Beyoncé accepting one of her many Grammy awards in 2021 in Los Angeles.
Photo: Getty via AFP
Beyoncé has already won three prizes at this year’s Grammy awards and is now tied as the most-awarded artist in Grammy history.
Beyoncé took the best dance recording for the song Break My Soul, best traditional R&B performance for Plastic Off The Sofa and best R&B song for Cuff It.
The star now has 31 trophies, equal with the current record holder, Hungarian-British conductor Georg Solti.
Beyoncé is also nominated for the coveted album of the year trophy with her dance-heavy album Renaissance, but until now the artist has never managed to take home what is considered one of the top Grammy awards.
Industry experts and award pundits say 2023 may be her year, although it is by no means a sure thing.
She faces tough competition in a formidable, wide-ranging field that includes Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, pop musician Harry Styles, singer and flutist Lizzo, and disco-era Swedish hitmaker ABBA.
Overall, Beyoncé has headed into this year’s Los Angeles show with nine nominations.
Congrats Best R&B Song winner (A Songwriter(s) Award) – “CUFF IT” – @blu_june, Beyoncé, @msteenamarie, @chi_coney, @thekingdream, @MortenRistorp, @NileRodgers & @RaphaelSaadiq, songwriters (@beyonce) #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/qxWx9JAw54
— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) February 6, 2023
Other early Grammy winners include Harry Styles who picked up best engineered album for Harry’s House, which is also up for the night’s biggest prize – album of the year.
Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne also won two awards, in the week he announced his retirement from touring.
His latest record, Patient Number Nine, was named best rock album, while the song Degradation Rules won best metal performance.
And British indie duo Wet Leg received two awards – including best alternative album and best alternative song for their breakout single, Chaise Longue.
“This is so funny,” said singer-guitarist Rhian Teasdale. “What are we even doing here?”
Meanwhile composer and violinist Stephanie Economou received the first ever Grammy for best video game soundtrack, recognising her work on Assassin’s Creed: Dawn Of Ragnarok.
The premiere ceremony is being hosted by YouTube star Randy Rainbow, who went viral during the Trump administration for videos that mixed political commentary with musical theatre numbers.
Taking to the stage at Los Angeles’ Crypto,com Arena, he promised not to make cheap jokes about US Republican George Santos, who has admitted to making several false statements in his resume and biography.
“I will not even say his name,” said Rainbow. “Even though he is nominated for best pop vocal album.”
While Willie Nelson won the best country album award for A Beautiful Time.
– BBC / Reuters
Story Credit: rnz.co.nz