The 2023 Grammy Awards were the culmination of several iconic music industry events and moments that occurred in 2022. These included both glory and disaster.
The 65th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 5, 2023, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. It honoured the year’s best recordings, compositions, and artists, which ran from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022.
The previous year provided fans with plenty to remember, whether it was Justin Bieber prioritising his mental health or Katie Bush becoming a household name again after nearly four decades.
1.Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes prioritise mental health
2022 saw a number of major industry names cancel tours due to mental health concerns. One of them was Justin Beiber, who has Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, which has rendered half of his face paralysed.
Shawn Mendes even cancelled his world tour for three weeks in order to focus on his mental health. The artist wrote in an Instagram post: “I started this tour excited to finally get back to playing live after a long break due to the pandemic, but I was completely unprepared for how difficult touring would be after such a long break. It’s become clear that I need to take the time I’ve never taken for myself to ground myself and return stronger.”
2.Kate Bush debuted at number one after nearly 40 years.
Nobody could have predicted that Kate Bush would surpass Harry Styles in the charts in 2022. Running Up That Hill was featured in the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, which changed the music game.
Increasing That Hill topped the UK chart in July and now holds the record for the longest time to reach number one, according to the Official Charts Company. On her website, Bush stated:
I’m overwhelmed by the scale of affection and support the song is receiving and it’s all happening really fast, as if it’s being driven along by a kind of elemental force. I have to admit I feel really moved by it all.”
3.The passing of Taylor Hawkins
Taylor Hawkins, drummer for the Foo Fighters, died tragically in March 2022 at the age of 50. He was having chest pains when an ambulance arrived in his hotel room in Bogota, Colombia, during the band’s South American tour.
He was dead at the scene after suffering a “cardiovascular collapse,” according to the report. Millions of people around the world were heartbroken as endless tributes to the drummer poured in. All remaining dates were cancelled by the band. They haven’t played a full show since the tragedy, with the exception of two tribute gigs.
4.Beyonce returned to music
In July 2022, Beyonce released her seventh solo studio album Renaissance. The dance-heavy music album received four Grammy nominations, making Queen Bey the artist with the most Grammy nominations of all time, with a total of 32 nominations.
Fans sent the album to the top of the charts in the US and UK, with the singer confirming she will tour again shortly.
5.The Weeknd said no to the Grammys
Right at the start of the new year, The Weeknd released the dreamy and pensive synth-pop album Dawn.FM, which was destined to be nominated for several Grammys.
However, the artist flatly refused to attend the ceremony because his previous masterpiece, After Hours, received no nominations the year before, despite having hits such as Blinding Lights, Save Your Tears, and Escape from LA. In accordance with the boycott, there was no mention of his 2022 album at this year’s Grammys.
Several important musical moments occurred at the 2023 Grammys as well, with Lizzo, Harry Styles, Bonnie Raitt, Samara Joy, Taylor Swift, Adele, Kendrick Lamar, and others receiving the prestigious award.