The Ukrainian president made a surprise appearance at the Grammys in Las Vegas, speaking via videolink to introduce John Legend, who sang a song for the war-ravaged country.
In a pre-recorded message, Volodymyr Zelensky told the assembled musicians to use their voices to demand an end to the war, stating: ‘Anything but silence’.
He said he ‘had a dream’ that those living in the cities of Ukraine could be as free as the performers on the Grammys stage, and likened the invasion to a deadly silence threatening to extinguish the dreams and lives of the Ukrainian people, including children.
‘Our musicians wear body armor instead of tuxedos. They sing to the wounded in hospitals, even to those who can’t hear them,’ he said.
‘But the music will break through anyway.’
The Recording Academy with partner Global Citizen had highlighted a social media campaign called ‘Stand Up For Ukraine’ to raise money during the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
‘Fill the silence with your music. Fill it today to tell our story. Tell the truth about the war on your social networks, on TV, support us in any way you can any, but not silence.
‘And then peace will come to all our cities,’ Zelensky said while wearing his now-trademark khaki t-shirt.
Legend, dressed in the blue of Ukraine’s flag, then performed his song ‘Free’, in a tribute to the war-torn country.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, pre-recorded a video message for the Grammys Sunday night, introducing John Legend and telling musicians to speak up against the war. ‘Anything but silence’, he declared
Siuzanna Iglidan from Odessa joined Legend on stage, along with western Ukrainian singer Mika Newton.
Iglidan, dressed in yellow, played the bandura, a traditional Ukrainian string instrument associated with the country’s folk movement.
Lyuba Yakimchuk, a poet from the Donbas who fled just days ago, also read a poem.
Zelensky spoke amid growing outrage at the atrocities committed in his country.
By Sunday night the scale of the horror in Kyiv suburb Bucha was clear. Photos and video show civilians executed with their hands tied behind their backs.
Zelensky denounced what he called the effort to eliminate ‘the whole nation,’ and repeated: ‘This is genocide.’
He added: ‘We are citizens of Ukraine and we don’t want to be subdued. This is the reason we are being destroyed and exterminated. And this is happening in the Europe of the 21st century.’
Zelensky’s pre-recorded speech Sunday night appeared to have been filmed on the grounds of the presidential palace in Kyiv
The Ukrainian president’s speech was beamed to the audience in Las Vegas, with John Legend waiting at the piano
Legend, introduced by Zelensky, performed his song ‘Free’ in tribute to the people of Ukraine – wearing the blue of the flag
Siuzanna Iglidan (right) from Odessa played joined Legend on stage along with western Ukrainian singer Mika Newton (left)
The trio performed against a backdrop of images of Ukraine showing scenes from the conflict and a billowing Ukrainian flag
The war.
What is more opposite to music? The silence of ruined cities and killed people…
Our children draw swooping rockets, not shooting stars.
Over 400 children have been injured and 153 children died.
And we’ll never see them drawing.
Our parents are happy to wake up in the morning. In bomb shelters. But alive.
Our loved ones don’t know if we’ll be together again. The war doesn’t let us choose who survives and who stays in eternal silence.
Our musicians wear body armor instead of tuxedos. They sing to the wounded. In hospitals.
Even to those who can’t hear them, but the music will break through anyway
We defend our freedom. To live. To love. To sound.
On our land, we are fighting Russia, which brings horrible silence with its bombs.
The dead silence.
Fill the silence with your music. Fill it today. To tell our story.
Tell the truth about this war on your social networks, on TV.
Support us in any way you can. Any – but not silence.
And then peace will come.
To all our cities the war is destroying. Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Volonovakha, Mariupol and others
They are legends already. But I have a dream of them living.
And free. Free like you on the Grammy stage.
Host Trevor Noah opened the show on Sunday night with a joke about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock during last week’s Oscars.
Smith, after storming onto the stage, returned to his seat and yelled at Rock to ‘keep my wife’s name out your f–king mouth.’
On Sunday night, Noah joked: ‘We’re going to be keeping peoples names out of our mouths.’
‘Don’t even think of this as an award show,’ Noah said about the ceremony.
‘It’s a concert where we are giving out awards, we will be listening to music, dancing, singing, keeping people’s names out of our mouths, and we are going to give people awards all throughout the night. So let’s get straight into it.’
Questlove also referenced the infamous event, when he presented an award on Sunday night.
‘I’m going to present this award, and I trust you people will stay 500 feet away from me,’ the Roots drummer joked.
He had been awarded the Oscar for best documentary immediately after Smith’s attack on Rock.
The jokes had began even before the show started.
Hours before the event, at the Grammys’ ‘premiere ceremony’ – held to dole out the majority of the music awards – LeVar Burton mocked Smith’s behavior.
‘I want to warn you all that our next presenter is a comedian. If you know what I mean,’ he said.
‘So I need to caution everybody: Remain in your seats and keep your hands to yourself. Alright?’
Fellow presenter Nate Bargatze added to the mockery by wearing a black motorcycle helmet on stage which brought some laughs from the crowd.
‘They said comedians had to wear these now at awards shows during the Joke Wars,’ Bargatze added.
Just a week after Smith’s infamous Oscars meltdown, multiple controversies surrounding the Grammys mean that the music industry’s top awards show was always a veritable powder keg set to blow.
There was further controversy when Louis C.K.’s 2020 comedy special, in which he joked about the sexual misconduct claims against him, won the award for best comedy album.
Silk Sonic’s ‘Leave the Door Open’ won song of the year, while Olivia Rodrigo was named best new artist.
The 19-year-old also won best pop solo performance for Drivers License.
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett won best traditional pop vocal album for ‘Love For Sale’.
Foo Fighters won all three awards for which they were nominated: best rock performance for ‘Making a Fire’; best rock song for ‘Waiting on a War’; and best rock album for ‘Medicine at Midnight’.
They did not perform or appear at the Grammys following the recent death of drummer Taylor Hawkins.
The band had been scheduled to perform, but have canceled all scheduled concert dates.
Billie Eilish paid tribute to Hawkins, wearing his face on a t-shirt as she performed.
Host Trevor Noah quipped Grammys presenters would ‘keep people’s names out of our mouths’, in a nod to the Oscars slap
The South African-born comedian hosted the show for the second year in a row – the first with an audience since Covid began
Noah was seen arriving at the event in Las Vegas Sunday night, which was held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena
Questlove on Sunday night also referenced the slap – which had prefaced and overshadowed his own Oscar win – by joking: ‘I’m going to present this award and I trust you people will stay 500 feet away from me’
At the Grammys pre-award ceremony afternoon, LeVar Burton took the opportunity to roast Will Smith over his Oscars slap, with comedian Nate Bargatze getting in on the fun as well
Comedian Bargatze came out on stage in a black-on-black suit and a matte black motorcycle helmet, bringing crowd chuckles
Will Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars Sunday after the comedian made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith
After smacking Rock, Smith returned to his seat and repeatedly yelled: ‘Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth’
Will Smith SLAPS Chris Rock at the Oscars over joke about Jada
Marilyn Manson was also up for an award after he was accused of sexual misconduct by several women, and comedian Louis CK won best comedy album as he makes his comeback from sexual harassment allegations several years ago.
And in stinging snubs, the Weeknd is still boycotting the awards and Drake said he wanted no part in competing for a Grammy, withdrawing his two nominations.
The Grammys will moved forward without a performance from Kanye West, known as Ye, after organizers said they were worried about his ‘concerning online behavior’.
The ban appeared to refer to West’s bizarre online feud with comedian Pete Davidson, who is dating his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, after West’s outbursts earned him a temporary suspension from Instagram.
West had scored several nominations for his album ‘Donda’ – and faced off with longtime nemesis Taylor Swift in the Album of the Year category, where she had her sole chance at Grammy gold for ‘evermore.’
At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, West infamously ran onstage to interrupt Swift’s acceptance speech, snatching the mic from her hand to shout out Beyoncé’s ‘Single Ladies’ video.
West was banned from performing at the Grammys for ‘concerning online behavior’ but was expected to attend the awards
Alleged sexual assaulter Marilyn Manson’s contribution to Donda earned him a spot on the nominee list for Album of the Year
Louis CK appears to be making a comeback after admitting in November 2017 he exposed himself in front of female comics
Dave Chappelle was also nominated for a Grammy despite backlash for comments on transgender people in Netflix special The Closer
Meanwhile, Manson’s contribution to Donda earned him a spot on the nominee list for Album of the Year – though he was scratched from contention as a writer for Best Rap Song due to a technicality.
Nine months ago, more than a dozen women, including Evan Rachel Wood and Game of Thrones actress Esme Bianco, accused Manson, 52, of sexual assault.
Bianco sued Manson in April, claiming he abused her dating back to 2007, with the lawsuit alleging she ‘suffered due to the deterioration of her mental health.’
The artist – real name Brian Hugh Warner – has denied all of the allegations, claiming his relationships were ‘entirely consensual.’
Earlier this week, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr defended Manson’s nomination, saying the Academy doesn’t ‘restrict’ who can submit their names for awards consideration.
‘We won’t restrict the people who can submit their material for consideration,’ he explained to The Wrap.
‘We won’t look back at people’s history, we won’t look at their criminal record, we won’t look at anything other than the legality within our rules of, is this recording for this work eligible based on date and other criteria. If it is, they can submit for consideration.’
However, the 53-year-old producer and executive stopped short of saying that controversial artists such as Manson would be welcome at the Grammy ceremony.
‘What we will control is our stages, our shows, our events, our red carpets,’ Mason continued.
‘We’ll take a look at anyone who is asking to be a part of that, asking to be in attendance, and we’ll make our decisions at that point. But we’re not going to be in the business of restricting people from submitting their work for our voters to decide on.’
Dave Chappelle was also nominated for a Grammy Award despite facing backlash for his comments on transgender people in his Netflix special, The Closer.
His Grammy nomination was for the Netflix special, 8:46, in the Best Spoken Word Album category.
Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion competed in the Best Rap Performance category, the only field in which the artists behind the smash hit ‘WAP’ are in the running.
Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar took home the award.
Korean pop juggernauts BTS scored one nomination in the pop categories for the huge commercial hit ‘Butter’ — less than expected for the massively popular boy band that has struggled to make inroads at the Grammys. They failed to win the award.
But BTS did perform on the night, which is watched as much for its staging as the actual awards, as did Rodrigo, Eilish, Batiste and H.E.R. along with Lil Nas X.
The ceremony relocated to Las Vegas for the first-time ever with several artists who could have epic nights including Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo and Jon Batiste.
The awards shifted from Los Angeles because of concern that rising COVID-19 cases and Omicron variant in January could result in legal restrictions.
Drake withdrew his work from consideration after accusing the Recording Academy, which he has long sparred with, of pigeonholing his music in the rap categories because he is black
The Weeknd is still boycotting the awards, after last year calling organizers ‘corrupt’ when his album After Hours failed to receive a single nomination
The latest: The Foo Fighters did not be perform at the 2022 Grammy Awards Sunday in the wake of the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins at 50 last week. Singer Dave Grohl, 53, and Hawkins were seen performing March 20 in Santiago, Chile
Last year, the Grammys had a music festival vibe with parts of the show held outdoors in an intimate in-person setting with music artists mixed with pre-taped performances.
The biggest stars in the music world descended upon Las Vegas on Sunday afternoon for the 64th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
And Lady Gaga hit the high notes in the fashion department as she posed up a storm in pink and black frocks on the red carpet in Sin City.
Joining Gaga on the best dressed list for the annual music awards were Chrissy Teigen, Olivia Rodrigo and Saweetie.
Stunner: The biggest stars in the music world descended upon Las Vegas on Sunday afternoon for the 64th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. And Olivia Rodrigo, Chrissy Teigen and Carrie Underwood hit the high notes in the fashion department as they posed up a storm on the red carpet in Sin City
Gaga exuded old Hollywood glamour in a black and white one-shoulder number, adding a statement diamond necklace and pulled back tresses.
Chrissy arrived with husband John Legend, opting to wear a bold pink frock with a voluminous skirt and statement neckline.
The dress had a ruffled neckline as well as one along the middle section of the skirt; the model/author added diamond chandelier earrings with her hair in a bun.
Comedian Trevor Noah hosted the event, which was televised and streamed live from the Sin City venue.
Wow: Gaga exuded old Hollywood glamour in a black and white one-shoulder number, adding a statement diamond necklace and pulled back tresses
Old Hollywood glam: The artist looked incredible in her two tone frock
Look of love: Chrissy stood out in a hot pink number while posing with husband John Legend
Music’s biggest night recognizes the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, which runs from September 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021.
This year, composer and musical artist Jon Batiste surpassed all nominees with an impressive 11 nominations, while Justin Bieber, Doja Cat and H.E.R. have eight each and Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo tied with seven.
Former enemies Taylor Swift and Kanye West were up against each other in one of the biggest categories for Album of the Year, with their respective records Evermore and Donda.
Striking: The 19-year-old singer wowed in a black and purple low-cut gown with gloves, adding a bold necklace
Breathtaking: Carrie Underwood looked absolutely stunning in an orange ombre gown with cascading tresses
Lovebirds: Carrie with husband Mike Fisher arriving to the Grammys
Beauty: The country singer’s frock had a gold bodice with a Grecian style shoulder detail
Vibes: Dua Lipa sported long blonde tresses with a belted black lace gown
Coupled up: Justin and Hailey Bieber weren’t shy about PDA on the red carpet
Kiss kiss: They smooched on the carpet as well
Incredible: Addison, 21, showcased her incredible figure in the slinky frock, adding silver heels
In love: Addison posed with her boyfriend Omer Fedi
Va va voom: Doja Cat wowed in a sheer baby blue dress featuring a bodysuit beneath; the artist rocked icy blonde hair in a futuristic hair style
Edgy: Billie Eilish chose a voluminous gown with boots and small sunglasses, while sporting jet black tresses; Halsey opted for a deep brown velvet corset with a unique belted drop waist skirt
Duo: Australian artist The Kid Laroi rocked bright hair as he posed on the red carpet with girlfriend Katarina Deme
Reunited Swedish pop group ABBA have their first-ever Grammy nomination in their 48-year history for ‘I Still Have Faith In You’ in the Record of the Year category.
American musician Jon Batiste was the most nominated artist for his album We Are.
Batiste, 35, is a veteran jazz keyboardist and also the musical director of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
Both Lil Nas X and Brandi Carlile have an impressive five nominations each, while Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s group Silk Sonic received four.
The Recording Academy has eliminated nominations review committees this year meaning winners will now be determined by a majority vote from Recording Academy voting members.
There are famously a long list of categories – 88 to be exact.
Two new categories have been included this year: Best Global Music Performance (Global Music Field) and Best Música Urbana Album (Latin Music Field).
The Grammys were initially set to take place on Jan. 31 in Los Angeles, but got pushed due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
‘Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31 simply contains too many risks,’ CBS and the Recording Academy said.
Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, confirmed later in January that it would be moving to Las Vegas.
Silver sirens: Paris Hilton (L), Snoh Aalegra (C) and Tiffany Haddish (R) glittered in silver numbers
Bold: Megan Thee Stallion donned a zebra and leopard print number while Maren Morris stunned in a snakeskin plunging frock and matching heels
Looking good: Chelsea Handler(L) and Laverne Cox (R) looked amazing in a black lace gown
Sparkle: Petra Collins donned an intricately designed frock with studded heels while Cynthia Erivo and H.E.R. chose silver accented numbers
Legacy: Chris Cornell’s widow Vicky Cornell with their children Toni, 17, and Christopher, 16; the Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman died by suicide in Marcy 2017 at age 52
Family first: Wolfgang Van Halen, who is the son of the late Eddie Van Halen, posed with his mom Valerie Bertinelli and his girlfriend Andraia Allsop
‘We are excited to take the GRAMMYs to Las Vegas for the very first time, and to put on a world-class show,’ he said.
‘From the moment we announced the postponement of the original show date, we have been inundated with heartfelt messages of support and solidarity from the artist community.’
‘We are humbled by their generosity and grateful for their unwavering commitment to the GRAMMY Awards and the Academy’s mission.’
