Grammys 2024 as it happened: Taylor Swift smashes Grammy record, announces new album

Miley Cyrus has pipped favourite Taylor Swift, as well as Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish, to take home Record of the Year.

Having already won a Pop Solo Performance for her song Flowers, Miley picked up her second Grammy of the evening. “This award is amazing, but I hope it doesn’t change anything because my life was beautiful yesterday,” said Cyrus.

Cyrus then closed out her acceptance speech in the most Cyrus way possible.

Having thanked all of her friends and family, Cyrus said: “I don’t think I’ve forgotten anyone, but I may have forgotten underwear.”

Oh, she’s just being Miley.

At 34 years old, and having released her debut EP a decade ago, Victoria Monét may not feel that new, but the Sacramento-native has had an enormous twelve months off the back of her soulful track, On My Mama.

“Thank you to the champagne servers tonight,” said Monét, before recounting just how long it took for her to be recognised as the Best New Artist (spoiler alter: it was fifteen years).

Earlier this week, Monét told CBS that she recorded the song about six weeks after giving birth to her daughter, with the process helping her survive postpartum depression: “I had to step out of myself and say, ‘What would Victoria need to hear from someone else? And now say that to yourself.’”

Quite the success story for this Best New Artist.

It’s been a great awards night, and particularly a great celebration of female artists. Some incredible performances, and headline-grabbing acceptance speeches, have made this one of the more memorable Grammys in recent years.

Joni Mitchell doing a remarkable version of Both Sides Now that, coming at 80, completely redefined its presence; Annie Lennox, shedding mascara, with a strong tribute to her friend Sinead O’Connor; and Tracy Chapman returning to her iconic Fast Car.

We’ve also had Miley vamping like a Broadway diva, Taylor Swift just casually dropping a new album, and just then a surprise cameo from R&B legend Brandy, reprising her classic Top of the World, sampled in Burna Boy’s Sittin’ on Top of the World.

That’s an impressive highlights reel. And we still haven’t reached the biggest awards yet!

It’s the first of the big four awards, the song of the year awarded for songwriting, and it goes to Billie Eilish and Finneas for their Barbie track, What Was I Made For?. Go back there, take your time – I totally picked it. This is some classic Grammys malarkey.

“Damn, that’s stupid, guys!” Eilish exclaims onstage. “I’m shocked out of my balls.”

She thanks Greta Gerwig for “making the best movie of the year”, and even throws out a thanks to our Margot Robbie. It’s Billie (and Finneas’) second song of the year win, after winning for Bad Guy in 2020.

If there were ever an award I would give a limb to win, it would be the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award.

Unfortunately, tonight’s winner was Jay-Z (he deserves it more, to be honest), and the hip-hop icon took to the stage, alongside daughter Blue Ivy, to accept the award before dragging the very organisation that was honouring him.

While Jay Z paid tribute to the artists that came before him, he also called out the institution for its past failings. “Get it right, or at least get it close to right,” said Jay.

Jay-Z then shifted focus to the Grammy’s perceived poor treatment of his wife, Beyoncé. Despite being one of the most successful recording artists of all time, Beyoncé has been historically overlooked in the major categories.

“She has the most Grammys and never won album of the year – that doesn’t work.”

He then continued dropping truth bombs, telling the audience, “Some of you don’t even belong in the category,” said Jay. Before adding, “Sorry, when I get nervous, I tell the truth.”