The 64th annual Grammy Awards was all about celebrating new talent.
On Sunday night, the stars - including first-time nominees and seasoned veterans - stepped out at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, to celebrate the best in music from across the globe.
The nominees included a fresh crop of talent that have been dominating the charts over the past year, and comprised a powerful list of women of colour.
In a career-defining moment, we got to witness pop phenomenon Doja Cat and singer SZA win the Best Pop Duo award for their explosive hit “Kiss Me More”. The pair are the first black women in history to ever win the award, (and it also marked the fastest time Doja Cat has ever spent in the bathroom - but that’s a separate category).
Jazmine Sullivan, who has a 19-year-career under her belt, won her first ever Grammys after being nominated 15 times previously.
The 34-year-old singer won Best R&B Performance for her single, "Pick Up Your Feelings," during the award show’s pre-telecast, and was then announced as the winner of Best R&B Album during the ceremony for her album Heaux Tales.
New kid on the block, Olivia Rodrigo, cemented her astronomical rise as a teen pop sensation by taking home the awards for Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Album for Sour and Best Pop Solo Performance for her song “Driver’s License”. This was the singer’s first time being nominated for a Grammy.
There was also momentous global representation. On Sunday, vocalist Arooj Aftab became the first Pakistani to ever win a Grammy. She took home the accolade for Best Global Music Performance for her song “Mohabbat”, beating out fellow nominees Burna Boy, Femi Kuti, Yo-Yo Ma, Angélique Kidjo, and Wizkid featuring Tems.
South Africa also had reason to celebrate, with our most valuable export - Black Coffee- winning his first Grammy. The DJ and producer won the award for Best Dance/Electronic Album for his album Subconsciously. This was the first Grammy nomination and win for the star.
In a post award-show interview, Black Coffee gave a special shout out to "the African kids who are watching who come from where I come from who think they don't have a chance."
"I wanted to just say to them it's possible; the award is not just for me; it's just to show them," he said.
