The Recording Academy Awards: Bruno Mars And Social Justice Steal The Grammys

Melody Conrad
Staff Writer

The Academy’s 60th Grammy Awards Ceremony was chock-full of social outcries and lots of Bruno Mars, leaving viewers with plenty to wrap their minds around.

Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus and others donned the white rose to support the #MeToo and #TimesUp sexual misconduct movements, with Janelle Monáe delivering a powerful introduction to Kesha’s song “Praying.”

“Tonight I am proud to stand in solidarity as not just an artist but as a young woman with my fellow sisters in this room who make up the music industry,” Monáe said. “Artists, writers, assistants, CEOs, producers, engineers and women from all sector of the business. We are daughters, wives, mothers, sisters, and human beings. We come in peace – but we mean business. To those that would dare silence us, we offer you two words: time’s up.”

Dressed in white and decorated in flowers, Kesha appeared on the stage with a crowd of women. Cyndi Lauper, Camila Cabello, Julia Michaels and Andra Day stood behind her, literally and symbolically, as Kesha shook on stage.

“Some things only God can forgive,” Kesha sang, pain in her eyes.

As the song ended, the group of women surrounded Kesha, embracing her as she collapsed into their arms, crying.
&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>

Earlier in the evening, P!nk delivered an uncharacteristically simple “Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken” to unite herself with the #MeToo movement. Standing in the spotlight in blue jeans, a loose white shirt, and alone with the microphone, she delivered a raw piece that sent shivers running through the bodies of all onlookers.

With equality circulating throughout the ceremony, however, the judges must have missed the memo. Bruno Mars won five major awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year throughout the night, and I found myself shouting to an empty room, “And the winner is…Bruno Mars!” seconds before his name was announced.

In the words of Mars, “What y’all trying to do?”

Other winners for the night included Ed Sheeran’s Divide for Best Pop Vocal Album, Alessia Cara as Best New Artist, and Kendrick Lamar’s HUMBLE. For Best Rap Performance.
&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>&’ async type=’text/javascript’>

Photo Taken from billboard.com