Even before the ceremony officially begins on February 5, the 2023 Grammy Awards promises to be a very lively night. First, Beyoncé’s historic number of nominations. Not only is she the most nominated artist of the year with nine nominations, she is also tied with her husband, Jay-Z, as the most nominated artist in history. (Ultimately, she would become the most awarded artist of all time— More below. )
There's plenty to look forward to, like seeing Adele, who promised to return to the show after 25 years , and "Hello," which swept the 2017 Grammys, leaving fans wondering if she'll make it to the show in her 30s. Success again at the age of 18 .
Of course, speculation is rampant about who might perform on music's biggest night — and the guessing game is up as host Trevor Noah teases some surprise acts ahead of the big night becomes more intense.
When it finally arrived, Twitter was abuzz every minute.
bad bunny opening act
Bad Bunny started the show on a lively note, performing "El Apagón" and "Después de la Playa" from his latest album , Un Verano Sin Ti (album of the year nominee). The energy was high enough to make several stars, including Taylor Swift, stand up and dance. “The awards show was great again,” David Viramontes of the Los Angeles Times said of the entertaining scene.
By the way, Bad Bunny and Swift are the No. 1 and No. 2 most-streamed artists in the world in 2022, respectively, according to Spotify, so they're definitely on good terms.
Jack Harlow got to have fun with it too.
Beyoncé is late
As this year's most Grammy-nominated artist, it's no surprise that Beyoncé is in the minds of many viewers — even when she's not on screen. Yes, when "Cuff It" was announced as Best R&B Song for one of the night's first awards, the Renaissance musician was nowhere to be seen.
Host Trevor Noah promised she was just stuck in Los Angeles traffic. Of course, that didn't stop the hive from simultaneously buzzing about her absence.
Later, Noah paused the show to announce that Beyoncé had finally arrived in the building.
Historic victory for Kim Petras
While the 2023 Grammys were filled with chaotic moments, it also included some heartfelt ones — like when Sam Smith and Kim Petras won for "Unholy" Best Pop Group/Duo Performance, making Petras the first openly transgender woman to win the award.
She thanked her friend, the late musician Sophie, "who told me it would happen and who always believed in me."
Harry Styles' performance
Earlier in the night, Harry Styles took the stage to perform "As It Was" after winning Best Pop Album for "Harry's House ." Fans noticed his ex Swift was in the audience cheering him on. (Appropriate, since Styles was dressed like a literal "mirror ball.")
A bird's-eye view of the audience confirmed that Swift was actually dancing to the song.
It's a sweet throwback to the two shared at the 2021 Grammy Awards two years ago, when Swift celebrated Styles' win for Best Pop Solo Performance for "Watermelon Sugar."
Beyoncé's record-breaking win
The biggest moment of the night occurred when Beyoncé won Best Dance/Electronic Album for Renaissance - officially making her the most awarded artist in Grammy history.
Controversial album of the year
The final award of the night went to Styles, surprising the audience, including many who were hoping Beyoncé's renaissance would win and cap off her historic night.
