It was a night for retro funk and dancehall pop meaning it was a night for fan favourite Bruno Mars as the 60th Annual Grammy Awards swept into town on Sunday.
Mars won in all six of the categories he was nominated for, including the top awards of album, record and song of the year. He is immediately followed by Kendrick Lamar who had five awards but dominated the rap category.
Their victory meant rap mogul JayZ went home empty-handed after having come to the show with the highest number of nominations at eight.
#MeToo and Time’s Up
The show, which held in the Madison Square Gardens, also used its platform to show solidarity with the #MeToo campaign. The stars all wore white roses to signify their support for the cause which seeks to kick out sexual harassment against women.
Janelle Monae, with a short but inspiring speech, took the issue head-on.
“You see, it’s not just going on in Hollywood, it’s not just going on in Washington. It’s right here in our industry as well.
“And just as we have the power to shape culture,” she added, “we also have the power to undo a culture that does not serve us well,” Monae said.
Strong opening act
Kendrick Lamar opened the televised show in Madison Square Garden with a fierce performance. The performance, which straddled the fine line between comedy and confrontational politics, had Bono and Edge of U2 and Dave Chappelle in it.
Lamar performed amid a sea of camouflage-clad dancers and at the end, men in hoodies who fell to the ground as if gunned down.
