The Grammys: What You Need To Know

The road to this year's awards was rockier than usual

by Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy The 2020 Grammy Awards The road to the 2020 Grammy Awards was rockier than usual for the Recording Academy, and once the awards actually started on Sunday night, that feeling of being off balance persisted.     A controversy about mismanagement, voting irregularities, bullying and sexual misconduct followed the removal of Academy CEO Deborah Dugan, who just took the post in August. More has unfolded over the last two weeks as Dugan and the Academy have traded accusations. This drama has deep roots in years of protests about who gets nominations, awards and performance slots at the ceremony, which led to the end of the tenure of Dugan’s predecessor, Neil Portnow.   Based on prizes alone, the night’s undeniable narrative  was the crowning of 18-year-old Billie Eilish, who became just the second musician in Grammy history to win all four of the night’s biggest awards. There were fiery displays by Tyler, the Creator and Gary Clark Jr.; coming-out parties for new stars like Lil Nas X and Lizzo and an approximately equal number of spare, elegant performances and baffling, overstuffed disasters. Taken as a whole, it was easy to feel overwhelmed by the number of messages about inclusion and support the Academy tried to cram into the ceremony and simultaneously underwhelmed by the way those messages added up, or canceled each other out. Onstage and backstage, there was a lot to untangle.   Till I can’t no more, Jacob Ganz, Senior Editor Newsletter continues after sponsor message Read More For our critics Ann Powers and Rodney Carmichael, the show was both fraught and repressed. There were many performances to admire, if you could get past the feeling that the Academy was asking musicians to cover for its shortcomings.      Read the full list of winners, including the 70-plus categories that weren’t announced on the telecast.  Even after Lizzo started the show with a standout performance, it was Billie Eilish’s night after all. Anastasia Tsioulcas stayed up to the bitter end, even through a few attempts at “Grammy Moments” that missed the mark, to offer context.  Eilish, who won the night’s four biggest awards, was 2019’s definitive new star. Ann Powers wrote about why she is at home in the cacophony of our current moment.  The accusations filed by Deborah Dugan in the week before the awards put nearly everything about the show in question, including questions about who — this year and in the past — has rightfully earned nominations. Our friends at Pop Culture Happy Hour shared their annual Grammys recap episode in the early hours of the morning.  What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: nprmusic@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Books, Pop Culture, Health and more! Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on Spotify and Apple Music! You received this message because you're subscribed to NPR Music emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy