Grammys 2023 ratings are in – and they’ve broken a 3-year record

In the words of Lizzo, one of Sunday night’s winners: “It’s about damn time!”

The 2023 Grammy Awards drew more than 12.4 million viewers, a 30% increase from last year’s show and the largest audience since 2020, according to time-zone-adjusted Nielsen Ratings.

The show, the most-watched broadcast of the night, also garnered the largest livestream audience in history on Paramount+ and other CBS platforms, a 33% increase from 2022.

Sunday night’s awards ceremony was packed with historic milestones — including Beyoncé’s historic milestone, who took home the most number of Grammy Awards ever with a total of 32, and Kim Petras, who became the first transgender woman in the Best Pop Duo category /Group Performance” won their hit “Unholy” with Sam Smith.

“I’m trying not to get too emotional,” Beyoncé explained during her acceptance speech after breaking the record. “I want to thank God for protecting me. I want to thank my Uncle Johnny who is not here but is here in spirit.”

Viola Davis also achieved EGOT status when she won a Grammy for Best Audiobook, Best Narrative and Story Recording for narrating her memoir Finding Me.

This year, the awards were also reportedly a huge hit on social media, having been the #1 social entertainment event of 2023 so far, according to CBS.

The ceremony wasn’t without controversy, either, as Harry Styles was named Album of the Year for Harry’s House — a shocking snub to Beyoncé’s critically acclaimed front-runner Renaissance. The “shocking” appearance of the harvest-bearing Madonna — namely, her unrecognizable face — also drew questions on social media as she introduced Petra and Smith’s “Unholy” performance.

The ceremony, hosted for the third consecutive year by Trevor Noah at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, included performances by artists such as Styles, Petras and Smith, Lizzo and Bad Bunny, among others.

The late Migos rapper Takeoff was honored with an appearance by his uncle Quavo during the “In Memoriam” portion of the show alongside country singer Loretta Lynn and Fleetwood Mac singer Christine McVie.

Last night’s winners also included Adele, who took home a gold gramophone for Best Solo Pop Performance, and the legendary Bonnie Raitt for Song of the Year, a surprise win for her ballad ‘Just Like That’.