by Venus Sanders
Following her loss to Taylor Swift for Album of the Year at the 2024 Grammys, SZA, the year's most-nominated artist with nine nods, shared her sentiments with The Hollywood Reporter. SZA's album "SOS" was nominated alongside Swift's 2023 hit "Midnights."
Image Credit: Kevin Winter | Getty Images
Despite not winning the ceremony's biggest honor, SZA expressed gratitude and love for Swift. "I'm grateful I won three. I could have left with nothing, and I didn't, and I'm grateful. My parents got to see it and I didn't bomb on live television, and that was so scary. And I faced some really big fears and I'm just happy that it all went well, genuinely, and I’m happy for everybody," SZA said.
Winning the award for Best R&B Song with "Snooze," SZA made waves on social media as she sprinted from backstage with her iPhone in hand to accept the award, presented by her close friend Lizzo. "Had I not won a lick, won a single thing, I would've been so grateful to just have survived the night, so to have one of my closest friends (Lizzo) present me an award and then also get to take home a couple more is wild. It’s like a fever dream, basically," SZA added.
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During her acceptance speech, SZA also gave a shout-out to Swift with a "hey, Taylor" and revealed that they "talked a bunch." In addition to Best R&B Song, SZA also won awards for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Ghost in the Machine," her collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers, and Best Urban Contemporary Album.
Meanwhile, Swift made history by breaking the record for most Album of the Year wins with "Midnights," marking her fourth win in the category. However, some fans criticized the Grammys for not awarding a Black woman in the Album of the Year category for 25 years. The last Black woman to win Album of the Year was Lauryn Hill in 1999 for her debut solo album, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill."
Despite SZA's graciousness, the internet expressed disappointment with the outcome. One user on social media criticized Swift's album, describing it as "undeniably her worst pop album" and highlighting the Recording Academy's refusal to recognize deserving Black women. Another user pointed out that SZA's "SOS" was a significant commercial success, topping the Billboard 200 for ten weeks, yet still missed out on Album of the Year.
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Even TikTok star Raymonte voiced his opinion, stating, "SZA honestly had the best album of the year." In conclusion, while SZA displayed grace and gratitude in the face of disappointment, the Grammys' decision sparked debate online about the recognition of Black women in the music industry and the Academy's criteria for awarding excellence.