On Sunday, Feb. 13, the 61st Annual Grammy Awards was held at the Staples Center. Hosted by Alicia Keys, a 15-time Grammy winner, the women of music dominated the night. From H.E.R. to Lady Gaga and Kacey Musgrave, 31 women took home awards, visually displaying a notable increase in female winners in the award show’s history (grammy.com).

To open the show, Alicia Keys brought out Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Lopez and Michelle Obama for a surprise guest appearance. With the crowd in awe, Obama reminded the audience present and at home that no matter the genre, music “allows us to hear one another, to invite each other in.”

With that outstanding opening, the night was filled with performances of every kind of music.

H.E.R., a new and rising R&B artist who was nominated in five categories, walked away with two awards including “Best R&B Album” that was historically presented by Korean boy group BTS. Despite being an unfamiliar face to the locals, H.E.R. was able to win such honors with not an album, but an EP, or “extended playlist.”

Well-known pop artist Lady Gaga performed her song “Shallow,” which also won an award that night, from the Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe-winning movie she starred in, A Star in Born. While her performance was undoubtedly unique, some criticism followed. However, numerous fans on Twitter were ecstatic about her performance and claimed that she was indulging herself in the music.

Ariana Grande, known as the princess of pop, also became a first time Grammy winner. With her fourth album Sweetener, Grande took home an award despite not attending the ceremony. When offered with a slot to perform, Grande chose to opt out due to a disagreement with the producers on which songs she wanted to perform.

Kacey Musgrave, a country-pop artist, walked away with four awards, including the biggest honor of the night, “Album of the Year.” Along with winning such big achievements, she also performed a country tribute alongside legend Dolly Parton herself. Courtney Huitt (12) was happy with the country music recognition since the genre, in her opinion, “does not receive as much attention compared to mainstream pop music.”

Female rapping sensation Cardi B performed her single “Money” and won “Best Rap Album” with her debut studio album, Invasion of Privacy. Her accomplishment makes her the first female solo rapper to achieve this milestone. Although her flashy performance also received mixed reviews, it was one of the most popular performances of the musical night.

In 2018, Neil Portnow, the President of the Recording Academy, critically remarked the absence of women attending the Grammys, claiming women needed to “step up.” In 2019, Dua Lipa graciously accepted her “Best New Artist” award and beautifully illustrated the night by confirming how women “really stepped up” (fsunews.com).

The music industry is tough and competitive. Being a woman on top of all these struggles is even more difficult. In terms of exceeding expectations, it is arguable that women are expected to meet requirements that their fellow male peers do not have to. Nevertheless, it was a marvelous night for women in music at the 61st Grammy Awards, for they received their well-deserved praise and recognition.