Grammys 2024: Annie Lennox calls for ceasefire in Gaza during Sinéad O’Connor tribute
At the 66th annual edition of the Grammy Awards, Annie Lennox called for a ceasefire in Gaza during her Sinéad O’Connor tribute performance.
The event took place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 4th and saw Boygenius take home three awards, including for ‘Best Rock Song’. Meanwhile, The Beatles won the prize for ‘Best Music Video’ for ‘I’m Only Sleeping’ which was directed by Em Cooper.
Elsewhere during the eventful evening, rapper Killer Mike was arrested and escorted from the backstage area in handcuffs by police following an alleged physical altercation. The Run The Jewels member had already won three awards at the ceremony.
As the Academy paid tribute to the musical legends who passed away last year in its ‘In Memoriam’ segment, the attention turned to the loss of Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor, who died in July at the age of 56.
An activist who spoke out about human rights abuses and racism, as well as a fervent critic of organised religion, her most iconic moment came in 1992 when she ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II in protest at the Catholic Church during a performance on Saturday Night Live.
Annie Lennox paid tribute to O’Connor at the Grammys by performing ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’. Notably, the track won a Grammy for ‘Best Alternative Music Performance’ at the 33rd annual ceremony. O’Connor refused to attend the event or accept the award and wrote a letter to the Recording Academy, criticising them for promoting materialism over art.
At the end of the performance, Lennox, who appeared incredibly emotional, with mascara running down her cheek, held her left hand in the air and proclaimed, “Artists for ceasefire, peace in the world.”
Find the complete list of winners at the Grammys 2024 here.
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