It's been a jam-packed Grammys weekend as stars attend a manifold of preparties. On Jan. 25, Clive Davis hosted his annual star-studded event in Los Angeles, and it was just as glamorous as you'd expect. For many celebrities, the gathering doubled as a date night — famous duos such as Dua Lipa and Anwar Hadid, Jessie J and Channing Tatum, Cardi B and Offset, and Beyoncé and JAY-Z (who held their own soirée earlier that day) enjoyed the night together. Meanwhile, other guests — including Ben Platt, Khalid, and Bebe Rexha — also took part in the festivities. Among the artists who took the stage to perform were Chance the Rapper, Cynthia Erivo, John Legend, and Cyndi Lauper.
The man of the hour was Sean "Diddy" Combs, who was honoured with the Salute to Industry Icons award for his many contributions to the world of music. While accepting the award, the 50-year-old rapper and producer took some time to call for more diversity and recognition of Black music within the Recording Academy. "Truth be told, hip-hop has never been respected by the Grammys. Black music has never been respected by the Grammys to the point that it should be," he said. "It's not just going on in music. It's going on in film, going on in sports and going on around the world. And for years, we've allowed institutions that have never had our best interests at heart to judge us. And that stops right now."
Diddy went on to encourage his fellow artists and musicians to use their platforms to spark change. "We need the artists to take back control, we need transparency, we need diversity," he added. "This is the room that has the power to make the changes that need to be made. They have to make the changes for us. They're a nonprofit organisation that's supposed to protect the welfare of the musical community. That's what it says on the mission statement. That's the truth. They work for us. We have the power."
Look ahead to see all the celebrities who showed up to support Diddy, then read the full transcript of his powerful speech!