The Los Angeles Fire Department received a standing ovation as they presented Album of the Year at the 67th Grammy Awards.
“On behalf of the members of the county of Los Angeles Fire Department, I would like to thank the Recording Academy for having us here this evening, this is a tremendous honor and privilege to be in the company of such talented music industry professionals as fire chief. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank first responders who came from near and far to battle this wildfire siege,” Anthony C. Marrone said during the ceremony on Sunday.
He continued: “In the midst of unprecedented fire conditions, their selfless acts of courage and commitment were nothing short of inspiring. Our heartfelt condolences and prayers remain with all the families who have lost loved ones, friends and neighbors, along with everyone who has lost homes, businesses and been displaced, we are thankful to our many community partners, including all of you, for standing alongside our residents and communities to offer continued support. I am confident that we will recover and rebuild together because we are L.A. strong.”
The entire night was centered around praising the efforts of first responders who contained the Los Angeles wildfires that destroyed 23,338 acres after it started up in the Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7. Throughout the evening, host Trevor Noah collected donations to help with fire relief through the Recording Academy and MusicCares, which the organizations launched back in January. By the end of the ceremony, Noah shared that $7 million was raised.
Afterward, Beyoncé took home the award for her album “Cowboy Carter.” This is now the first time Beyonce — a now 34-time Grammy winner — has won in the category.
“It’s been many, many years,” Beyoncé said in her speech after thanking the firefighters for their efforts to contain the wildfires that ravaged through Los Angeles. She took the stage alongside her daughter Blue Ivy. “I just want to thank the Grammys, every songwriter, every collaborator, every producer, all of the hard work. I want to dedicate this to Ms. Martell and I hope we just keep pushing forward, opening doors. God bless, y’all. Thank y’all so much.”
Her award comes after Jay Z, music mogul and Beyoncé’s husband, called out the organization for snubbing the songstress last year.
“At least get it close to right, and obviously it’s subjective because it’s music and it’s opinion-based, but you know some things you know, I don’t want to embarrass this young lady but she has more Grammys than everyone but never won Album of the Year. So even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work,” Jay-Z said while accepting the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award in 2024. “Think about that. The most Grammys, never won Album of the Year, and you know, some of you will go home tonight and feel like you’ve been robbed. Some of you may get robbed. Some of you don’t belong in a category.”
Earlier in the evening this Sunday, Beyoncé took home the gold for Best Country album.
