Grammys Aftermath: Macklemore “Robbed” Kendrick, Reznor Says “F-YOU” To CBS

Music’s biggest night may have come and gone, but the aftermath of yesterday’s 56th Annual Grammy Awards can still be felt. Highlights of the night may have included mute French robots, a mass wedding ceremony and Pharrell’s giant hat but, like all awards shows, the Grammys was not without its controversies.

Hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis were big winners of the night, walking away with four Grammy awards including Best New Artist and Best Rap Album, besting Kendrick Lamar, who was nominated in seven categories, but took no Grammys home.

The duo were already facing backlash just for being nominated in the rap category and following the win, Macklemore sent a text message to Lamar writing, “You got robbed. I wanted you to win. You should have. It’s weird and it sucks That I robbed you.” Macklemore later posted the message onto Instagram.

“I was gonna say that during the speech. Then the music started playing during my speech, and I froze,” continued the rapper. The award for Best Rap album was announced during the pre-telecast ceremony, where Macklemore & Ryan Lewis picked up three of their Grammys. The fourth for Best New Artist was the first award announced during the televised portion of the show.

“Anyway, you know what it is. Congrats on this year and your music. Appreciate you as an artist and as a friend. Much love,” finished Macklemore confirming everyone’s suspicions that he is probably the nicest guy in music.

The Grammy-winning rapper and producer were later joined on stage by Mary Lambert, Trombone Shorty, Madonna and Queen Latifah for a stirring performance of their socially-conscious hit Same Love. During the song, Queen Latifah officiated a mass wedding for 34 gay and straight couples.

“To play Same Love on that platform was a career highlight. The greatest honor of all,” wrote Macklemore on Instagram. “That’s what this is about. Progress and art. Thank you. #grammys.” Ryan Lewis’ sister Laura and her boyfriend were one of the participating couples.

In what was one of the most anticipated performances of the evening a rock supergroup comprised of Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age, Dave Grohl, and Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham took the stage for the show’s final performance.

But before the supergroups could get through NIN’s Copy Of A and most of QOTSA’s My God Is The Sun, the Grammys and network CBS cued up the credits. The network ran an ads for its programming and for an airline sponsor, all with the music going on in the background. “Music’s biggest night… to be disrespected. A heartfelt FUCK YOU guys,” the Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor tweeted after the performance.

In a more heartwarming highlight of the night Jay Z delivered one of the most quotable lines at the 2014 Grammys. Accepting the award for best rap/sung collaboration for Holy Grail, a collaboration with Justin Timberlake, the rapper addressed his daughter Blue Ivy. “I want to tell Blue, ‘Daddy’s got a gold sippy cup for you,” said Jay Z, turning his Grammy sideways.

jay z gif

Daft Punk were the undisputed biggest winners of the night, walking away with five Grammy awards, or “gold sippy cups,” scooping up Album and Record of the year for their track Get Lucky and album Random Access Memories.

The frenchmen were typically silent, but producer Pharrell Williams and singer-songwriter Paul Williams accepted the awards on their behalf. Paul Williams spoke about his triumph over substance abuse problems and finally working with the robots. “Then I get sober and two robots asked me to make an album,” he said.

Daft Punk also made their first live televised performance in six years. The duo were joined on stage by Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers and special guest Stevie Wonder. The performance was enigmatic as ever but luckily Taiwanese animators have stepped in with their dramatization, letting viewers in on, amongst other things, exactly what those “baguette munching French robots” were doing behind that recording booth.

Watch: Taiwanese animation of Daft Punk Grammy wins

Check out our full Grammys wrap up here!

Check out the full list of 2014 Grammy Award nominees and winners here.

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