Joy continued, “ I want to thank Betty Carter, composer and singer, and inspiration. I want to thank my team. I want to thank this music. I want to thank all of you artists for being so inspiring. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!”

 

Joy’s colleague, Kendric McCallister, was also among the nominees as arranger in the category, “Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals.” McCallister was nominated for Joy’s “Lush Life” album but lost to arrangers, Erin Bentlage, Jacob Collier, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick & Amanda Taylor, for säje’s “In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning,” featuring Jacob Collier.

 

According to Wikipedia, Joy recorded her first self-titled album while still in college, and her win for Best New Artist makes her only the second jazz singer to win the award, the first being Esperanza Spalding in 2011.

 

Alongside his daughter Blue Ivy, rapper, Jay-Z, accepted the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award. Other winners included Taylor Swift for Album of the Year for “Midnights”, Miley Cyrus for Record of the Year for “Flowers,” Billie Eilish for Song of the Year for “What Was I Made For?” from the motion picture “Barbie,” Victoria Monét for Best New Artist, and Karol G  for Best Música Urbana Album for “Mañana Será Bonito.”

The legendary Dr. Stevie Wonder, a 2023 graduate of Fordham University, as reported, led tributes, along with Lenny Kravitz and Annie Lennox, Jon Batiste and others, to those the music industry lost in 2023, including Tina Turner, Tony Bennett, Clarence Avant, Sinéad O’Connor and Burt Bacharach.

 

Meanwhile, it was widely reported that rapper, Killer Mike, whose real name is Michael Render, 48, the winner of three Grammys on the night, was escorted out of the event by police in handcuffs. The Los Angeles Police Department told Norwood News, “On Sunday, February 4th, just after 4 p.m., a male adult was detained & handcuffed for a physical altercation that occurred at the 700 block of Chick Hearn Court.”

The LAPD added, “The suspect was placed under arrest and  was transported to LAPD Central Division. The suspect has been identified as 48-year-old Michael Render and booked for Misdemeanor Battery 243(A) PC,  Booking #6754010.  Render has been released on zero bail.”

According to an article published on Billboard, in a Monday morning interview on V103’s Big Tigger Morning Show, Mike downplayed the incident and did not address it directly, referring to it as a “speedbump.”

A person arrested is deemed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.