Beyoncé, Adele and Lady Gaga have all made headlines at the Grammys for very different reasons

Whether it’s A-list speeches at the Golden Globes, political statements at the Brits or genuine water cooler moments at the Oscars, you can always rely on some seriously shocking moments when awards season rolls around.

And when you get some of the most prolific musicians in the world in the same room, it’s no surprise that the Grammys have more than delivered over the years.

In the lead-up to this year’s ceremony, we’re counting down 22 of the most shocking and memorable moments from the Grammys over the years...

Adele refuses to accept her Album Of The Year award (2017)

Adele swept the board following the release of her album, 25, but when she won over Beyoncé’s opus Lemonade, even the Hello singer herself had to admit something was up.

“I can’t possibly accept this award,” she said, “The Lemonade album was so monumental... so well thought out and so beautiful and soul-bearing, and we all got to see another side to you that we don’t always let us see.”

Addressing Beyoncé, Adele continued: “All us artists here, we fucking adore you. You are our light, and the way that you make me and my friends feel, the way you make my Black friends feel is empowering, and you make them stand up for themselves. I love you, and I always will.”

Beyoncé proves why she is the Queen (2023)

During the ceremony in 2023, Beyoncé made history when she became the person in history with the most Grammy wins (overtaking, believe it or not, Hungarian classical musician Sir Georg Solti), when Renaissance was awarded Best Dance/Electronic Album .

“I’m trying not to be too emotional and just receive this night,” she told the crowd on the night. “I want to thank God for protecting me. I’d like to thank my Uncle Johnny who is not here. But he’s here in spirit.

“I’d like to thank my parents, my father, my mother, for loving me and pushing me. I’d like to thank my beautiful husband, my beautiful three children who are at home watching. I’d like to thank the queer community for your love and for inventing this genre. God bless you.”

Jay-Z asks the Grammys one big question (2024)

When collecting the Global Impact Award in 2024, Jay-Z couldn’t resist taking a pop at the fact that his wife, Beyoncé, had somehow still never won Album Of The Year, despite stellar past offerings like Lemonade and Renaissance and – oh yeah! – the fact she’s the most decorated Grammy recipient in history.

“I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than anyone, and has never won Album Of The Year,” he pointed out in his acceptance speech.

“Even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work. Think about that. Most Grammys. Never won Album Of The Year. That doesn’t work.”

Lady Gaga egg-cedes eggs-pectations with her Grammys entrance (2011)

Nobody was egg-specting (alright, enough of that now) Lady Gaga to play it down when she arrived at the Grammys, where she would be opening the show with a debut performance of her then-new single Born This Way, but who could have anticipated this was how she’d make her entrance?

Playing up to the “birth” theme of her track, she was carried down the red carpet in a giant egg, which she emerged from to perform the song on stage later in the show.

Hey, Nicki, who’s your pal? (2012)

Upping the game when it came to dramatic Grammys entrances, Nicki Minaj hit the red carpet in a red Versace cloak, on the arm of an older man who was dressed as the Pope.

She also opened the show that year with a medley of Roman’s Revenge, Roman Holiday and I Feel Pretty (yes, the one from West Side Story), in a performance laden with Catholic imagery which........

© HuffPost