The 63rd GRAMMY Awards took place just over a year ago, but already, the March 2021 ceremony feels like a different time. Although the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a concern, last year's GRAMMY Awards came at a time of major uncertainty, when COVID-19 vaccines still weren't readily available and the pandemic-induced shutdowns of 2020 were still very fresh in everyone's mind.
In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, revisit a piece of (very) recent history, which looks back at the first GRAMMY Awards show to be held following the onset of the pandemic. At the time, organizing large, in-person gatherings was still a relatively daunting prospect, and the changes that had to be made are readily apparent in this clip: There's no in-person presenter on hand to announce the winner, and attendees are masked, seated at tables instead of in a general audience in order to encourage social distancing.
Appropriately enough, this GRAMMY Rewind episode revisits a Best Melodic Rap Performance win for Anderson .Paak, who earned a gramophone for a song that directly chronicled the trying times. "Lockdown" addressed the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the galvanized Civil Rights movement that sparked protests across the country following the deaths of Black people — such as George Floyd and Breonna Taylor — at the hands of white police officers.
When he took the stage to accept his award, .Paak used the platform to remind viewers and audience members of the power of expression to enact change. "This song, 'Lockdown,' is dedicated to every human being who actually has a voice," he said from the stage.
"If you have a voice, don't be afraid to use it," he continued. "'Cause they watching, and this is proof."
Press play above to revisit .Paak's powerful Best Melodic Rap Performance GRAMMY win from 2021, and keep checking GRAMMY.com for more episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.