German singer-songwriter Kim Petras becomes first transgender woman to win Best Pop Duo/Group performance gong at the Grammys alongside non-binary artist Sam Smith
- The delighted singers walked away with the award for their hit track, Unholy
- The pair are the first ever transgender and non-binary artists to land the honor
- Petras thanked pop music icon and LGBTQ+ advocate Madonna in her speech
Kim Petras made history as the first transgender woman to win the Grammy for Best Pop/Group performance on Sunday night.
The German singer and non-binary artist Sam Smith walked away with the gong for their smash hit single, Unholy, as they gathered with music's biggest stars at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Petras revealed in her speech that Smith - who uses gender neutral pronouns - chose to let her accept the trophy in honor of the fact she had made history with the win.
During the emotional speech, the 30-year-old thanked pop music icon and LGBTQ+ advocate Madonna, and paid tribute to the late artist SOPHIE for inspiring her.
'I’m the first transgender woman to win this award,' she began. 'I want to thank all the incredible transgender legends before me who kicked these doors open.'
Historic: Kim Petras and Sam Smith have made music history as the first ever non-binary and transgender artists to take the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category
Special moment: Petras made history as the first transgender woman to win the gong for their hit single, Unholy
The singer continued: 'SOPHIE especially, 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 continued by thanking Madonna 'for fighting for LGBTQ rights' and then turned her attention to her own 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,' the hitmaker added.
The pair beat out other nominees including ABBA for their single, Don’t Shut Me Down, Camila Cabello and Ed Sheeran for their collaboration, Bam Bam, Coldplay and BTS for their track, My Universe, and Post Malone and Doja Cat for their collaboration, I Like You (A Happier Song).
Shortly after the win, Petras and Smith then went on to perform the hit track which was released in September 2022 as the second single from Smith’s four studio album, Gloria.
Kim - born Tim - was 16 when she became the youngest person to have gender reassignment surgery.
She started having hormone replacement therapy as part of her gender transition by the age of 12.
After the surgery in 2009, Kim said: 'Everything has changed because of this operation. I just can't wait to put on my favorite bathing suit and go swimming like I've never done before.
Winning together: The German singer and the British artist were visibly delighted as they walked away with the gong
Emotional: Petras revealed in her speech that Smith chose to let her accept the trophy in honor of the fact she had made history with the win
'I had to wait until my 16th birthday but once that was past I was able legally to have the operation.
'I know that because of my past people will always bring up the subject, I can't get away from it. But I hope that one day I might be better known for something else like my music.'
She has spoken about her desire to increase transgender visibility and becoming a role model for transgender youth.
The Grammy Awards returned on Sunday for another star-studded celebration honoring the best in music with a slew of big stars up for awards.
For decades, artists have been recognized for their musical contributions with the iconic gold gramophone trophy. A career-defining achievement, the award recognizes exceptional artists in categories ranging from Best Album to Best New Artist.
This year's nominees represent work released from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022.
Happy tears: The 30-year-old thanked pop music icon and LGBTQ+ advocate Madonna and paid tribute to the late artist SOPHIE in her speech
Bold arrival: (front L-R) Petras, Smith, Violet Chachki, and Gottmik arrived together for the ceremony
Ahead of the history-making award win, Kim put on a dazzling display on the red carpet at the Grammys, wowing in a red dress and matching veil as she posed alongside Smith - who wore a matching scarlet ensemble.
Kim modeled a vibrant shade of lipstick to match her outfit - sporting the MAC Cosmetics Locked Kiss Ink 24HR Lipcolour in Ruby True over the brand's Lip Pencil in Cherry.
Makeup artist Gilbert Soliz explained of Kim's beauty look: 'I really wanted the look to be interpreted by the audience themselves. We thought a lot about the character she was going to portray and wanted to make sure the makeup really emphasized that.
'Kim was embodying a fierce dragon trapped inside of a cage, but also looking polished and perfected.'
To ensure her makeup matched her bold outfit, Gilbert accentuated the singer's eyes with the MAC Colour Excess Gel Pencil Eye Liner, as well as the MACStack Mascara to emphasize her lashes.
Meanwhile, Kim's blonde locks were styled in a 'pristine and feminine' style by A-list beauty pro Mel Dominguez, who used boosted the singer's natural locks with some extensions from Bellami Hair, before coiffing her tresses with products from OGX.
'Kim’s look tonight was a red moment with Sam Smith. It was edgy but elegant and we really wanted the hair to stand out under the veil while remaining pristine and feminine,' Mel explained, revealing she used the OGX Blonde Enhance + Purple Toning Drops and the Renewing + Argan Oil of Morocco Penetrating Oil to keep her hair 'looking truly vibrant and shiny'.
'We wanted this look to stay super shiny and sleek, so I finished with OGX Renewing + Argan Oil of Morocco Weightless Healing Dry Oil Spray,' Mel continued.
'It became my best friend for the day and was so lightweight to help control flyaways without weighing the hair down or getting too oily.'
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