LGBTQ+ Wins at the Grammys 2023
Entertainment
The winners of the 2023 Grammy Awards have been announced! Among the selection of commended artists are some prominent LGBTQ+ figures, using their platform to promote diversity and break down barriers. Here are the LGBTQ+ performers and queer icons who took home awards that evening.
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Brandi Carlile - Best Rock Performance, Best Americana Album.
Out and proud lesbian rock star Brandi Carlile managed to match pop sensation Adele in the number of categories she was nominated for this year. The release of her most recent album 'In These Silent Days' propelled Carlile to stardom, with groundbreaking new sounds and rave reviews from critics.
The rock star took home two major awards at this year’s event: Best Rock Performance for ‘Broken Horses’ and Best Americana Album for ‘In These Silent Days’. Carlile expressed gratitude and joy upon accepting the awards, exclaiming “It’s rock and roll, man!” on stage.
Sam Smith and Kim Petras - Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
After making history as the first trans and non-binary artists to top the Billboard 100 earlier this year, Sam Smith and Kim Petras break further boundaries by being Grammy award winners for their huge hit ‘Unholy’.
Upon winning the award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Kim Petras took the chance to thank her musical partner and inspiration Sophie, who passed away two years ago. “I just want to thank all the incredible transgender legends who kept these doors open for me so I could be here tonight. Sophie, especially, told me this would happen and always believed in me. Thank you so much for your inspiration, Sophie, I adore you and your inspiration will forever be in my music.”
Steve Lacy - Best Progressive R&B Album.
Steve Lacy received his first nominations in major categories in the 2023 Grammys, and instantly managed to pull off a win. The bisexual R&B performer received an award for Best Progressive R&B album for his critically acclaimed record ‘Gemini Rights’.
This followed on from the immense success of his single 'Bad Habit', for which he was also Grammy nominated for Song of the Year. “It’s cool to be acknowledged by something so pristine,” he said in a post-event interview. “It feels like my hard work is paying off, and I didn’t have to change. I just had to be myself.”
Beyoncé - Best Dance/Electronic Music Album.
Queer icon Beyoncé was the recipient of a number of awards and nominations at this year’s event, following the release of her LGBTQ+ heavily inspired record 'Renaissance'. With queer producers, writers and features throughout the record, the artist’s seventh studio album acted as a love letter to the community that has supported her for so long.
Hits like 'Break My Soul', 'Cuff It' and 'Alien Superstar' were huge throughout 2022, after Beyoncé left a gap of 6 years after her last record Lemonade. Among the many nominations, Renaissance won the major category of Best Dance/Electronic Music Album, making Beyoncé the record breaker for most Grammy Award wins in history. She announced the dates for the global Renaissance Tour earlier this month, with tickets on sale now.
Check out the full list of 2023 Grammy Award Winners here.
Read related articles:
LGBTQ+ Music Artists Nominated at the 2023 Grammy Awards
Grammy-Nominated Trans Icon Sophie Xeon, Dies At 34
Sam Smith Recalls Abuse After Coming Out As Nonbinary
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