TEARS & TRIUMPH

Music’s biggest names came together for an emotion-packed night

Second-time host Alicia Keys opened the 62nd Grammy Awards paying tribute to basketball legend Kobe Bryant – who died the morning of the awards show – by addressing the sombre mood in the room before performing an emotional rendition of ‘It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye’ with Boyz II Men. “I know how much he loved music, so we gotta make this a celebration in his honour,” she said after her performance. “He would want us to keep the vibrations high.”

To that end, Lizzo kicked off the show with a powerhouse performance of ‘Cuz I Love You’, bringing the entire audience to their feet. Going into the ceremony, Lizzo had earned eight nominations – the most of any artist nominated this year – and walked away with three trophies. Accepting her Best Pop Solo Performance award for her song ‘Truth Hurts’, she got real.

“You guys create beautiful music and connectivity and as I’m speaking to all of y’all in this room, we need to continue to reach out,” she said. “Let’s continue to reach out, hold each other and lift each other up.”