Red Cloaks and Breaking Records: How Queer Music Fared at the 2023 Grammys

Music’s biggest night is back! Sunday evening marked the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, hosted by Trevor Noah in downtown Los Angeles. Nearly all of the industry’s biggest stars filled Crypto.com Arena, hoping to be honored by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for their songs and albums released between Oct. 1, 2021 and Sept. 30, 2022. But how did LGBTQ+ music fare at the show overall?

Best of 2022: Staff Picks for Queer Music

Enjoy our staff’s recommendations for queer music released in 2022 (in no particular order) and save the playlist!

The Queers Are Already Rocking The 2023 Grammys: A Breakdown of LGBTQ+ Nominees

Nominations for the 2023 Grammy Aawards were livestreamed by the Recording Academy on Tuesday (Nov. 15) and quite a few queer artists made the cut. Here’s a breakdown of the openly LGBTQ+ acts on the list and what they’ve done for our community, along with some honorary ally mentions.

Queer Joy: A Soundtrack

Queer yearning and trauma are common themes through many of pop’s greatest hits from “Sofia” by Clairo to “TALK ME DOWN” by Troye Sivan. But, queerness is not just struggle, sacrifice, and heartbreak. Queerness is bold, vibrant, and exciting. And, while it may be cathartic to sob along to songs alone in bed, sometimes we need music to remind us that queer joy exists. Here are ten songs by queer artists about the queer experience that radiate sunshine and serotonin.

Best of 2021: Our Picks for Queer Music

We asked our staff for their favorite queer music from 2021, and they answered! Listen to our full playlist or check out each song below.