The 58th Annual Grammy Awards were nothing less than spectacular. The politically charged performances and diverse nominations made this year’s ceremony one that will stand out for years to come.

The night started with a performance from Taylor Swift, who was nominated seven times for this year’s Grammys. After her glitter-filled performance, the first televised award was off to a great start.

Unlike what many people believe, the ceremony actually starts before the televised broadcast begins. The bulk of the awards are presented when most of the stars are walking the red carpet.

Before the show had even begun, Taylor Swift won two awards, Best Music Video and Best Pop Vocal Album. She ended up winning three awards, including one of the biggest of the night, Album of the Year, for “1989.”

The first televised award, Best Rap Album, was awarded to Kendrick Lamar for his album, “To Pimp a Butterfly.” As the night ended he was the biggest winner, with five awards.

He also had one of the most politically charged performances in Grammy history; with his performance of “The Blacker the Berry” and “Alright.”

Another highlight during the ceremony included an all-star tribute to Lionel Richie, which included performances of his biggest hits by John Legend, Demi Lovato, Luke Bryan, Meghan Trainor and Tyrese. The tribute was capped-off by Richie performing “All Night Long (All Night).” This was the first of many tributes during the ceremony. Stevie Wonder and Pentatonix performed an a cappella version of “That’s the Way of the World,” in honor of Maurice White, the lead singer of Earth, Wind & Fire. Also honored during the ceremony were Glenn Frey, B.B. King and Lemmy of Motörhead.

The biggest tribute of the night was Lady Gaga’s collaboration with Intel to honor David Bowie. Gaga performed a medley of Bowie’s hits, including “Space Oddity,” “Let’s Dance” and “Heroes.” Nile Rodgers also joined her on stage for the tribute.

The night had a few mishaps, however. Adele’s performance of “All I Ask” had sound issues due to a microphone falling inside the piano. Rihanna was scheduled to perform, but moments before the ceremony started, her performance was pulled from the lineup. Her team issued a statement stating that she had contracted bronchitis.

The biggest shock of the night was not Taylor Swift receiving Album of the Year for “1989,” but her acceptance speech. A few days before this year’s ceremony Kanye West premiered his album, “The Life of Pablo” and there was a questionable lyric regarding Taylor Swift in his song, “Famous.” The acceptance speech was based around Taylor’s lyric, “There are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success, or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame […]”

“But if you just focus on the work and you don’t let those people sidetrack you, some day when you get where you’re going, you will look around and you will know it was you and the people who love you who put you there, and that will be the greatest feeling in the world,” Swift said.

The night was also full of duets. Ellie Goulding and Andra Day performed a mash-up of “Rise Up” and “Love Me Like You Do.” Carrie Underwood and Sam Hunt performed a mash-up of “Take Your Time” and “Heartbeat.” Tori Kelly and James Bay also performed together. They were both nominated for Best New Artist.

Justin Bieber, Diplo and Skrillex performed a new version of “Where Are U Now” which made the song sound less dance and more rock. Before the performance, Justin performed “Love Yourself.”

The cast of “Hamilton” also performed the opening number of the show, live from New York City. This is something that usually does not happen, but “Hamilton” has become a pop culture phenomenon. The show won Best Musical Theatre Album.

Certain speeches also stood out throughout the night. Ed Sheeran, won his first Grammy during the ceremony. He said, “My parents have flown for the past four years to come to the Grammys every single year, and every time I lose they go, ‘Maybe next year.’”

While accepting Record of the Year, Bruno Mars said, “This is dedicated to the fans.”

The 58th Annual Grammy Awards will be remembered not just for the music, but for the statements made by artists through their performances and speeches.

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