Grammy Awards 2021: H.E.R. wins Song of the Year, delivers moving speech

Washington [US], March 15 : American singer-songwriter H.E.R. won Song of the Year for 'I Can't Breathe' at the 63rd Grammy Awards.
The other songs in the category were 'Black Parade' by Beyonce, 'The Box' by Roddy Ricch, 'Cardigan' by Taylor Swift, 'Circles' by Post Malone, 'Don't Start Now,' by Dua Lipa, 'Everything I Wanted' by Billie Eilish and 'If the World Was Ending' by Julia Michaels.
As per People magazine, H.E.R's 'I Can't Breathe' was written in response to the death of George Floyd.
While accepting her award onstage with co-writer Tiara Thomas, H.E.R. said she's "never been so proud to be an artist" and was "so, so grateful" to be the winner.
The singer went on to say the award was especially meaningful because "I didn't imagine that my fear and my pain would turn into impact and possibly turn into change."
"That's what this is about. That's why I write music, that's why I do this. I thank God for the gift of a voice... and using me as a vessel to create change," she added.
"We are the change we wish to see and that fight that we had in us in summer 2020, keep that same energy," she finished, referencing the protests that occurred after Floyd's death.
During the evening, performers included Harry Styles, who opened the show; Taylor Swift, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Post Malone, John Mayer, and Doja Cat.
This year, H.E.R. is also up for the best R&B song for 'Better Than I Imagined' as well as 'Slow Down'. The singer previously picked up two awards at the 61st Grammy Awards: best R&B performance and best R&B album.
Beyonce is the most-nominated artist of the night with a total of nine, followed by Swift, Ricch, and Lipa with six nominations apiece. Brittany Howard received five nominations.
The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards were delayed owing to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The annual show shifted from its original January 31 broadcast to March 14.
The ceremony honours musical artists, compositions, and albums across 84 categories. Comedian and talk show host Trevor Noah is hosting this year's Grammys. It marks Noah's first time hosting the award ceremony.
Though usually held at the Staples Center, this year's festivities will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Keeping in mind the pandemic, the event is said to be cut down to size and will have mainly a home viewing audience. The artists will be seen performing as The Recording Academy announced its list of performers. However, they will be seen performing at multiple stages as opposed to one stage at a designated spot.
Since the pandemic, a number of award shows have been postponed and later revamped due to COVID-19 restrictions.