It is a show known for its glitz and glam, for the fashion show that ensues before people enter the building, and for the music that has kept people in awe for months: it is the 2024 Grammy Award Show.
The Grammys is no stranger to controversy; whether it is over if Album of the Year award has rightfully been given to Taylor Swift’s Midnights or if Travis Scott should have won Best Rap Album, there is always a debate that people are unwilling to back down from—a public outcry over the validity of results.
However, this year, eyes have been turned over to the Grammys not merely for its, at times, controversial award recipients. This time, the artists there were there to make a statement: to take this chance to have their voices and political opinions heard.
Throughout the night, there was a slew of different ways that people expressed their stances—most prominently over the Israel-Palestine conflicts.
Beginning at the start of the night, it became clear that some people’s outfits were chosen not only for their eye-catching look but also for the statement that they make. Some had more subtle hints of their support, such as Best Spoken Poetry recipient Aja Monet, who was seen clutching a watermelon clutch bag—a symbol that has long been recognized to represent Palestine because of its matching colors to the Palestinian flag.
Contrasting those were the outfits that took a clear and obvious stance as to how the artist felt about the war, the most notable one being TikTok star Montana Tucker. There, she wore a beige dress with a bold, yellow ribbon that said, “BRING THEM HOME.” This is in reference to the estimated 140 Israeli hostages captured by Hamas, the current political and military movement governing the Gaza Strip in Palestine.
While each believes in the other’s opposing side, both women are clear examples of the fashionable statements that either person is trying to send out to the audience that watches the Grammys show.
Even though Tucker and Monet’s form of bringing political attention to the Israel-Palestine war was through their fashion, others chose to take an even more direct route to get their message across: their words.
Singer-songwriter Annie Lennox has directly called for a ceasefire. At the end of her tribute to Sinead O’Connor and her performance of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” she shouted out, “Artists for ceasefire! Peace in the world!”
She, among 300 other high-profile artists such as Dua Lipa and Jennifer Lopez, had previously sent a letter to the U.S. Congress and President Joe Biden, urging them to enact an immediate ceasefire through their website Artists4ceasefire.org.
However, later on during the award show, the CEO of The Recording Academy Henry Mason Jr addressed the Middle Eastern conflict. In it, he addressed attacks at music venues from across the world—noting Hama’s Oct. 7 invasion in Israel.
He spoke upon the idea that our world today is incredibly divided but music is where everyone stands united. He pointed out the fact that the string quartet that had been playing during his speech had been composed of Palestinian, Israeli, and Arab artists.
It is becoming more and more apparent that artists are using their voices to advocate to their audiences, and the Grammys has become their stage to share it.
