This past weekend, The 68th Annual Grammy Awards took over the Crypto.com Arena with a massive influx of star power, beginning with a red carpet that prioritized bold, high-fashion silhouettes, live performances, acceptance speeches and politically charged commentary.
Of the nights most talked about Grammy Glammy, South Africa’s Tyla skipped Chanel arriving in a 2013 Dsquared2 gown featuring a feather skirt and a dramatic train, accented by over 11 carats of Pandora lab-grown diamonds.
Pink Pony Girl Chappell Roan wore a custom sheer maroon Mugler gown designed by Miguel Castro Freitas, which utilized a ring-draped bodice and included pink pony prosthetic nipples by Andrew Dahling with medieval-inspired makeup and sailor’s tongue to match.
Lady Gaga appeared in a dark swan feathered, avian-inspired Matières Fécales ensemble, while Justin Bieber wore oversized Balenciaga. Other notable arrivals included Sabrina Carpenter in custom Valentino, Rosé in a voluminous Giambattista Valli, and Doechii in an archival Roberto Cavalli piece.
The Feast Backstage
The culinary experience was divided across the arena’s premium zones, with specific selections tailored for environments where the industry’s most recognizable faces were privy to a sophisticated “Mexican-Latin” feast.
Photo Credit: Ariel Goldberg, Crypto.com Arena
This year, General Manager of Crypto.com Arena, Katie Pandolfo entrusted Senior Executive Chef John Anderson and Senior Premium Sous Chef Francisco Amezquita to detail the massive scale culinary composition of flavor.
This year, guests were privy to over 2,000 glasses of poured champagne, 15,000 pieces of shrimp, and 12,000 pieces of sushi. The menu featured 600 pounds of slow-cooked short rib and a staggering 640 pounds of cheese, including a massive cheddar block carved into musical shapes by Sarah Kaufmann, also known as “The Cheese Lady.”
Photo Credit: Ariel Goldberg, Crypto.com Arena
In the Luxury Suites, where stars like Miley Cyrus and the legendary Joni Mitchell were invited to watch history unfold, the menu offered Duck Carnitas Flatbread topped with Tapatío-cured egg yolk and a Nopales Milanesa Torta featuring crispy pan-fried cactus leaf. Guests in these private quarters were also privy to a comprehensive Botana Board with three types of mole and pork belly chicharrón, alongside Mezcal Braised Beef Short Rib and Crema Cacao for dessert.
Deviled Eggs Photo Credit: Ariel Goldberg, Crypto.com Arena
The exclusive grandiose of Delta SKY360° Club provided a more curated environment with precise presentations like “On-Sen Ramen” Deviled Eggs and Pressed Bluefin Tuna Crudo for performers such as Bruno Mars and Labrinth—the artist behind the soulful “Jealous”—were privy to these high-end lounges between their respective sets and appearances.
Pharrell Williams – Photo Courtesy Grammys
Following the ceremony, the celebration moved to the City View Terrace for the Post-GRAMMYs Gala Event, where guests were invited to enjoy elevated small plates such as Smoked Salmon Cannoli and Sweet Pea Ravioli where stars like Billie Eilish and Teyana Taylor were privy to “Dirty Martini Fries” seasoned with gin-soaked green olives and Manhattan Chicken Bites glazed in a bourbon and brandied cherry BBQ sauce.
Dirty Martini Fries – Photo Credit: Ariel Goldberg, Crypto.com Arena
Beyond indulgence, the event maintained a focus on sustainability through a partnership with Musically Fed. This organization, which has provided nearly 10,000 meals to the Los Angeles community in the past year alone, ensured that unused catering from the night was safely repurposed for local nonprofits serving those facing food insecurity.
Photo Credit: Ariel Goldberg, Crypto.com Arena
Throughout these exclusive spaces, a sophisticated beverage program offered a range of thematic cocktails. The Maize & Fuego combined Código Reposado with charred sweet corn agave, while The Lady In Red featured Código Rosa and strawberry vanilla tea. Other options included the Wild Flower made with Monkey 47 Gin, a Chocolate & Orange Manhattan featuring Jefferson’s Tropics Whiskey, and the signature GRAMMY 68, which paired Perrier-Jouët Champagne with blood orange caviar. While heavy hitters like Jack Antonoff and the members of KATSEYE were privy to these social hubs, the beverage program catered to an elite crowd that included everyone from veteran presenters like Jeff Goldblum to rising stars like Lola Young.
Taking the Stage
Hosted by comedian/talk show extraordinaire Trevor Noah, The performance lineup within the arena was dominated by high-concept stage designs and high-energy numbers. Lady Gaga opened the broadcast with dark “Abracadabra,” spells followed by Rosé and Bruno Mars performing their global hit “APT.” Justin Bieber took to the stage to perform “Yukon” from his album Swag, stripped down to his boxers after completely trading his red carpet tux for an electric guitar and Sabrina Carpenter performed “Manchild.”
Tyler, The Creator delivered a two-song set featuring “Thought I Was Dead” and “Sugar on My Tongue,” which included a surprise guest appearance by Regina King. The “In Memoriam” and tribute segments featured a massive ensemble led by Lauryn Hill, Lucky Daye, and Jon Batiste honoring D’Angelo and Roberta Flack with a medley of hits including “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” and “Killing Me Softly with His Song.” Post Malone, Slash, and Duff McKagan performed a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne with a rendition of “War Pigs,” while Reba McEntire and Lukas Nelson performed “Trailblazer.”
When the trophies were handed out, Bad Bunny emerged as the night’s most significant winner, taking home the hardware for Album of the Year for Debí Tirar Más Fotos, marking a historic milestone for Spanish-language music.
Bunny also hopped away with Best Música Urbana Album. Kendrick Lamar and SZA won Record of the Year for “Luther,” making Lamar the highest grossing Grammy winning rapper of all time, and Billie Eilish took home Song of the Year for “Wildflower.” Olivia Dean was named Best New Artist, while Lady Gaga won Best Pop Vocal Album for Mayhem.
Other winners included Lola Young for Best Pop Solo Performance (“Messy”), Turnstile for Best Rock Album (Never Enough), and FKA twigs for Best Dance/Electronic Album (Eusexua). Clipse and Pharrell Williams won Best Rap Performance for “Chains & Whips,” and Kendrick Lamar added to his tally with Best Rap Album for GNX.
Protesting to the rhythm
In true artists fashion the political theme of the evening was defined by the “ICE Out” movement, which moved from subtle red carpet protest feature on pins, to a focal point of the televised speeches.
Bad Bunny was the first to explicitly shout “ICE out” during his acceptance speech, followed by a direct appeal for the recognition of the humanity of immigrants. Billie Eilish used her Song of the Year win to state that “no one is illegal on stolen land,” and Kehlani delivered a direct, expletive-laden “F*ck ICE” dismissal of the agency during her time at the podium.
