GRAMMY House NYC’s Out + Proud Showcase Celebrates The Power Of Queer Voices

"When I say, 'Happy Pride,' for some reason, on this day, it hits a lot different, y'all," Peppermint declared while hosting Out + Proud: A Queer Artist Showcase on June 14. Presented by Academy Proud, a member resource group that celebrates and uplifts LGBTQIA+ Academy members and music professionals at large, the two-hour Out + Proud showcase closed out the very first GRAMMY House NYC on a jovial high note — but also one imbued with poignant meaning for the LGBTQIA+ community.

"I'm grateful that we are in a space where we are being recognized by the Recording Academy, by the GRAMMY House," the "RuPaul's Drag Race" legend continued. "That we are here — in the heart of the world as far as I'm concerned — to celebrate the types of artists that historically have not gotten a chance, for many reasons, to have a platform and even have our own community hear their art be put out across the airwaves."

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🎶 Day 2 of #GRAMMYHouseNYC was a celebration of culture, advocacy, and unapologetic artistry. 🖤🌈 We started the day with Rhythm & Soul, an intimate brunch celebrating Black Music Month in a way that honored community, creativity, and culture. From there, Artist to Advocate sparked important conversations on how artists can lead change and use their voices for impact, not just expression. And to close out this unforgettable weekend, Out & Proud lit up the night with bold performances and joyful celebration of the LGBTQIA+ music community, reminding us all that the talent within the Queer community is unique and unmatched! . 🌟🎤 Thank you to GRAMMY House NYC partners @United Airlines, @A2IM, @maccosmetics, @The MLC, SECOND, and @Voss Water USA.

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Inviting the ecstatic crowd to join her on a journey through "a magical land of euphoric artistry," the female trans trailblazer kicked off the evening with a fierce lip sync performance to a medley of Janet Jackson's '90s-era hits "If" and "Together Again" — complete with a mid-set costume change — before taking a moment to acknowledge the importance of recognizing how far the queer community has come in the fight for equity and inclusion in America, and how far we still have to go.

"I can remember a day and age about a decade or two ago where we were celebrating when a beer company would just put a rainbow on the can," Peppermint continued. "And I thought we made it; I thought we were free. I thought, 'This is it, y'all, ain't no goin' back! It's a different world!' So when I say that this lineup was curated with intention, that means somebody actually took a look into the lives and the impact of the artists that are about to come onto this stage, and understands the connection."

Over the course of the evening, rising stars Destin Conrad, Bentley Robles and Talia Goddess each lit up the stage at GRAMMY House NYC for a night filled with sultry rhythms, banging pop beats and blatant, unmistakable queer joy.

Talia Goddess performs on stage during the Out + Proud: A Queer Artist Showcase, presented by Academy Proud and the Recording Academy, at GRAMMY House NYC on June 14, 2025, in New York City | Photo: Santiago Felipe/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

First up was Goddess, who brought the audience on a "first-class trip to the islands" with bangers like "Poster Girl," "10.25" and "EVERYBODY LOVES A WINNER." During her performance, the Brooklyn-born singer — who now calls London home — also got vulnerable while introducing her 2021 track "Never Wanna Fall," which she revealed she wrote about her "first-ever lesbian heartbreak."

"Silly me for tryna be anything other than myself to make you happy/ I can guarantee you that I am a diamond, better recognize/ But I don't gotta prove my value to you, you're a fool/ Now I know what I deserve," the artist rapped on the hard-hitting final verse of the reggae-tinged anthem.

Ahead of the event, Goddess took to social media to explain just how much performing at GRAMMY House NYC meant to her. "I can't lie, as of recently I've been questioning if music is something I still want to do," she admitted. "Maybe I should do something safer, easier — this music s— is not all glitz and glam lol don't be fooled. With everything going on in the world and the creative industries, it's definitely been a challenge trying to build a career, community, and livelihood that aligns with my core values, creative autonomy and is built with integrity.

"But it's opportunities like this that remind me all the hard work does and will continue to pay off, and I am being recognized and celebrated for my talents," the multi-hyphenate, who writes and produces all her own music, continued in her candid Instagram post. "I'm very excited to join @recordingacademy in amplifying women, independent artists, queer & Black voices at the heart of music."

Bentley Robles performs on stage during the Out + Proud: A Queer Artist Showcase, presented by Academy Proud and the Recording Academy, at GRAMMY House NYC on June 14, 2025, in New York City | Photo: Santiago Felipe/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Bentley Robles opened his electrifying set with the bouncing, relentless club beat of 2024's "HYPER HEARTBREAK," giddily introducing himself as "your favorite gay guy's favorite gay guy."

"You like pop music?" the neon-haired Brooklyn native asked the exuberant crowd, whose question prompted excited cheers. "Good," he continued, before demanding, "I have one rule then. You wanna know what it is? Dance!"

Wearing a pair of yellow faux snakeskin overalls and tinted shades to match his bright locks, the underground pop artist reminisced on stage about queer awakenings — those all-consuming crushes on musicians, TV characters, actors, or other cultural figures that often help LGBTQIA+ kids take a long, hard look at their identities — before launching into "HIGH DEFINITION LOVER," a technicolor hyperpop single dedicated, as he explained, to "falling in love with someone on your TV."

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Ultimately, Robles' performance was all about finding healing in and escape from the chaotic world where the rights of LGBTQIA+ people are increasingly under attack. "I'm just a Mexican boy with big dreams," he said before his final song. "It means the world that GRAMMY House is supporting POC queer artists … The one thing I really love about pop music is it really brings us together. 'Cause the world is f—ed up boots, guys. So just for now, maybe we can let some bass synth just heal us all. Can we agree?"

Destin Conrad performs on stage during the Out + Proud: A Queer Artist Showcase, presented by Academy Proud and the Recording Academy, at GRAMMY House NYC on June 14, 2025, in New York City | Photo: Santiago Felipe/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Finally, Destin Conrad headlined the showcase by delving into the smooth, falsetto-laden R&B of his recently released, critically acclaimed full-length debut, LOVE ON DIGITAL.

Rather than perform fan favorite breakouts from the album like "KISSING IN PUBLIC" or the Kehlani-assisted "BAD BITCHES," the Tampa-born heartthrob treated the audience to slow-burning deep cuts like "MR. E," "MAKE IT UP" and the swaying, tropical "PARTY WIT U."

Ahead of the latter, Conrad led the audience in an impromptu sing-along of the song's sweet-natured hook, which got everyone from the fans in the front row to those hanging by the bar involved in the music.

However, the highlight of Conrad's set was undoubtedly "SO NICE," a gratitude-filled slow jam that finds the one-time Vine star choosing to focus on the good while relishing in all the ways his life has been blessed. "Don't look for no one to save you/ I'm not perfect but I make do/ I'm on the verge of a breakthrough," he declared before adding, "I'm finding beauty in the silence/ I got more peace than I got violence/ Negativity behind me/ Don't gotta answer to nobody."

Closing out the night, Peppermint took the stage one last time to offer a few words of wisdom of her own.

"We already know that we're gonna be here again next year, and hopefully the year after that, to continue to uplift and celebrate queer voices," she said. "But guess what? If we can't — if some law passes, if something happens, 'cause it's a wild time, things are changin' — we still have the ingredients, every single thing we need to celebrate queer joy and queer life."

As the Recording Academy's first-ever completely queer artist showcase, Out + Proud was a celebration curated with an intention and vision to celebrate rising LGBTQIA+ artists and leaders. The event was also an extension of the Academy's DREAM (Diversity Reimagined by Engaging All Musicmakers) Initiative, a wide-spanning network of member resource groups spotlighting the diversity and cultural contributions of creators and music industry professionals. Read our 2024 GRAMMY Impact Report to learn more about how the Recording Academy supports and uplifts the LGBTQIA+ artist community on a year-round basis.

GRAMMY House NYC partners include United Airlines, A2IM (American Association of Independent Music), M·A·C Cosmetics, the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC), Chef Laurent Tourondel’s event venue SECOND, and VOSS Water.