leg, Steve Lacy and Muni Long have already won awards for best alternative music album and best alternative music performance, best progressive R&B album and best R&B performance, respectively, during the Premiere Ceremony.

Songs like Lizzo’s “About Damn Time,” Harry Styles’ “As It Was” and Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit” have soundtracked millions of TikTok videos. All three songs are in the running for record of the year and song of the year.

GAYLE’s megaviral track “abcdefu” also snagged a song of the year nod. The nomination was divisive, to say the least, as many viewed the song as an example of cookie-cutter, viral-bait “TikTok music.”

TikTok itself is nominated alongside Rosalía for the Motomami TikTok Live performance, which was nominated for best music film.

Swifties rise up

Taylor Swift won best music video for “All Too Well: The Short Film,” making it her 12th Grammy win.

The 10-minute film starred Dylan O’Brien and Sadie Sink. Co-producer Saul Germaine accepted the award on Swift’s behalf.

ICYMI: Beyoncé and Lizzo both removed an ableist slur from their songs

This last summer, Beyoncé and Lizzo both faced criticism for featuring a word “spaz” which many people in the disabled community say is a “ableist slur.” Lizzo took to twitter in a post saying “Let me make one thing clear: I never want to promote derogatory language.”

Just weeks after Lizzo changed her lyrics in her song “Grrrls” after receiving backlash, Bey made the same mistake on her album “Renaissance.” A representative for Beyoncé said in a statement that “the word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced.”

Swifties won’t want to talk about Bruno after Sunday

“We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from the Disney movie “Encanto” won best song written For visual media, beating Taylor Swift and others in the category.

This marked the third win for “Encanto” tonight, solidifying the film as a timeless animated favorite.

Dave Chappelle wins for controversial ‘The Closer’ special

Dave Chappelle won this year’s award for best comedy album for “The Closer.”

Following its release, “The Closer” drew accusations of transphobia and plunged the world’s mightiest streaming service into a public relations crisis that dragged on for weeks, culminating in an employee walkout.The comedian’s jokes were criticized as being offensive to the LGBTQ community.

Chappelle was not at the Grammys Premiere Ceremony to accept the award in-person.

And the award for Best Red Carpet Host goes to … Laverne Cox!

From the Golden Globes to the Grammys, Laverne Cox would definitely win if there was a category for Best Red Carpet Host of the year.

She crushes her interviews with fellow stars, all while looking fabulous.

Chris Brown reacts to loss in series of Instagram posts

Looks like Chris Brown isn’t one to take rejection gracefully. After losing to pianist Robert Glasper for best R&B album, Brown has been posting non-stop to his Instagram story.

“YALL PLAYING 😂😂😂😂😂,” he typed over a screenshot of a Google search page for Glasper, later saying in his story he has no idea who Glasper is.

Many on social media took notice of Brown’s Instagram story posts, sharing screenshots on Twitter. Some called it a “bad look.” Others pointed out that Glasper had won four Grammys prior to Sunday’s win (which marked his fifth).

Brandi Carlile jumps for joy with third Grammy win of the night

Brandi Carlile just ran (and skipped) from the carpet back to the room where it happens to receive her third Grammy for the night for best Americana album for “In These Silent Days.”

Taylor Swift gives Viola Davis social media love

Taylor Swift tweeted a shoutout to Viola Davis for taking home a Grammy and securing an EGOT on Sunday.

“EGOT BABYYYYYYY” she wrote in a tweet, adding several heart emojis.

The carpet is kicking off, but Premiere Ceremony continues

By my count, there are still 18 categories left to hand out during the Premiere Ceremony.

Meanwhile, stars have started walking the red carpet.

New York Youth Symphony is first youth orchestra to win best orchestra performance

Conductor Michael Repper and the New York Youth Symphony just won the Grammy for best orchestra performance for their recording of “Works by Florence Price, Jessie Montgomery, Valerie Coleman.” It is the first youth orchestra to win this award.

Who was Georg Solti, the conductor whose record for most Grammys Beyoncé is expected to break?

With 30 Grammy awards and nine nominations this year alone, the odds are stacked in Beyoncé’s favor to break the record for most Grammys won Sunday.

Beyoncé is just one short of the record for most awards won, held by conductor Georg Solti, with 31 wins. Solti made his debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1954 and was its musical director for 22 years, according to the orchestra’s website. 

Solti accumulated many classical music awards, including best classical performance for orchestra and classical album of the year. Fun fact: He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1972.

Beyoncé’s summer album, “Renaissance,” is up for album of the year, and her hit song “Break My Soul” is nominated for both record and song of the year.

Beyoncé just surpassed Quincy Jones for the second-most Grammys won, beating his 28 awards. Jones is a musician, producer, songwriter, composer known for producing Michael Jackson’s album “Thriller” and producing the film “The Color Purple.” 

Kendrick Lamar wins 2 Grammys (so far)

Kendrick Lamar won best rap performance and best rap song for “The Heart Part 5” at tonight’s premiere ceremony. The rapper and songwriter is nominated for eight Grammys tonight.

Still 3+ hours to go until the Grammys …

After an hour and a half, the Premiere Ceremony — which is being streamed online — is still going strong. But we still have a ways to go until the Grammys ceremony itself.

According to Forbes, the majority of the Grammys are actually distributed during the Premiere Ceremony, which is a “lesser-known event in the music industry, but one that is incredibly important nonetheless.”

Important indeed! Queen Bey, Kendrick Lamar and Brandi Carlile are already picking up wins.

Brandi Carlile is already winning big tonight

Brandi Carlile won best rock song, alongside Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth, as well as best rock performance, for “Broken Horses.”

Carlile’s nominated in seven categories tonight, including album of the year, record of the year and best Americana album.

“I met these guys 22 years ago we decided to get in a van and be in a band together,” Carlile said while accepting her first award Sunday. “They had never even played an acoustic guitar, and then this happened.”

30 for Queen Bey

Beyoncé is now a 30-time Grammy winner. She took home the award for best traditional R&B performance at the Premiere Ceremony.

Viola Davis earns coveted EGOT

Viola Davis has earned the rare and coveted EGOT status — becoming the third Black woman in history to achieve the honor.

Davis, 57, won her first Grammy for her performance of the audiobook for her memoir, “Finding Me.”

“It has just been such a journey,” Davis said. “I just EGOT!”

Read the full story here.

Samara Joy already shining at the Grammys

Moments after she performed at the Premiere Ceremony, Samara Joy accepted the award for best jazz vocal album for “Linger Awhile.”

“Oh my gosh, I’m so grateful,” she said Sunday. “I’m so thankful, I’m so honored to be here.”

She’s a two-time nominee tonight, having also been recognized in the best new artist category.

We love to see it: Amanda Gorman presenting

Amanda Gorman, who is nominated in the best spoken word poetry album category, also presented at the Premiere Ceremony.

Sadly, she did not perform. Next time!

Beyoncé just won her 29th Grammy

Beyoncé has already got one award in the books tonight, taking home the award for best dance/electronic recording for “Break My Soul.”

The win was announced at the Grammys Premiere Ceremony.

Beyoncé is the most nominated artist this year, having received nods in nine categories. They bring her to 88 nominations in her career — tying with her husband, Jay- Z, as the most nominated artist in history.

Queen Bey, who last week announced her 2023 tour, now has racked up 29 Grammys overall; however, she has never won the album of the year statuette. This year, she’s up against several artists in that category, including Adele, who took the award home in 2017.

Video game soundtracks get their moment

The Grammys’ first-ever best score soundtrack for video games and other interactive media award went to Steph Economou for “Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök.”

Economou gave a shout out to those who fought to get this category its own recognition.

‘Encanto’ gets the first two Grammys of the day

The Disney hit “Encanto” took home the first two Grammys of the day for best compilation soundtrack for visual media and best score soundtrack for visual media, for composer Germaine Franco.

“Encanto,” which means “charm” in Spanish, is Disney’s 60th animated feature film. The film’s songs and music are by “Hamilton” composer Lin-Manuel Miranda. It tells the tale of the Madrigal family, whose members are gifted with magical powers to help their community in Colombia. The story is told through the eyes of Mirabel, who doesn’t have magical powers. 

My take? It’s not a surprise that it’s already getting some Grammy love. The movie was widely popular, even getting its own live show at the Hollywood Bowl. It also found new life on TikTok.

The Premiere Ceremony has begun

The Grammys kicked off Sunday with its pre-show Premiere Ceremony, streaming it on YouTube and at live.grammy.com. The pre-ceremony stream will announce the winners in the nontelevised categories.

Randy Rainbow, the viral sensation and three-time Emmy-nominated musical comedian, is hosting. He has already joked that he will not be getting political.

“There will be no George Santos jokes at this performance,” he said.

Iranians are rooting for Shervin Hajipour

Shervin Hajipour is the artist behind the song “Barayeh,” which many Iranians have declared the unofficial anthem of the months of protests that have swept Iran after the death of Mahsa Amini.

Hajipour was jailed — and later released — after the song went viral. When the Recording Academy opened up its submissions for a new category — best song for social change — Iranians took to social media to encourage people to submit “Barayeh.”

Covid, who?

The Grammys return to Los Angeles on Sunday after two years of socially distancing the awards from Crypto.com Arena (that’s a play on a Trevor Noah joke from when he previously hosted, so I can’t take credit for it!).

Last year, the awards moved to Las Vegas because of rising Covid-19 cases and concerns over the spread of the omicron variant. In 2021, the Grammys were held in an unusual outdoor setting, also because of Covid concerns.

This year, it’s almost as if Covid never existed. The week leading up to Sunday’s big show was filled with A-list events like brunches, happy hours, screenings and big parties. As Variety pointed out, it seems “even more action-packed than the pre-Covid years.”

Trevor Noah is gracing our TV screens again

Trevor Noah, who recently left his gig as host of “The Daily Show,” will helm the Grammys for a third time tonight.

Even though he’s a pro at this point, he told The Associated Press he still gets nervous.

“The nerves come in because you’re standing in front of not just some of the best, but some of the biggest performers in the world,” he said. “Nerves are part of what I do.” 

There are some new categories this year

The Recording Academy last year announced some new categories for the 65th awards show. Here are some things to watch for: 

Where to watch the Grammys

People with cable can watch the Grammys live on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

For the cord cutters out there, the show can also be streamed on Paramount+. The platform is offering a free trial you can use to watch the Grammys online for free.

And of course, follow along with our blog for live updates.

Regardless of how you tune in, make sure you are cozied up, as the show is about 3½ hours long.