The 2016 Grammy Awards, which took place Monday night, were full of shockers, upsets, well-deserved awards and a mixed bag of performances. Beginning with pre-coverage red carpet celebrity interviews and ending with a diss from Taylor Swift aimed at Kanye West, the  award show garnered over 20 millions viewers. The program was interesting, to say the very least. Check out some of the best moments and the worst moments of the 2016 Grammys below.

Grammy Bests

Kendrick Lamar performs “Alright”

Kendrick Lamar’s performance of his hit song “Alright” absolutely smashed everyone’s already–high expectations. Both the stage and the rapper’s performance were stellar; dancers moved around Lamar with enormous amounts of energy as the artist performed with an intensity that lacked in other Grammy performances. A literal fire raged on stage behind the rapper as he engaged the audience with powerful lyrics and spirit.  Lamar’s politically motivated set featured Lamar and his dancers on a prison-inspired set, referencing racial inequality. The rapper’s song “Alright” speaks to optimism when regarding the future of the black community, and with Lamar supporting social change, things are looking up.

Watch Lamar’s performance at The Verge website.

 

Lady Gaga performs Bowie tribute

There is probably no artist alive other than Lady Gaga that could capture the eccentricity and artistry that David Bowie so successfully portrayed in his art. Gaga captured the essence of the late celebrity in a montage of Bowie’s famous works, including songs such as “Changes” and “Heroes.” At one point, special effects layered the iconic Ziggy Stardust lightning across her face, a look complimented by her accurate Bowie outfit. Gaga perfectly captured the true nature of David Bowie in a heartfelt performance that surely made many in the audience emotional.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fGBZhsa4VU

 

Grammy Worsts

Meghan Trainor wins Best New Artist

Meghan Trainor, singer of “All About That Bass,” went home with a shiny gold gramophone much to the dismay and shock of many viewers. Many initially questioned the artist’s place in the Best New Artist category—Trainor was nominated for a Grammy in 2015, so why would she be a new artist? The Grammy defintion for who can be considered as a Best New Artist appears to be vague, but a blog from the Grammy website defines one as “any performing artist or established performing group who releases, during the eligibility year, the recording that first establishes the public identity of that artist or established group as a performer”—this definition can clearly be held to multiple interpretations. In addition to this rocky standing, many were surprised that Courtney Barnett, singer-songwriter, did not win in her place.

 

“1989” wins Album of the Year

While “1989” is rightfully considered as one of the best recent pop albums, Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly” was a clear choice for Album of the Year. Viewers saw a trend of losing hip-hop albums that is nearly impossible to miss—the last hip-hop album to win Album of the Year was Outkast’s “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” in 2004. Lamar’s album was also widely considered one of the best albums of 2015—both The Rolling Stone and Pitchfork awarded “To Pimp a Butterfly” the number one spot. While “1989” rocked the charts and was regarded as a fantastic pop work, “To Pimp a Butterfly,” according to critics and fans, seemingly should have won Album of the Year.

 

To see a full list of Grammy 2016 winners, head on over to the Grammy website.