Kim Petras Accepts Grammy Award For Unholy
Kim Petras Celebrates Grammys Win: " I Just Want to Thank All the Incredible Transgender Legends"
Kim Petras accepted the award for her and Sam Smith's hit song "Unholy" at the 2023 Grammys with a speech that honoured the significance of the moment for her. The win made Petras the first transgender woman to win a Grammy award for best pop duo/group performance.
"This song has been such an incredible, incredible journey for me and Sam has been a supporter of mine for so long. Sam graciously wanted me to accept this award because I'm the first transgender woman to win this award," Petras said in her speech at the 5 Feb. event. "I just want to thank all the incredible transgender legends before who kicked these doors open for me so I could be here tonight." She went on to give a special thanks to Grammy-nominated musician SOPHIE, who died in 2021. She "told me this would happen and always believed in me," Petras said. "Your inspiration will forever be in my music."
"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 artist continued. "Everyone who believed in me to this point, I love you so much."
Petras and Smith made a statement on the Grammys red carpet in coordinated red ensembles complete with gloves and lacy veils. Their track "Unholy" first went viral on TikTok in summer 2022, sparking a popular dance challenge. The song came out in full in September 2022, quickly becoming an inescapable hit. It was eventually followed by a sultry music video.
The first transgender woman to win a Grammy was Wendy Carlos, who won three awards — including album of the year — for her revolutionary album "Switched-On Bach" at the twelfth Grammy Awards in 1969.
