Every year, the Grammy Awards are held to recognize the most widely recognized artists and music creators by the Recording Academy Voting Members from around the world. This year, the 68th Grammy event was on Sunday, Feb. 1, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. Similar to previous years, the Grammys had some uncalled-for and shocking moments.

Sabrina Carpenter, a pop artist whose newest album, “Manchild,” lost all of its nominations and received backlash from the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for bringing a live dove on stage during her performance.

“Bright lights, loud noise, and handling cause fear and distress for a bird that belongs flying free in the open sky,” PETA said.

The Grammys’ host, Trevor Noah, made some controversial statements during his opening monologue. Noah spoke of Nicki Minaj’s known absence at the show, as she was visiting the White House that same day. Noah also made a joke regarding President Donald Trump and his relation to the Epstein files

“That is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because Epstein’s island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton,” Noah said in his speech. 

This statement led to Trump responding and threatening to sue the comedian for the spread of false information.

25-year-old singer, Alex Warren, who was nominated for Best New Artist, experienced severe audio difficulties while performing his hit song, “Ordinary.” Due to Warren’s in-ear piece’s malfunctioning and transmitting random noises and lyrics, he was half a beat behind for most of the song. Warren ended up taking the pieces out to try to save the performance and received support and understanding from the public. 

Cher, 79-year-old singer and actress, created a commotion when she went on stage to announce the Grammy winner for Record of the Year and said the incorrect name. Instead of saying “Luther,” the song written by SZA and Kendrick Lamar, she said the name of the deceased singer, Luther Vandross. This caused confusion and laughter among the audience.

A handful of artists, such as Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish, and Olivia Dean, spoke about the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during their acceptance speeches. This raised concerns about whether celebrities should voice their opinions at events such as the Grammys. Billie Eilish received criticism from social media users for using the event as a political platform. 

“As grateful as I feel, I honestly don’t feel like I need to say anything but that no one is illegal on stolen land,” Eilish said in her acceptance speech. 

Notably, Kevin O’Leary, a Canadian investor and entrepreneur from the show “Shark Tank,” voiced his opinion a couple of days later, on Feb. 5, when he made an appearance on Fox News. 

“It’s the first lesson 101 for [a] celebrity: as you rise up, whether you’re a film star or music star or whatever, shut your mouth and just entertain,” O’Leary said. 

He advised that the voicing of political views can be damaging to a celebrity’s career and split their supporters.   

This year’s award show created discussion and commotion among its viewers and audience. Next year will be the 69th Grammy event, and there is no telling what controversies, awards, and jaw-dropping moments it will hold.