2024 Grammys: Women icons steal the show

The 2024 Grammys bring the spotlight to women icons like Joni Mitchell, Annie Lennox, and more | Photos from @recordingacademy and @cbstv/Instagram

The 2024 Grammys is a memorable one—and not because Jay-Z called out the Recording Academy for snubbing Beyoncé for Album of the Year during his acceptance speech.

While the Grammys’ award-giving metrics were questioned, the ceremony still made way for recognition and rare appearances from women icons in the music industry such as Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman, Annie Lennox, and Celine Dion.

Mitchell, who has since recovered from a 2015 brain aneurysm, made her long overdue Grammy performance debut with her 1966 hit “Both Sides Now.” Joining the 80-year-old experimental singer-songwriter was a full band composed of Brandi Carlile, Blake Mills, Allison Russell, Lucius, Jacob Collier, and Sista Strings. Mitchell performed while sitting on an ornate gold and white chair on a stage adorned with a chandelier. She also took home her 10th Grammy (Best Folk Album) for “Joni Mitchell at Newport (Live).”

Four-time Grammy winner Chapman also returned to the stage with a duo performance of her 1988 hit “Fast Car” with Luke Combs. Combs’ 2023 country rendition of the song earned him a Best Country Solo Performance Grammy nomination and made way for Chapman to earn the title of the first Black woman to ever win a Country Music Association Award. The crowd roared when Chapman started singing her verse and playing an acoustic guitar onstage.

Lennox ruffled a few feathers when she decided to call for a ceasefire at the end of her In Memoriam tribute performance with Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman of Prince & The Revolution. Lennox channeled the activism of the late Sinéad O’Connor in the segment as she sang “Nothing Compares 2 U.”  With a raised fist and mascara running down her cheek, Lennox exclaimed, “Artists for ceasefire! Peace in the world!” While some found it “out of place,” others pointed out how it was an apt way to honor O’Connor who was an unrelenting supporter of the Palestine cause.

Another icon present during the show was Dion, who’s been battling stiff person syndrome. The power vocalist presented the Album of the Year award to Taylor Swift for “Midnights.” After accepting the final award of the show, Swift, now a 14-time Grammy winner, had a sweet backstage moment with Dion as they shared a hug in their white thigh-high wrapped fabric gowns.

The enduring legacy of these music veterans cannot be denied. They paved the way for so many women and continue to inspire artists of today.