German pop star Kim Petras has paid tribute to groundbreaking producer SOPHIE in her acceptance speech at the Grammy Awards. Petras won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance alongside Sam Smith for their collaboration ‘Unholy’. Upon taking the stage to accept the award, Smith let Petras take over the mic for the full speech.
“Sam graciously wanted me to accept this award because I’m the first transgender woman to win this award,” Petras began, before the entire auditorium rose for a standing ovation. “I just want to thank all the incredible transgender legends before me who kicked these doors open for me so I could be here tonight.”
Sam Smith & Kim Petras: ‘Unholy’
Petras named SOPHIE as an especially big inspiration. “[Sophie], my friend who passed away two years ago who told me this would happen and always believed in me– thank you so much for your inspiration, SOPHIE. I adore you and your inspiration will always be in my music.”
She also thanked Madonna for “fighting for LGBTQ rights”, adding that she wouldn’t be here without the legendary New York pop star. She finished by thanking her mother: “I grew up next to a highway in nowhere Germany and my mother believed me that I was a girl and I wouldn’t be here without her and her support,” Petras said.
SOPHIE, who pioneered the hyper-pop movement, died in 2021 after an accident in Athens. You can watch Petras’ speech in full below.
This speech from Kim Petras got me good ? pic.twitter.com/HTxovNVGvQ #Grammys2023
— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) February 6, 2023
Beyoncé and Harry Styles emerged as the big winners of this year’s Grammy Awards. Beyoncé made history by becoming the most decorated artist in the history of the awards, with 32 wins to her name; she picked up wins for Best Dance/Electronic Album for her latest Renaissance, Best Dance/Electronic Recording for ‘Break My Soul’, Best R&B Song for ‘Cuff It’, and Best Traditional R&B Performance for ‘Plastic off the Sofa’.
She lost the Album of the Year award to Styles – it’s the fourth time Beyoncé has lost Album of the Year. You can see the full list of winners right over here.
Further Reading
Beyoncé, Harry Styles and All the Winners at the 2023 Grammys
A Mural Of SOPHIE Has Gone Up In Sydney Just In Time For Mardi Gras
