Eighteen-year-old Billie Eilish took home the Grammys’ biggest awards on a night marked by tributes to Kobe Bryant, Nipsey Hussle and more.
Billie Eilish reigned supreme at the
Grammys on Sunday night, winning five awards including best new artist, album of the year and song of the year for Bad Guy – a high point for Generation Z on a night otherwise defined by solemnity for those who have passed too soon.
The shadow of
basketball legend Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others mere hours before the show, loomed large over a ceremony held at the Staples Center in which he played for the
Los Angeles Lakers for over 20 years. “We’re all feeling crazy sadness right now,” said returning host Alicia Keys to a room in which Bryant’s retired jersey numbers shone brightly overhead. “We’re literally standing here heartbroken in the house that Kobe Bryant built.”