For reasons good, bad, ugly, and everything in between, 2023 was one for the books!
As the year draws to a close, That Grape Juice is reflecting on the occasions that rocked – and to some degree – maybe even reshaped the Urban and Pop cultural landscape as we know it.
Next, we’re revisiting how Black women rocked the 2023 GRAMMYs to historic measure.
From shocking upsets to emotional acceptance speeches and more, there were many stories that came out of the 65th annual GRAMMY Awards. None were as captivating as the Black women who etched their name in Recording Academy record books for their respective wins, however.
First, Jazz singer Samara Joy won both of the awards she was nominated for including Best New Artist – a stunning victory over more popular acts like Anitta, Latto, and Muni Long.
Joy’s triumph put her in a unique historical class of Black women who have taken home the trophy over the years, a listing that includes big names like Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys, Toni Braxton, and other divas.
Elsewhere that night, revered actress Viola Davis - like Samara - nabbed the first GRAMMY Award of her career.
For Davis, however, the win was the last piece of a puzzle that secured her EGOT status - a title bestowed to elite entertainers who have collected the industry's top honors (EMMY, GRAMMY, OSCAR, and TONY).
Viola joined Jennifer Hudson, Whoopi Goldberg, John Legend, Quincy Jones, James Earl Jones, and Harry Belafonte on the overall list of Black performers who are similarly billed.
While Davis and Joy enjoyed historic "firsts," Lizzo landed a "first in a long time" when she took home the Record of the Year honor for her hit 'About Damn Time.'
The last time any Black woman could boast a win in the category was Whitney Houston in 1994.
The biggest story of the night undoubtedly came from Beyonce, the night's most-nominated performer.
Despite being bested for the Album of the Year again (much to the dismay of the Beyhive), the music royal still managed to collect 4 trophies - the most among any solo act at the event.
More importantly, those additional golden gramophones saw her pass Hungarian-British conductor Georg Solti for the record of most GRAMMY wins in the ceremony's history.
Click here to revisit the night's full list of winners.