There were plenty of memorable moments at the 2022 GRAMMYs, from heartfelt speeches to epic performances. But what those watching at home or in-person may not have realized, is that the 64th GRAMMY Awards also made history in several ways.
Several wins marked many firsts for the GRAMMYs, and a few added to GRAMMY legacies. As you look back on all of the excitement from the 2022 GRAMMYs, take a look at some of the ways this year's ceremony was historic.
Rock Reaches New Heights
The Foo Fighters' 10th studio album, Medicine At Midnight, won the GRAMMY for Best Rock Album, marking their fifth win in the category. The rock giants extend their lead as the winning-most act in the category, as no other artist has won Best Rock Album more than twice. (The Foo Fighters won all three rock GRAMMYs for which they were nominated, which came at a bittersweet time. The group lost their drummer, Taylor Hawkins, on March 25.)
In the Alternative category, indie rocker St. Vincent won the GRAMMY for Best Alternative Music Album, becoming the first female solo artist to win the award twice. (She first won in 2015 for Daddy's Home.)
That win further made history for women: It's the first time in GRAMMY history that female solo artists have won the GRAMMY for Best Alternative Music Album back to back. Fiona Apple was last year's winner, for her LP Fetch the Bolt Cutters.
Silk Sonic "Leave" Their Mark
Silk Sonic — the dynamic duo of Bruno Mars and .Anderson Paak — didn't just sweep all four categories for which they were nominated, they helped Mars join an elite GRAMMY rank. When their hit "Leave the Door Open" won the GRAMMY for Record Of The Year, Mars became just the second artist in GRAMMY history to win the coveted award three times — and the first to do so in nearly 35 years.
Mars previously took home Record Of The Year trophies for his own "24k Magic" in 2018, and his Mark Ronson collaboration "Uptown Funk" in 2016. Paul Simon is the only other artist to win the GRAMMY for Record Of The Year three times, for his Simon & Garfunkel classics "Mrs. Robinson" (in 1969) and "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (in 1971) as well as his own "Graceland" in 1988.
"Leave the Door Open" also helped co-writer D'Mile become the first songwriter in GRAMMY history to take Song Of The Year two years in a row. He won in the category last year for H.E.R.'s "I Can't Breathe," which he wrote with H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas.
An Inaugural Celebration…
With the addition of two new categories this year, two artists added to the historic night. Bad Bunny won the first-ever GRAMMY for the newly introduced Best Música Urbana Album category for El Último Tour Del Mundo, and Arooj Aftab won the first-ever GRAMMY for the newly introduced Best Global Music Performance category for "Mohabbat."
…And A Historic Day For Pakistan
Though she's now based in Brooklyn, New York, Arooj Aftab grew up in Pakistan. With her Best Global Music Performance victory, she became the first Pakistani woman to win a GRAMMY. (She was the first Pakistani woman to be nominated for a GRAMMY, and also earned a Best New Artist nod.)
"Making a deeply personal and crossover music, in Urdu, and being seen for it… feels like a breakthrough," she tweeted after her win.
A highly competitive category, full of highly respected legendary nominees. I am humbled and grateful for this win. Making a deeply personal and crossover music, in Urdu, and being seen for it… feels like a breakthrough. thank you AND congratulations ❤️ pic.twitter.com/FXyth4w9hK
— arooj aftab (@arooj_aftab) April 5, 2022
Country's Current King Reigns
Like the Foo Fighters and Silk Sonic, Chris Stapleton swept every category he was nominated in at the 2022 GRAMMYs (Best Country Album, Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song). His wins were more than a clean sweep, too: Stapleton became the first solo artist to win a GRAMMY for Best Country Album three times, and the first to win Best Country Solo Performance thrice as well.
Netflix Goes GRAMMY Gold
Barlow & Bear — the duo of singer/songwriters Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear — and their TikTok sensation The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical won the GRAMMY for Best Musical Theater Album. Inspired by the popular Netflix series "Bridgerton," the album is the first from a musical based on a TV show to win in the category.
Another Netflix GRAMMY success came from Bo Burnham’s "All Eyes on Me" — a song from his 2021 special "Bo Burnham: Inside" — which won the GRAMMY for Best Song Written For Visual Media. It’s only the second song from a TV show to win in the category, and the first in 20 years. (They Might Be Giants’ "Boss of Me" from Malcolm in the Middle won in 2002.)
Family Ties (In More Ways Than One)
Rising rap star Baby Keem and his cousin, Kendrick Lamar, won the GRAMMY for Best Rap Performance for their aptly titled collab, "Family Ties." Marking Lamar's fifth win in the category, he extends his record of most Best Rap Performance wins.
In other family GRAMMY news, Dhani Harrison — son of late Beatle George Harrison — won the GRAMMY for Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package for All Things Must Pass: 50th Anniversary Edition. He's the first child of a Beatle to win a GRAMMY.
A GRAMMY Legend Furthers His Legacy
Last but certainly not least, the great Tony Bennett added another golden gramophone to his collection this year. The jazz icon's second collaborative album with Lady Gaga, Love for Sale, won the GRAMMY for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. It's his 14th win in the category, cementing his title of most GRAMMY wins for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album by a mile — no other artist has won the category more than four times.
Though he doesn't have the most wins or nominations of any artist, the 95-year-old's GRAMMY legacy is still pretty remarkable: Tony Bennett has won 19 GRAMMYs and received 41 nominations since the 5th (yes, 5th!) GRAMMY Awards in 1963. Talk about a career for the history books.