The New York Times - Louder: The Grammys’ Best and Worst

April 4, 2022

By Caryn Ganz

Pop Music Editor

It’s always hard to predict what might happen at the Grammys — as evidenced by our mostly feeble attempt to figure who would take home record of the year. (For the record, I put some money on Silk Sonic!)

So, in the end: Jon Batiste converted five of his 11 nominations into wins. Silk Sonic won four. Olivia Rodrigo won three (including best new artist), as did Foo Fighters and Chris Stapleton. Billie Eilish gave the performance of the night in a Taylor Hawkins shirt. Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, had the awards riveted with a serious, emotional plea. Joni Mitchell introduced Brandi Carlile, who has become the champion of her legacy, in a rare appearance. Doja Cat took an ill-timed bathroom break. It was, as they say, a night.

If you have a desire to relive the live coverage as we reported it in the moment, complete with Jon Caramanica and Lindsay Zoladz’s witty and wise chatting, you can do that. Ben Sisario’s full recap of the show, our best and worst moments, the critics’ commentary and style notes from the red carpet are all below.

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Delayed by Virus, Grammy Awards Celebrate Music Industry’s Return

Jon Batiste won album of the year, Silk Sonic song and record of the year and Olivia Rodrigo best new artist at a ceremony where President Zelensky of Ukraine made an appeal for help.

By Ben Sisario

Grammys 2022 Winners: The Complete List

Jon Batiste won the most awards, with five. Silk Sonic followed with four trophies at the 64th annual Grammy Awards.

By Shivani Gonzalez

Rich Fury/Getty Images For The Recording Academy

Best and Worst Moments From the 2022 Grammys

Young artists brought dramatic performances, Doja Cat had an emotional moment at the microphone and Volodymyr Zelensky recorded a serious plea from Ukraine.

By Joe Coscarelli, Vanessa Friedman, Isabelia Herrera, Jon Pareles and Lindsay Zoladz

CRITIC’S NOTEBOOK

Mario Anzuoni/Reuters

Critic’s Notebook

At the Grammys, the Young Succeed Most When They Seem Old

Despite nods to Gen Z, this year’s show favored history-minded performers like Silk Sonic, Jon Batiste, H.E.R. and Lady Gaga.

By Jon Caramanica

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Why the Grammys Couldn’t Resist Jon Batiste

The jazz pianist is an inheritor more than an innovator, but he puts the past to use in service of fun, blending genres and embodying the pleasures of his hometown, New Orleans.

By Giovanni Russonello

STYLES

critics notebook