What a night! The 2015 Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 8, were jam-packed with A-list performances and GIF-worthy audience reactions, from Madonna‘s matador-themed “Living for Love” spectacle to Taylor Swift‘s unmistakable dance moves in the crowd. There were serious moments, too, including a moving speech from a domestic violence survivor and a powerful gospel song from Beyonce.
In case you missed it, here’s a recap of the top moments and most memorable performances from the 57th annual awards show, held at L.A.’s Staples Center and hosted by rapper LL Cool J.
Bringing her new “Living for Love” music video to life on the Grammys stage, Madge tamed a bevy of horned beasts as a sexy matador in red and black Givenchy. Toward the end of her performance — which brought the crowd to its feet — she was hoisted into the air above her minotaur-costumed backup dancers.
Annie Lennox brought down the house with her mesmerizing performance during the show. After joining Hozier for “Take Me to Church,” she segued into a spirited rendition of “I Put a Spell on You.” It was, true to the title of the song, pure magic.
Prior to Katy Perry‘s understated performance of “By the Grace of God,” domestic violence survivor Brooke Axtell took the stage to share her story of an abusive relationship. “Authentic love does not devalue another human being,” she said. “Authentic love does not silence, shame, or abuse.”
4. Sam Smith Wins Basically Everything
No one had a bigger night at the Grammys than Sam Smith, who returned to the stage again and again to accept his many awards. The “Stay With Me” crooner won in four of the categories presented during Sunday’s telecast, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best New Artist.
After six years away, Kanye West made a triumphant return to the Grammys stage with not one but two performances on Sunday night. His second was a powerhouse collaboration with Rihanna and Paul McCartney, “FourFiveSeconds,” which featured the former Beatle on guitar.
Proving he has a sense of humor about his past mistakes, West rushed the stage after Beck beat out Beyonce for Album of the Year — a move he famously pulled on Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs. Instead of grabbing the mic, though, he grinned and returned to his seat, letting the Morning Phase rocker accept his award. He and Swift later had a laugh about the joke, and even posed for a photo together.
7. Prince Does Prince, Basically Owns the Room Without Even Trying
The A-list audience went crazy when Prince strutted onto the stage to present the Album of the Year award. Rocking a glittering orange outfit and black beads, the “Purple Rain” singer proved he’s still a total boss, even when he’s not doing anything.
After a fittingly weird intro from Shia LaBeouf, Sia gave a fantastic performance of “Chandelier,” with guest stars Kristen Wiig and Maddie Ziegler wearing matching blonde wigs and doing an interpretive dance together — all while the Grammy-nominated singer stood facing the wall to hide her face.
After picking up the award for Best R&B Performance (for “Drunk in Love”), Beyonce closed out the 2015 Grammys with a gorgeous rendition of the gospel song “Take My Hand Precious Lord,” which preceded John Legend and Common‘s performance of the Oscar-nominated tune “Glory.” Backed by an all-male choir, she looked almost angelic in an all-white getup with a sheer cape.
Five months after Joan Rivers‘ tragic death, her daughter Melissa Rivers accepted the Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album Album on her behalf. “My mother would be absolutely thrilled to be here,” the Fashion Police executive producer said of the honor. “She loved getting anything — if she thought she could get something at a Waffle House in Secaucus,she would be there.”
