The LGBTQ+ community is making history at the Grammy Awards. Kim Petras became the first person to win a Grammy for Best Pop Group/Second for her song "Unholy" with Sam Smith at the 2023 Awards on February 5 Openly Transgender People Acting Awards. Smith also won her first Grammy Award since coming out as non-binary in 2019, marking a huge achievement for the non-binary community.
During her acceptance speech, Petras said Smith "generously" asked her to accept the award because of her historic achievement, and Smith encouraged the audience to give her a standing ovation. "I just want to thank all the incredible trans legends who have come before me who have opened doors for me to be here tonight," she said.
The singer went on to pay tribute to her late friend and collaborator Sophie, who was also nominated for a Grammy in 2018 before her death in 2021. “Thank you so much for the inspiration,” Petras said. "I adore you and your inspiration will always be in my music." She also praised famous ally Madonna for always fighting for LGBTQ+ rights. "I don't think I would be here without Madonna," she said. Petras concluded her speech by paying tribute to her mother. "I grew up on a lonely highway in Germany, and my mother believed that I was a girl and that without her I wouldn't be here," she said.
Smith previously won four Grammys in 2015, including Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year for breakout single "Stay With Me," and this marks Petras' first Grammy Awards and was nominated overall. She reflected on her achievement in a recent interview with Grammy.com, saying she never thought she would be nominated by the Recording Academy. “I think it’s incredible to be recognized with such a prestigious award like the Grammys,” she said. "Honestly, I didn't expect this to happen to me because I'm a bubblegum pop girl and I really don't feel like that's usually what the Grammys are about, you know? I think it's rare ”
