68th Annual Grammy Awards Held Amidst Performances, Awards, and Political Commentary
The 68th annual Grammy Awards took place Sunday night at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, honoring the best in the music business with performances, the addition of new award categories, and political commentary. Kendrick Lamar led the nominations with nine, marking his fifth consecutive studio album, "GNX," to be nominated for Album of the Year, a first for any artist, according to Variety.
Comedian Trevor Noah hosted the Grammys for a sixth consecutive year. During his opening monologue, Noah joked about Nicki Minaj's recent association with former President Donald Trump, assuring the crowd, "Nicki Minaj is not here," Fox News reported. Noah himself was also nominated for Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording for his book "Into the Uncut Grass," but lost to the Dalai Lama, according to CBS News.
Justin Bieber stunned the audience with a performance of his hit "Yukon" from his seventh studio album, "Swag," while wearing only his underwear, Fox News reported.
This year's ceremony saw the addition of two new categories: Best Traditional Country Album and Best Album Cover, bringing the total number of awards presented to 95, CBS News reported. The category formerly known as Best Country Album is now named Best Contemporary Country Album.
Famed director Steven Spielberg achieved EGOT status – winning at least one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony – when he secured the Grammy for Best Music Film for his role in producing "Music By John Williams," CBS News reported.
Former CNN journalist Don Lemon attended the awards ceremony just days after being released following his arrest in connection with his coverage of an incident in which anti-ICE protesters disrupted a service at a Minnesota church, ABC News reported. Lemon walked the red carpet alongside his husband, Timothy Malone. He was released on his own recognizance, without bail, on Jan. 30, according to ABC News.
The Grammy Awards were broadcast live on CBS television stations starting at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (5 p.m. Pacific Time) and streamed live and on-demand on Paramount+ in the U.S., CBS News reported.
In other news, President Trump announced on Sunday that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will close for approximately two years for "Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding," CBS News reported. The closure will begin on July 4, according to a social media post by Trump. "The temporary closure will produce a much faster and higher quality result!," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "This important decision, based on input from many Highly Respected Experts, will take a tired, broken, and dilapidated Center, one that has been in bad condition, both financially and structurally for many years, and turn it into a World Class B
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