Jill Biden honors Iranian singer with new Grammy ‘social change’ award

Jill Biden presented two awards at the Grammys on Sunday night, a new one for social change and Song of the Year for Bonnie Raitt.

The Recording Academy asked the first lady to present the two awards, including a new Special Merit award: ‘Best Song for Social Change’. Recognize a song that speaks to social injustice in a meaningful way.

She dressed in the appropriate bling for the evening, wearing a custom Oscar de la Renta off-the-shoulder gown. The designer described it as “golden, vine-embroidered floral.” She gave it a shine as she walked onstage. The packed audience of musicians gave him a standing ovation.

The social change award went to Iranian singer Shervin Hajipour, whose song ‘Baraye’ is described as the anthem of the Mahsa Amini protests. Mahsa Amini was arrested for wearing her hijab “improperly” and died in police custody.

His death sparked protests across Iran involving many Iranian celebrities. Protests also broke out around the world in a show of solidarity.

Biden described Hajipour’s song as a “powerful and poetic call for women’s freedom and rights.”

‘A song can unite, inspire and ultimately change the world. Starting this year, the Recording Academy is presenting a new award that recognizes a song that responds to the social issues of our time and has the potential for positive global impact,” Biden said.

Hajipour was arrested on September 29, 2022, two days after ‘Baraye’ was first published, and was released on bail on October 4, 2022.

He composed the song from tweets posted by Iranians after Amini’s death. Many blamed the clerical regime for Iran’s social, economic and political ills.

Security officers from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forced him to remove the song from his social media platforms shortly after his arrest.

The song garnered over 40 million views in less than 48 hours before it was removed from Instagram.

Hajipour was charged with ‘propaganda against the system’ and ‘inciting people to violent acts’. He is prohibited from leaving Iran.

But nominations for the song flooded the Grammy social change award submission box.

“Over 130,000 people have responded with song submissions that promote awareness, raise awareness and inspire change,” Biden said of the award. “The winner of this special award was selected by a blue ribbon committee and ratified by the Recording Academy’s board of trustees.”

The academy asked the first lady to present the new award.

“The First Lady was honored to be asked by the Recording Academy to announce the first Grammy Social Change Award to Shervin Hajipour for his song ‘Baraye,'” Biden’s press secretary Vanessa Valdivia said in a statement. release. “As an unwavering advocate for women and girls around the world, the First Lady was inspired by her song that served as a hymn to freedom and women’s rights.”

President Joe Biden has condemned Iran’s crackdown on protesters.

Trevor Noah presented the Grammy Awards for the third year in a row.

He introduced Biden to the stage, describing her as “the only person in the world who knows which of the songs tonight the president is singing in the shower.”

Jill Biden arrived at the Crypto Arena after the show started and after Beyonce, who missed her big moment where she tied the all-time winning record after getting stuck in traffic.

The first lady entered through the back door before her awards presentation. Earlier that day she attended a rehearsal session in the arena.

She joined an all-star lineup of presenters at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, including Beyoncé, Adele and Taylor Swift.

Beyoncé, meanwhile, became the most decorated artist in Grammy history with her 32nd career win, breaking the record set in 1997.

She tried to hold back tears as she said, ‘Thank you very much. I’m trying not to be too emotional. And I’m trying to receive tonight. I want to thank God for protecting me. Thanks God. I would like to thank my Uncle Johnny, who is not here.

But he is here in spirit. I would like to thank my parents, my father, my mother, for loving me and pushing me. I would like to thank my beautiful husband, my three beautiful children who are at home watching. I would like to thank the queer community for their love. And for inventing this genre. God bless you. Thank you very much to the grammys. Thank you.’

Another record was set on Sunday night.

Viola Davis walked off the Sunday show as EGOT – a term for those who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony – after their win for best audiobook, narration and narration recording. The actress gave an emotional speech and emphatically said ‘Just EGOT’ after taking the stage to collect the award from her.

‘Oh my God,’ she said. “I wrote this book to honor 6-year-old Viola, to honor her, her life, her joy, her trauma, everything about her,” Davis said. It has been such a journey.

Jill Biden isn’t the only first lady to appear at the Grammy Awards.

Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance at the Grammys in 2019 and, a year later, won best spoken word album for the audiobook version of her memoir, “Becoming.”

And Hillary Clinton won a Grammy in 1997 for best spoken word album for her book “It Takes a Village.”

The first lady appeared at the Grammys to cap off a three-day trip to California, where she focused on two of her top initiatives: her Joining Forces program to support servicemen and their families and Biden’s Cancer Moonshot.