The Grammy Awards took to the television screen on Sunday, March 14, for a socially distanced, yet still exciting show. Though the event may have looked different than in previous years, with safety measures such as masks and socially distancing in place, music’s biggest night remained an entertaining presence in this year’s awards season.

The awards were filled with surprises, as well as some moments that surprised none.  Rapper Megan Thee Stallion took home three awards including Best New Artist after an explosive year that saw her career skyrocket. Singer-songwriter H.E.R. won song of the year in an upset over Beyonce, Dua Lipa, and Taylor Swift for her Black Lives Matter anthem “I Can’t Breathe.”

Though they featured many very deserving artists, this year’s Grammys were not void of scandal either. Snubs in major categories to BTS and Phoebe Bridgers drew criticism from fans while a complete shutout of The Weeknd’s best selling “After Hours” sparked an uproar and calls for transparency from the Recording Academy.

However, despite the controversy this year’s Grammys were defined by history making moments from women. Superstars Beyonce and Taylor Swift both set records as they accepted their awards. With her four wins, Beyonce became the most awarded singer of all time, as well as the biggest female artist bringing her total to 28 Grammys. Swift also made history, becoming the first woman to ever win the album of the year award three times, which she won for her 2020 surprise album “Folklore.”

Women also dominated the rock and country categories, two genres that have been notoriously male-centric in the past. All of the nominees in both the Best Rock Performance and Best Country Album categories were either women or groups fronted by a woman, and were won by Fiona Apple and Miranda Lambert respectively.

Beyond the awards, the performances at the 2021 Grammys were the true highlight of the night. Opening with a triple header of performances from Record of the Year winner Billie Eilish, Pop Performance of the Year winner Harry Styles, and HAIM, much of the night was reminiscent more of a concert than an awards show. Lil Baby’s performance of “The Bigger Picture” delivered a powerful message which highlighted the issue of police brutality and included a direct appeal to President Biden through narration from activist Tamika Mallory.

Taylor Swift’s triple performance of hits from her two 2020 albums “Folklore” and “Evermore” also wowed as did Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s performance of their hit “WAP.” Other moments, such as Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak’s performance of their band Silk Sonic’s debut single “Leave the Door Open” and a moving “In Memoriam” segment, made this year’s show extremely memorable.

While this year’s Grammys may have looked slightly different this year due to COVID-19, they were filled with memorable moments, nevertheless. Eye catching performances and history making female wins made the award show one to remember.