All of the Photos From Inside the 2020 Grammy Awards

Yesterday afternoon and smackdab in the middle of downtown Los Angeles at the Staples Center, Grammy guests were queued up to enter the ceremony as a nearby memorial for Kobe Bryant and his family mushroomed with flowers and flickering candles.

“We never imagined in a million years we’d have to start the show like this,” announced Alicia Keys at the start of the 2020 Grammys. As emcee of the evening, she carried the night with grace and a honey-smooth voice that seemed to cradle everyone in the room during this time of sorrow. "We’re literally standing here, heartbroken, in the house that Kobe Bryant built,” she continued. “I know that music is the most healing thing in the world, so let us get some healing going on right now.”

The saying goes, the show must go on and so it did. But it was done gently and with a sense of camaraderie that felt as though the individuals sat in the 20,000-person theater were glued together as one.

If there were two themes of the nights, it was hugs and cowboy hats. Though populated with artists pitted against one another for recognition and a statuette of a gilded gramophone, the room was also filled with husbands and wives, fathers and daughters, siblings, and supporters. As Lizzo mentioned in her acceptance speech for Pop Solo Performance for “Truth Hurts,” the night was a re-calibration or sorts of what matters most. (“This whole week, I’ve been lost in my problems, stressed out, and then in an instant, all of that can go away and your priorities really shift,” she said.)

Through the show’s broadcast, viewers at home saw their favorite musicians dressed to the nines, tens, and elevens (some peacocking in meme-making looks). They were also privy to Steven Tyler’s killer performance (on the ground, it was the only set that actually had everyone in the stadium on their feet), Rosalía’s incredible flamenco-esque dance sequence, and Ariana Grande seated front-row in her creampuff dress of tulle. But it’s during the commercial break that the real fun happens. When celebrities air-kiss and catch up with one another in their 3-minute window. There’s a countdown from Bulova—official timekeepers of the Grammys—letting everyone know when it’s time to pop back into place, camera-ready.

During these breaks, Grande could be seen hugging and high-fiving Lizzo. Despite being nominated herself, Lana Del Rey seemed to play the role of proud girlfriend to new beau Sean Larkin. There was Lil Nax X embracing Ellen Degeneres and the night’s big winner Billie Eilish, who appeared a unit of one with her musical collaborator brother, Finneas, as the two never left each other’s side. Photos taken inside the room showcase the many hugs, kisses, and moments of coming together that the film cameras miss.

As for the cowboy hats, that can be chalked up to the power of “Old Town Road”. In addition to Lil Nas X, those celebrities behatted à la cowboy included Billie Ray Cyrus, Diplo, Orville Peck, and several stylish showgoers. (Honorable mention to Billy Porter in his mechanical curtain hat.) The trend made it all the easier for everyone to tip their hats to their fellow musicians. It seems that this was a Grammys night that prized sportsmanship, above all else.