This year’s Grammy nominations were quite interesting. It was an interesting competition between many different, new, and extremely talented artists. However, it looked like it was really Sam Smith’s big year, with him taking home a total of three awards for not only Best New Artist, but best song and record of the year as well. Smith, for the first time in Grammy history, was one of the 10 top artists to be nominated in all four categories.

There was an extremely tough call for best album of the year between Beck for “Morning Phase”, and Sam Smith’s “In The Lonely Hour.” Sam Smith was expected to win for the category due to the success of his first album, but Beck surprised everyone with the win.

It definitely turned out to be an incredible show with performances from many different artists like Pharrel Williams, Ariana Grande, and Ed Sheeran. Nonetheless, I think two performances that stood out more than the others would be Katy Perry’s and Beyonce’s. Brooke Axtell, a survivor of domestic violence, gave a monologue on her tragic experience and spoke to encourage other victims to reach out for help. Axtell wanted to collaborate with Perry not only to raise awareness, but to share the message through music, reach people in a different way, and hopefully to inspire them. I think this collaboration sent out a meaningful message to others and really moved not only the audience but other artists as well.

Towards the end of the show, Beyonce gave an outstanding performance, singing “Take my hand, Precious Lord,” the award winning song for the new film “Selma.” Most people expected Beyonce to end the Grammy’s with one of the songs from her self-titled record, but she stunned everyone with an extremely moving and powerful performance.

This 57th Grammy’s were an achievement for many new and upcoming artists, and especially for singer/songwriter Sam Smith. Not only did it include outstanding performances but inspiring ones as well. The Grammy’s not only give awards and recognition to the artists, but portray the appreciation for songwriting and music as a whole, not just who takes home an award.