Grammy Awards originated in the Hollywood Walk of Fame during the 1950’s. Back then, the committee for Walk of Fame thought that there were so many people in the music business who deserved to be recognized because of their leadership in the industry but were unable to earn stars on Hollywood Boulevard. Because of this realization, the group decided to create an award intended to recognize the brightest stars in the industry, just like Oscars and the Emmys. The first ever Grammy Awards ceremony was staged in 1959 to recognize the musical accomplishments of performers for the year 1958. In 2011, the Grammy Awards was overhauled to recognize more artists by augmenting the number of categories. Today, this award-giving body is one of the most prestigious in Hollywood, recognizing outstanding achievements of the brightest stars in the music industry. Through the years, Grammy has grown to become one of the most controversial ceremonies in Hollywood. People look forward to it every year because it is always jam-packed with action and controversies, from downright bashing and beating to crazy apparels. Here is a list of the 10 most controversial moments in the history of Grammy Awards:
10. Upset, Ol Dirty Bastard storms the stage during the 1998 Grammys
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Known as the most charismatic member of Wu-Tang Clan, Ol Dirty Bastard could not accept that he was snubbed by Grammy Awards not just once but twice so he stormed the Grammy stage to send his message to the public. In the previous year, he lost to Puff Daddy in the “Best Rap Album” category and that year, he lost to Shawn Colvin in the “Song of the Year” category. When he went up the stage, he said that his outfit that day had cost him a lot of money, and that Puff Daddy was good but Wu-Tang was the best.
9. Nicki Minaj goes to Grammy with the Pope as his escort
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During one of the Grammy Awards ceremonies, Nicki Minaj spurred controversy among the watching public after she arrived at the venue escorted by an actor resembling the Pope. This enraged the Catholic church, saying that what the female rapper did was not only blasphemous but also sacrilegious. Everything got worse when Nicki Minaj performed “Roman Holiday” that night, featuring images of a Catholic priest who was performing exorcism.
8. Jennifer Lopez arrives with a controversial green Versace dress
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During the Grammy Awards night in 2000, Jennifer Lopez arrived and walked at the red carpet with her green and sheer Versace dress that was too revealing it left very little to the people’s imaginations. The dress had plunging neckline and a very high slit, flaunting her legs and chest. Up until today, the Versace dress of J. Lo remains the most controversial outfit worn in Grammy. Because of her dress, the officials of the award-giving body have decided to prohibit such dresses in the show through a “wardrobe advisory” policy.
7. 50 Cent interrupts the Grammy speech of Evanescence
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50 Cent put on a show during the 2004 Grammys by interrupting Amy Lee, the lead singer of Evanescence, while having her speech on stage. That night, Evanescence beat 50 Cent in the “Best New Artist” category, upsetting the latter. After hearing that he did not get the award, 50 Cent ranted out loud, interrupting Amy Lee. The female artist did not let 50 Cent get in the way of her delivery by continuing her speech and even thanking her co-artist.
6. Artists boycott the Grammy Awards
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During the 1989 Grammy Awards, a group of hip hop artists including Will Smith, Public Enemy, Salt-N-Papa and Russell Simmons boycotted the ceremony following the decision of the show to not televise hip hop categories. The artists were disappointed that Grammy decided not to feature their genre despite the significant milestones that hip hop music had reached over the past 20 years. The following year, Grammy invited the protesters to have a televised performance during the awards night.
5. Nas and Kelis arrive at Grammy wearing “nigger” t-shirts
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Rapper Nas showed up during the 2008 Grammy Awards with his then-wife Kelis wearing a t-shirt that read “nigger,” a racial epithet that offended the world. The act of using the word spurred public debate, but Nas insisted that he chose the word “nigger” as the title of his new album because he wanted people to become more comfortable with the word. His purpose for wearing that shirt was to promote his upcoming album.
4. Milly Vanilli trick the Grammys.
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During the 1990 Grammy Awards, the duo Milly Vanilli composed of Rob Pilatus and Frank Farian received an award for the “Best New Artist” category. A couple of days later, Chuck Philips of the LA Times revealed that the lead vocals of the song were not Milly Vanilli’s. Frank Farian eventually admitted that the rumors were true. As a result, Grammy stripped them of their awards.
3. Elton John joins Eminem in performing “Stan”
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One of the most controversial and memorable Grammy performances ever was that of Eminem and Elton John, which they performed during the 2001 Grammys. Following the release of The Marshall Mathers LP, Eminem started to come under fire from the LGBT community because of his use of homophobic slurs. During the Grammys, Elton John joined Eminem as he performed “Stan,” putting an end to all the homophobic allegations. After their performance, they hugged each other to show the world that there was nothing wrong with being gay.
2. Rihanna gets beaten by Chris Brown
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Rihanna failed to show up at the 2009 Grammy Awards after being beaten by her 19-year-old lover Chris Brown. The R&B sweethearts got aggressively involved in a domestic violence incident the night before the show, where Chris Brown brutally attacked Rihanna while they were in a verbal argument. A day after the Grammys, an LAPD officer leaked photos of the beaten Rihanna.
1. Whitney Houston dies
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Whitney Houston was found dead inside her hotel room at Beverly Hills Hilton a few hours before the 2012 Grammy Awards ceremony, shocking not just the music community but the world. After the investigation, it was found out that the singer killed herself after struggling with prescription drugs. Few hours before the 2012 Grammy Awards, the brightest stars in the music industry had prepared a tribute for the fallen music icon. The show that year is considered the most emotional Grammy Awards ceremony ever.