Music’s biggest stars showed up and showed out, wowing viewers with stunning fashions and intricate performances at the 2014 Grammys Jan. 26 in Los Angeles.
The top five moments from the Awards show:
5. Pharrell Williams’ Smokey Bear hat
Pharrell may have given a groundbreaking performance of “Get Lucky” at the Awards, but all eyes were on his 10-gallon hat. The hat, which strongly resembles fire-safety representative Smokey Bear’s ranger hat, was honored with its own Twitter account, amassing more than 5,000 followers within an hour of the show airing. I’m not sure what fashion statement Pharrell was trying to make with this hat, but it left an impression, sparking the creation of hilarious memes and social media frivolity.
4. The “Get Lucky” performance
The song won Daft Punk the “Record of the Year” award was performed without a hitch by a surprising mash-up of artists — Pharrell Williams, Stevie Wonder and Nile Rodgers. Everyone expected the performance to be amazing, and that’s exactly what it was marking Daft Punk’s second television performance.
3. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ “Same Love” performance
News of the performance wasn’t leaked until a few hours before the big show. It was revealed that 34 couples would get married on stage while he duo performed. Madonna also joined the tribute, performing her hit song “Open Your Heart.” Queen Latifah officiated the mass wedding, which concluded with Katy Perry catching a bouquet that was thrown into the audience.
2. Taylor Swift’s premature reaction to losing “Album of the Year”
One of the funniest moments of the night was when Alicia Keys announced the winner of “Album of the Year.” Nominees included Sara Bareilles, Kendrick Lamar, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Daft Punk and Taylor Swift. With cameras zoomed in on the nominees, viewers couldn’t help but notice Swift’s jaw drop when she thought Keys was announcing her album “Red” as the winner. Alas, it turned out Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories” was the winner and Swift changed her tune, fixing her face and quickly congratulating the true honorees.
1. Kendrick Lamar and Imagine Dragon’s performance
Kendrick Lamar may have been snubbed at the Grammys, despite several nominations, but he delivered arguably the best performance of the night with his presentation of “m.A.A.d. City” mashed with Imagine Dragon’s “Radioactive.” Viewers didn’t know what to expect with the surprising pairing of Kendrick and Imagine Dragons, but the performance turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Kendrick let the world know who rightfully deserved to sweep the rap category because it definitely wasn’t Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
So there you have it – the top five moments of the 56th annual Grammy Awards. There were some interesting moments which failed to make the list, including Paris Hilton showing up on the arm of rapper Birdman and Ciara flaunting her baby bump on the Red Carpet, but you can catch all of these great moments and more thanks to online streaming of the Awards at CBS.com.
Grammy winners
Record of the Year:
“Get Lucky” by Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers
Song of the year:
“Royals” by Lorde
Best new artist:
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Best pop vocal album:
“Unorthodox Jukebox” by Bruno Mars
Best rock performance:
“Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons
Best R&B album:
“Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys
Best rap/sung collaboration:
“Holy Grail” by Jay Z ft. Justin Timberlake