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It was of course Beyonce’s night – making history and becoming the most decorated Grammy artist of all time (although she’s still waiting to win the best album prize despite multiple critically acclaimed and commercially successful records).

Queen Bey’s triumph aside, British pop duo Wet Leg smashed it and took home two awards less than two years after performing their first-ever gig; Viola Davis became only the 18th person in history to nab EGOT status (having an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) and hip hop finally got a moment in the spotlight after being snubbed by the awards for years.

Beyonce appears in the audience at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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Beyonce was the big winner of the 2023 Grammys

But aside from all that, what else got people talking on the night?

Harry Styles sparkles

He had three costume changes on the night – one of which has been likened to being “sucked into a box of Christmas decorations,” but Harry Styles had the last laugh, winning one of the biggest prizes of the night – best album.

Harry Styles performs "As It Was" at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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Harry Styles wore three different costumes

After starting his career working in a bakery aged 14 (W Mandeville bakery in Cheshire if you’re wondering) he has come a long way – helped of course by his worldwide fame earned on X Factor and beyond in One Direction.

While his stint in a manufactured boyband may have helped him become a household name and popular with teenage girls around the globe, it’s never a boon to musical credibility, so to finally nab such a major award is a big deal (he won his first Grammy for best pop vocal performance for Watermelon Sugar back in 2021, but winning one of the Grammy ‘big four’ gongs is on another level).

Taking it all in his stride, Styles said his winning album – Harry’s House – had been “from start to finish the greatest experience” of his life.

Following up on a stellar 2022 (he got nominated for a Mercury Prize and had chunky roles in two films), 2023 looks set to see Styles continue to shine.

Ben Affleck looks bored and Adele gets a surprise

Do we love anything as much as seeing celebrities out and about with fellow celebrities? Like another species entirely, it’s compelling to see how stars from across the showbiz spectrum interact with one another in their own natural habitat – the awards ceremony.

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Adele meeting Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson was a thing of joy – leaving her laughing and blushing a year on from fangirling about how great he was.

Host Trevor Noah introduced the pair during his opening monologue, with Johnson appearing from nowhere to hug a delighted Adele and kiss her on the cheek. He later awarded her the Grammy for best pop solo performance.

Meanwhile, someone who seemed less overjoyed to be at the event was Ben Affleck, who despite being beside his new wife J Lo (who seemed to be having a wonderful time), looked somewhat miserable.

He trended on social media after being caught on camera with a blank look that appeared to show he’d rather be anywhere else than at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.

Madonna’s appearance surprises

One of the performances of the night was from history-making singer Kim Petras – who became the first transgender woman to win best pop duo/group (alongside non-binary artist Sam Smith).

But it was the star who introduced her performance to the stage – Madonna – who got people talking.

Madonna
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Madonna’s appearance drew plenty of attention

The 64-year-old superstar, known for her chameleon-like ability to re-invent herself at the drop of a hat – left many fans scratching their heads over her altered appearance, and questioning her ultra-smooth skin and plumped-up cheeks.

Introducing the performance dressed in a floor-length black skirt suit and with her hair in pigtail plaits, Madonna told the crowd: “If they call you shocking, scandalous, troublesome, problem, provocative… or… dangerous, you are definitely on to something.”

Later accepting the Grammy for her duet on Sam Smith’s Unholy, Kim Petras highlighted her status as a transgender woman and paid tribute to heroes like the late transgender singer Sophie and of course Madonna.

Madonna’s daughter Lourdes Leon was also at the event – having managed to rock up in time – just days after being refused entry to a Marc Jacobs fashion show after arriving late.

Dave Chappelle’s controversial album triumphs

In 2021 his comedy album caused walkouts at Netflix after his special, The Closer, sparked controversy with the comedian being accused of transphobia. This year it’s won a Grammy.

Dave Chapelle
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Dave Chapelle’s controversial Netflix show won a Grammy

In his show, Chapelle said “gender was a fact” and shared his backing for Harry Potter author JK Rowling, who has also attracted criticism for her comments about biological sex.

Despite the backlash, he pipped fellow comedians Louis CK, Jim Gaffigan, Randy Rainbow and Patton Oswalt to the post in the best comedy album category, claiming the fourth Grammy of his career.

The show – which remained available to view on Netflix after the streaming service decided it did not cross “the line on hate” – also had two Primetime Emmy nominations.

Chapelle didn’t come along to collect his award, which was accepted on his behalf by presenter and record producer Babyface.

It’s not the first time a Grammy winner has raised eyebrows. Last year controversial comedian Louis CK (who was also nominated in the category this year) won a Grammy for his album Sincerely Louis CK, despite admitting to a string of sexual misconduct allegations made by numerous women.

The Prince Of Darkness nabs two gongs

His acceptance speech – delivered by producer Andrew Watt on his behalf – was short and sweet – “I love you all and f*** off. Perfectly on-brand for the Prince Of Darkness.

Ozzy Osbourne at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in 2020. Pic: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
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Ozzy Osbourne won his fifth Grammy award

Brummie star Ozzy Osbourne – who took home two Grammys – announced just last week he’d be stepping back from touring due to ill health.

Calling the news “the hardest thing I’ve ever had to share,” he told his legion of fans he was no longer “physically capable” of performing planned shows in Europe and the UK.

The 74-year-old former Black Sabbath singer has had extensive spinal surgery and other treatment over the past four years, after a fall at home in 2019 aggravated injuries he suffered in a near-fatal quad bike crash in 2003. And in 2020, he revealed he has Parkinson’s disease.

He won best metal performance for Degradation Rules and best rock album for Patient Number 9, taking his lifetime Grammy wins to five.

Perhaps the worthiest win of the night

While many were chuffed to see Ozzy get a gong, the real heart-warming win of the night was that of Shervin Hajipour – the Iranian singer who was awarded best song for social change.

The 25-year-old singer was seen wiping away a tear on an online video after he was announced as the recipient of the new special merit award by first lady Jill Biden.

His song, Baraye, which translates as “For” in English, has become an anthem for young Iranians protesting against Iran’s ruling theocracy, which have been sweeping the Islamic Republic for months.

Not at the event, he is currently banned from leaving the country and is on bail facing charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “instigating the violence”, due to the content of his song. If found guilty he could face up to six years in prison.

Reacting on Instagram, Hajipour simply wrote: “We won.” His fans were more emphatic, with German politician Hannah Neumann summing up the mood in her Twitter post: “Beyoncé may have won 32 #GRAMMYs- but this one surely is the most important one this year.”

And possibly the most genuinely shocked Grammy winner in the history of the event

Blues singer Bonnie Raitt may not be a household name – but that didn’t stop her beating Beyonce, Adele, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles and Kendrick Lamar to one of the most prestigious prizes of the night.

Images of the 73-year-old guitarist looking beyond shocked went viral, as she found out her song Just Like That had taken the prize.

The touching break-up song was inspired by a story of a heart transplant and written in the style of the late singer-songwriter John Prine.

After getting over her shock, she thanked the voters, saying: “I don’t write a lot of songs, but I’m proud that you appreciate this one”.

Her win marks the first time a song written by a solo songwriter has been victorious since Rehab by the late Amy Winehouse won in 2008.

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Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia talked about modern masculinity before Gen Z was born 

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Pete Townshend's Quadrophenia talked about modern masculinity before Gen Z was born 

Despite The Who’s Quadrophenia being set over 60 years ago, Pete Townshend’s themes of identity, mental health, and modern masculinity are just as relevant today.

The album is having a renaissance as Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia A Mod ballet is being brought to life via dance at Sadler’s Wells East, and Sky News has an exclusive first look.

As Townshend puts it, the album he wrote is “perfect” for the stage.

Pete Townshend
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Pete Townshend

“My wife Rachel did the orchestration for me, and as soon as I heard it I said to her it would make a fabulous ballet and we never really let that go,” he tells Sky News.

“Heavy percussion, concussive sequences. They’re explosive moments. They’re also romantic movement moments.”

If you identify with the demographics of Millennial, Gen Y or Gen Z, you might not be familiar with The Who and Mod culture.

But in post-war Britain the Mods were a cultural phenomenon characterised by fashion, music, and of course, scooters. The young rebels were seen as a counter-culture to the establishment and The Who, with Roger Daltry’s lead vocals and Pete Townshend’s writing, were the soundtrack.

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Quadrophenia the album is widely regarded as an essay on the British adolescent experience at the time, focusing on the life of fictional protagonist Jimmy – a young Mod struggling with his sanity, self-doubt, and alienation. 

Townshend sets the rock opera in 1965 but thinks its themes of identity, mental health, and modern masculinity are just as relevant today.

He says: “The phobias and the restrictions and the unwritten laws about how young men should behave. The ground that they broke, that we broke because I was a part of it.

“Men were letting go of [the] wartime-related, uniform-related stance that if I wear this kind of outfit it makes me look like a man.”

Paris Fitzpatrick and Pete Townshend. Pic: Johan Persson
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Paris Fitzpatrick and Pete Townshend. Pic: Johan Persson

This struggle of modern masculinity and identity appears to be echoing today as manosphere influencers like Andrew Tate, incel culture, and Netflix’s Adolescence make headlines.

For dancer Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy, the story resonates.

Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy in the ballet
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Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy in the ballet

“I think there’s a connection massively and I think there may even be a little more revival in some way,” he tells Sky News.

“I love that myself. I love non-conforming to gender norms and typical masculinity; I think it’s great to challenge things.”

Despite the album being written before he was born, the dancer says he was familiar with the genre already.

“I actually did an art GCSE project about Mods and rockers and Quadrophenia,” he says.

“I think we’ll be able to bring it to new audiences and hopefully, maybe people will be inspired to to learn more about their music and the whole cultural movement of the early 60s.”

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In 1979, the album was adapted into a film directed by Franc Roddam starring Ray Winstone and Sting but Townshend admits because the film missed key points he is “not a big fan”.

“What it turned out to be in the movie was a story about culture, about social scenario and less about really the specifics of mental illness and how that affects young people,” he adds, also complimenting Roddam’s writing for the film.

Perhaps a testament to Pete Townshend’s creativity, Quadrophenia started as an album, was successfully adapted to film and now it will hit the stage as a contemporary ballet.

It appears that over six decades later Mod culture is still cool and their issues still relatable.

Quadrophenia, a Mod Ballet will tour to Plymouth Theatre Royal from 28 May to 1 June 2025, Edinburgh Festival Theatre from 10 to 14 June 2025 and the Mayflower, Southampton from 18 to 21 June 2025 before having its official opening at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London on 24 June running to 13 July 2025 and then visiting The Lowry, Salford from 15 to 19 July 2025.

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Russell Brand charged with rape and sexual assault

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Russell Brand charged with rape and sexual assault

Russell Brand has been charged with rape and two counts of sexual assault between 1999 and 2005.

The Metropolitan Police say the 50-year-old comedian, actor and author has also been charged with one count of oral rape and one count of indecent assault.

The charges relate to four women.

He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday 2 May.

Police have said Brand is accused of raping a woman in the Bournemouth area in 1999 and indecently assaulting a woman in the Westminster area of London in 2001.

He is also accused of orally raping and sexually assaulting a woman in Westminster in 2004.

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Ashna Hurynag discusses Russell Brand’s charges

The fourth charge alleges that a woman was sexually assaulted in Westminster between 2004 and 2005.

Police began investigating Brand, from Oxfordshire, in September 2023 after receiving a number of allegations.

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The comedian has denied the accusations and said he has “never engaged in non-consensual activity”.

He added in a video on X: “Of course, I am now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”

Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said: “The women who have made reports continue to receive support from specially trained officers.

“The Met’s investigation remains open and detectives ask anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward and speak with police.”

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Tom Cruise leads moment of silence in tribute to ‘dear friend’ Val Kilmer

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Tom Cruise leads moment of silence in tribute to 'dear friend' Val Kilmer

Tom Cruise has paid tribute to Val Kilmer, wishing his Top Gun co-star “well on the next journey”.

Cruise, speaking at the CinemaCon film event in Las Vegas on Thursday, asked for a moment’s silence to reflect on the “wonderful” times shared with the star, whom he called a “dear friend”.

Kilmer, who died of pneumonia on Tuesday aged 65, rocketed to fame starring alongside Cruise in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, playing Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, a rival fighter pilot to Cruise’s character Maverick.

Tom Cruise, star of the upcoming film "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning," leads a moment of silence for late actor Val Kilmer during the Paramount Pictures presentation at CinemaCon at Caesars Palace on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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Tom Cruise said ‘I wish you well on the next journey’. Pic: AP

Val Kilmer in 2017. Pic: AP
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Val Kilmer in 2017. Pic: AP

His last part was a cameo role in the 2022 blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick.

Cruise, on stage at Caesars Palace on Thursday, said: “I’d like to honour a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer. I can’t tell you how much I admire his work, how grateful and honoured I was when he joined Top Gun and came back later for Top Gun: Maverick.

“I think it would be really nice if we could have a moment together because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us. Just kind of think about all the wonderful times that we had with him.

“I wish you well on the next journey.”

The moment of silence followed a string of tributes from Hollywood figures including Cher, Francis Ford Coppola, Antonio Banderas and Michelle Monaghan.

Kilmer’s daughter Mercedes told the New York Times on Wednesday that the actor had died from pneumonia.

Tom Cruise takes part in the Paramount Pictures presentation at CinemaCon at Caesars Palace on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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Tom Cruise at Caesars Palace on Thursday. Pic: AP

Diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, Kilmer discussed his illness and recovery in his 2020 memoir Your Huckleberry and Amazon Prime documentary Val.

He underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments for the disease and also had a tracheostomy which damaged his vocal cords and permanently gave him a raspy speaking voice.

Kilmer played Batman in the 1995 film Batman Forever and received critical acclaim for his portrayal of rock singer Jim Morrison in the 1991 movie The Doors.

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He also starred in True Romance and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, as well as playing criminal Chris Shiherlis in Michael Mann’s 1995 movie Heat and Doc Holliday in the 1993 film Tombstone.

In 1988 he married British actress Joanne Whalley, whom he met while working on fantasy adventure Willow.

The couple had two children before divorcing in 1996.

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