Image via Getty/VALERIE MACON
Fresh off a full year of missing live music thanks to the ongoing pandemic, Sunday brought a dash of relief in the form of televised performances for the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.
Among the 2021 lineup of Grammys performers are Cardi B, Bad Bunny, BTS, DaBaby, Doja Cat, Billie Eilish, Haim, Brittany Howard, Lil Baby, Dua Lipa, Megan Thee Stallion, Post Malone, Roddy Ricch, Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, and more.
Fittingly, this year’s edition of the Grammys ceremony—which has been the subject of renewed controversy in connection with shutting out The Weeknd and his widely acclaimed 2020 album After Hours—also featured a special tribute to the independent music venue community by way of inviting workers from revered performance sites (the Troubadour, the Hotel Cafe, the Apollo Theater, and the Station Inn) to help announce the winners in a number of categories.
Speaking with Billboard’s Joe Lynch ahead of Sunday’s broadcast, 2021 Grammys host Trevor Noah was asked to reflect on his favorite performances from previous ceremonies. Among them, the Daily Show host revealed, are recent standouts from Kendrick Lamar and Billie Eilish.
“I’m sure if I went through the archives, I’d come back at you with a completely new list of favorites,” Noah said. “That’s what makes the Grammys amazing. I don’t care who you are, you are going to have a favorite performance during the course of the show.”
Below, catch a roundup of the 2021 Grammys performances, fresh from their premiere via CBS.