This year, women dominated the Grammys. But that hasn’t always been the case.
In 2018, the only woman presented with a solo Grammy during the broadcasted ceremony was Alessia Cara, who won best new artist. When asked about this, Neil Portnow, Academy president at the time, suggested that women had to “step up” if they wanted to be represented.
“It has to begin with … women who have the creativity in their hearts and souls,” Portnow told Variety. He went on to say that more women needed to “want to be musicians… want to be engineers, producers and want to be a part of the industry on the executive level.”
While this line seems just as out of touch now as it did in 2018, it seems women really did step up to the plate, winning a majority of the awards at this year’s Grammys.
Here is a look at some of the women who won in top categories in 2024.
Song of the Year: “What Was I Made For?” – Billie Eilish
With her track “What Was I Made For?,” written for the motion picture Barbie, Billie Eilish won Song of the Year. This accolade is awarded to a single or one track from an album, given specifically to the songwriter for the lyrics and/or the melodies they composed. In the past five years, Song of the Year has been given to a man only once, being awarded to Bonnie Raitt in 2022, Taylor Swift in 2020 and Billie Eilish in 2019. Even then, Song of the Year is one of the ceremonies’ major categories, making this win even more special for Eilish as well as other female musicians around the world.
Best New Artist: Victoria Monét
Singer Victoria Monét won Best New Artist. This accolade is awarded to a rising star who has released at least five tracks or a complete album. This award has been given to women each year across the past five years, suggesting that women have taken Portnow’s advice and “stepped up” to the plate. This was a special award for Monét as she supported her independent career in music for over a decade, writing songs for Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony, Blackpink and more.
Record of the Year: “Flowers” – Miley Cyrus
With her track “Flowers,” Miley Cyrus won Record of the Year. “Flowers” also won Best Pop Solo Performance earlier in the night. This accolade is awarded to the best sounding recording of the year, focusing more on the production of the song rather than the lyrics or melody. In the past five years, Record of the Year has been given to a man only once, being awarded to Lizzo in 2022 and Billie Eilish in 2020 and 2019. This was a special award for Cyrus as it was her second Grammy, winning the first one earlier in the night.
Album of the Year: “Midnights” – Taylor Swift
With her album Midnights, Taylor Swift won Album of the Year. Midnights also won Best Pop Vocal Album earlier in the night. This accolade is awarded to a whole album, presented to the musician, producer, mastering engineer and recording engineer who worked on the record. Swift also won this award in 2020 for her album folklore. This is a big award for the singer as it is her fourth time winning Album of the Year, breaking a new record and surpassing artists such as Frank Sinatra and Stevie Wonder.
