If they awarded a Grammy for modesty, Billie Eilish would probably score that one, too.
Last night at the 2021 Grammy Awards, the 19-year-old pop star took home her second Grammy of the night (and seventh in her short lifetime) for Record of the Year, the ceremony’s finale category. And, in true-to-Billie form, she insisted on shining her spotlight on another breakout artist of the evening: Megan Thee Stallion.
“You deserve this. You had a year that I think is untoppable. You are a queen… Genuinely, this goes to her,” said Eilish at Sunday’s award show, with her musical collaborator and sibling Finneas O’Connell, 23, by her side.
“Can we just cheer for Megan Thee Stallion, please?” she added. For her part, the “Savage” rapper received three Grammys on Sunday, including Best New Artist, Rap Song and Rap Performance.
Judging by the duo’s shocked reaction, it was clear to audiences they were not expecting the honors.
“They don’t look happy they won. More like ‘Oh no, someone else deserves this,’ ” tweeted one viewer in response to the award.
But when some viewers took to social media to criticize Eilish’s dedication to Megan as performative wokeness, the ever-outspoken Chrissy Teigen came to the “Everything I Wanted” singer’s defense.
“winning record of the year sucks because you can’t enjoy it when everyone’s telling you why you don’t deserve it,” Teigen tweeted on Sunday night, gaining 26,000 likes in support. “it’s just s – – t. people suck. and it’s not the record of the year winner.”
Teigen’s defense came as some unimpressed viewers compared Eilish’s dedication to other white artists who have thanked and honored their fellow non-white nominees, such as Adele who famously dedicated her Album of the Year award to Beyoncé in 2017.
“Billie Eillish record of the year really? Face vomiting shoulda gone to savage or wap,” said fashion blogger Bryan Boy.
“I hate it when whites do this,” wrote “Slave Play” playwright Jeremy O. Harris.
Nevertheless, Eilish and O’Connell received overwhelming support, including from celebrities such as Kylie Jenner, model Sara Sampaio, Spanish singer Rosalía, and actor Claudia Sulewski, who shared their love on Instagram last night.
Said Sulewski of the musical pair on Instagram last night, “The most deserving humans.”