It doesn’t get any bigger than the Grammys for a Music artist and Sam Smith capped off what has been an incredible year with a special night in Los Angeles. As it has done for the past 11 years, Staples Centre was the host for the 2015 Grammy Awards, although this year’s ceremony was a little more serious than usual. British soul singer, Sam Smith was nominated for six awards and came away with four of them, including, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Of course the Grammys wouldn’t be the Grammys without a few shocks, and there were certainly a few of those, notably, Beck coming away with Album of the Year for “Morning Phase”.
He won ahead of Beyonce self-entitled album, widely considered to be the favourite, not only did that prove to be a shock for many in the audience, but it didn’t appear to sit well with Kanye West, but more on that later.
Getting back to the winners, Smith was overwhelmed by the support he received in what has been his breakthrough year as an artist. He came to prominence in the UK back in 2012 when he featured on Disclosure’s single “Latch”, however, it wasn’t until his first solo album, In the Lonely Hour, that his career truly kicked off - notably with his first single from the album “Money on My Mind”. Now, Sam Smith finds himself carrying four Grammy awards back to his hometown of London.
The 22-year-old secured Record of the Year and Song of the Year for his smash hit “Stay With Me”, he took home the award for Best Pop Vocal Album for In the Lonely Hour, and finally he won another big award for Best New Artist. Overall, an incredible evening for Sam Smith, who certainly enjoyed himself, although it might be interesting to know whether the crowd could say the same - the award’s ceremony itself proved to be a little somber.
The Grammys usually showcases some of the most electrifying and spectacular performances but this year’s proved to be a little less focused on the spectacle and more concentrated on messages and tributes. Not to say the event was a disappointment, but it wasn’t its usual brand of flashing lights and excitement. Following her spectacular Super Bowl performance, Katy Perry took the stage once again, this time around however, she performed a song dedicated to the survivor of domestic violence, a notable tribute but perhaps not the most uplifting for the crowd.
Usher then performed a beautiful tribute of his own to Stevie Wonder as he did a cover of “If It’s Magic”, during which he was eventually joined on stage by the man himself who chimed in with his harmonica. It too was a magical performance, but it maintained the slow pace of the show. Finally, Beyonce closed out the evening with a meaningful reminder of Michael Brown, who was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. She sang “Take my Hand Precious Lord”, while behind her performers held up their hands to symbolise “hands up, don’t shoot”. While the theme may not have been the glitz and glamour that we have become used to from the Grammys, it was certainly a beautifully orchestrated tribute by several artists on a variety of levels.
Kanye West was mentioned earlier, as is often the case, he grabs the headlines in negative fashion. He protested the surprise victory for Beck by rushing the stage as the artist was presented with his award, this time around he didn’t say anything. However, in a post-show interview, he protested the victory claiming that Beck should hand the award to Beyonce if he recognises ‘true artistry’.
