The 2000 Grammy Awards saw Britney Spears perform a medley of her biggest tracks beginning with “From the Bottom of My Broken Heart”. In a striking red cut-out embellished jumpsuit, she morphed into an iconic rendition of “…Baby One More Time”.
While the return of red carpets were a little underwhelming in 2021 (namely the virtual Golden Globe Awards) by all accounts it seems our favorite awards ceremonies are here to stay in person and free from travel restrictions. The 2022 Grammy Awards, set to air on January 31 in Los Angeles are already promising to be spectacular. The nominations were announced overnight with Justin Bieber, Doja Cat and SZA leading the charge with eight nominations while Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish trail with seven.
Certainly the best Grammy moments were those of yesteryear – pre-pandemic – where stars of the music industry mingled, jingled and took rather public swipes at one another. Yes, the biggest night is music always has something to say on the political, fashion and beauty frontiers so let’s take a look at an edit of the best.
JENNIFER LOPEZ IN THAT DRESS IN 2000
Donatella Versace’s iconic sheer green dress, as worn to the Grammy Awards at the turn of the millennium by Jennifer Lopez was everything. The plunging design was described as a watershed moment for the designer’s career after the death of her brother Gianni three years earlier. So famous was this piece of silk chiffon that it was soon immortalized with its own Wikipedia page. (Nineteen years after its inception, Versace closed its pre-fall 2019 runway in New York City with the return of the silhouette. It was given a modern update with a colorful heart pattern and was modelled by Amber Valletta. In 2019, Lopez wore an iteration of the dress down the SS20 Versace runway in Milan to mark its iconic anniversary.)
MICHAEL JACKSON INTRODUCES THE SEQUINNED GLOVE
Winning a record eight Grammys in 1984, Jackson not only took Elizabeth Taylor as his date but revealed his now-iconic sequinned glove to the world.
TAYLOR SWIFT’S 2014 SCORNED PERFORMANCE
It wasn’t the head-banging during the bridge of the song so much as it was the pensive-and-somewhat-bitter stare at the end of it that had the media in overdrive. Was “All Too Well” directed at past-love Jake Gyllenhaal? This editor says yes.
EMINEM AND ELTON JOHN PERFORM TOGETHER IN 2001
When Eminem dropped his 2000 offering, The Marshall Mather LP, he was instantly criticized for his “homophobic” lyrics, most prominently by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). Come Grammy time, Elton John performed alongside the rapper in Dido’s place silencing critics and hate. His candy-colored printed suit was the real star of the show.
MARVIN GAY [FINALLY] WINS A GRAMOPHONE IN 1983
After years of narrow misses, Marvin Gaye won two Grammys for his hit “Sexual Healing” at the 1983 Awards. Tragically a year later, his father, Marvin Gaye Senior, fatally shot his son at their home in Los Angeles. The singer was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award by the academy in 1996.
JOHN LENNON IS REMEMBERED BY YOKO ONO IN 1982
In 1982, two years after his death, Yoko Ono accepted the award for Album of the Year for her and Lennon’s Double Fantasy. Walking up to the stage with six-year-old son, Sean, and producer, Jack Douglas, the audience erupted into applause. “I really don’t know what to say. I think John is here with us today. Both John and I were always really proud and happy that we were part of the human race. He made good music for the earth and for the universe.”
ADELE ECLIPSES BEYONCÉ IN 2012
The Queen held the record for most wins by a female artist for all of two years until the UK’s leading lady, Adele, took to the scene. On this night in 2012, she took away six awards, tying with Beyoncé.
JENNIFER HUDSON’S TRIBUTE TO WHITNEY HOUSTON IN 2012
Just one day before the 54th Grammy Awards, Whitney Houston was found dead in her Beverly Hilton Hotel room. Jennifer Hudson emotionally performed Houston’s most famed song, “I Will Always Love You” to a grieving music industry.
BRITNEY SPEARS INTOXICATES US ALL WITH PERFORMANCE IN 2000
The 64th GRAMMYs Awards will take place on Sunday, January 31 2022.
