All the stars who threw shade on music's biggest night

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Into each awards ceremony, it seems, a little shade must fall — and the 66th Grammy Awards were no exception. From Miley Cyrus' dig at the audience to Jay-Z's Recording Academy criticism, here's a breakdown of the biggest shade that got thrown at the 2024 Grammys …

After winning her first-ever Grammy Award — Best Pop Solo Performance for "Flowers" — Miley Cyrus returned to the stage, dripping in sparkle, for an exuberant, Tina Turner-inspired performance of the 2023 hit. Despite her electrifying vocals, however, Miley soon noticed she wasn't getting the reaction she apparently expected from the audience. After looking around the room and gesturing for people to get on their feet, she paused and put one hand up.

"Why are you acting like you don't know this song?" she asked, challenging the crowd.

Her dare must have worked, because the camera then showed stars like Taylor Swift and Oprah Winfrey dancing and singing along to the single, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts last year and went on to break multiple records on streaming platforms. After belting out her hit — and improvising a lyric about her first Grammy win — Miley wrapped the memorable performance with a mic drop.

Keep reading to see who else threw shade or got snubbed at the 2024 Grammys …

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Billy Ray snub?

Miley Cyrus picked up her second Grammy later in the night, winning Record of the Year for "Flowers." But in an acceptance speech filled with shout-outs to her loved ones, the singer's dad, country star Billy Ray Cyrus, got no mention.

According to the New York Post, Miley thanked specific family members ("my mommy, my sister"), her boyfriend Maxx Morando ("my love") and her stylists ("my main gays, because look how good I look"). "I don't think I forgot anyone," she added before joking, "but I might have forgotten underwear. Bye!"

MORE: See the best and worst looks from music's biggest night

Recording Academy shade

With his 12-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, at his side, Jay-Z picked up the Dr. Dre Impact Award for personal and professional achievements in music — while calling out the organization behind the Grammys for its inconsistent treatment of Black artists. The Roc Nation exec used his wife, Beyonce, as a prime example, citing the fact that the singer has won more Grammy Awards than anyone in history, yet she's never won the Grammys' most prestigious honor, Album of the Year.

Jay began by noting "how far we have come" since 1989, when Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff missed their very first Grammy win while boycotting the ceremony because their category, Best Rap Performance, wouldn't be televised. Jay said he followed suit and staged his own Grammy boycott in 1998, when he was nominated but DMX was not, despite having released two No. 1 albums that year.

"I'm just saying, we want you all to get it right," he explained. "We love y'all … we want you to get it right — or at least get it close to right."

The rapper added that, "obviously, it's subjective, because it's music and it's opinion-based," but suggested that there are real issues with how the Recording Academy's honors are awarded. That's when he turned his attention to his massively successful wife.

MORE: The best and worst performances at the 2024 Grammys ranked

Defending Beyonce

Looking directly at Beyoncé, Jay-Z continued: "I don't want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than everyone and never won album of the year. So even by your own metrics, that doesn't work."

He paused to let it sink in, then reiterated, "Think about that. The most Grammys, never won album of the year. That doesn't work."

Elsewhere in his speech, Jay noted that some of the artists in the room that night would be heading home feeling as if they'd been "robbed," while others "don't belong in the category" in which they were nominated.

Amid audible grumbling, laughter and a few cheers, the star added, "When I get nervous, I tell the truth."

A message for Neil Portnow

After winning four Grammy Awards, singer Phoebe Bridgers called out Neil Portnow, who stepped down is 2019 amid multiple controversies, for his 2018 comments about why so few women had won Grammys that year.

"I have something to say about women," Phoebe told reporters backstage, according to Variety. "The ex-president of the Recording Academy, Neil Portnow, said that if women want to be nominated and win Grammys, that they should 'step up.' He's also being accused of sexual violence. And to him I'd like to say: I know you're not dead yet, but when you are … rot in p***."

Asked why only one woman won a solo Grammy Award in 2018, Neil infamously told Variety, "It has to begin with … women who have the creativity in their hearts and souls, who want to be musicians, who want to be engineers, producers and want to be part of the industry on the executive level… [They need] to step up because I think they would be welcome."

Phoebe's "sexual violence" comment refers to sexual abuse allegations that were made against Neil in 2020 and 2023, all of which he's denied.

A message for the Oscars

"Barbie" director Greta Gerwig may have been snubbed in this year's Oscar nominations, but Billie Eilish did what she could to credit the filmmaker at the Grammys.

While accepting the Song of the Year award for her "Barbie" track "What Was I Made For?" Billie thanked Greta for "making the best movie of the year," in what seemed like a reference to the Oscar snub.

"What Was I Made For?" also scored Grammy gold in the Best Song Written for Visual Media category, while "Barbie: The Album" was named the Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.

Congrats with a diss

Grammy shade wasn't limited to the Crypto.com Arena, by the way. Before the telecast began, Drake shared a clip from his 2019 Grammy Awards acceptance speech on his Instagram Story.

"I want to let you know that we're playing in an opinion-based sport, not a factual-based sport," he said in the footage, per Deadline. "So it's not the NBA where at the end of the year, you're holding a trophy because you made the right decisions or won the games."

In the caption, Drake wrote: "All you incredible artists remember this show isn't the facts, it's just the opinion of a group of people [whose] name are kept a secret (literally you can Google it). Congrats to anybody winning anything for hip-hop but this show doesn't dictate s*** in our world."

Drake, along with The Weeknd, has boycotted the Grammys for years, going as far as withholding his music from consideration.

Teasing Taylor's haters

Grammy host Trevor Noah opened the show with a playful dose of shade aimed at football-loving Taylor Swift haters.

"I think it is so unfair how NFL fans have been complaining about the cameras cutting to Taylor Swift, right? Like she's controlling the cameras at the games. Just let her live," Trevor said during his monologue, according to TheWrap.

"Actually, on Taylor's behalf, do you know what I'm going do? I'm going to give her a break. Every time they mention Taylor Swift, I'm going to get revenge. Every time they mention Taylor Swift, I'm going to cut the cameras to someone who played football," he joked as the camera cut to former NFL star Terry Crews.

"Oh yeah, you like that Terry Crews? You like that Terry Crews? You better fix your face, Terry. We're going to be cutting to you all night, no relaxing for you!"

Taylor, whose high-profile romance with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Jason Kelce has irked a contingent of NFL fans, won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for "Midnights."

Awkward hand-off

The 2024 Grammys drew to a close with yet another perceived slight when Taylor Swift failed to acknowledge Celine Dion while accepting Album of the Year for "Midnights."

Celine's surprise appearance at the ceremony marked her first public event in months, as she's been battling a rare neurological disorder, stiff person syndrome.

"When I say I'm happy to be here, I really mean it from my heart," Celine said after a standing ovation. "Those who have been blessed enough to be here at the Grammy Awards must never take for granted the tremendous love and joy that music brings to our lives and to people all around the world. It gives me great joy to present a Grammy Award that two legends, Diana Ross and Sting, presented to me 27 years ago."

The singer then announced Taylor as the 2024 winner. Taylor raced to the stage and warmly greeted her team and collaborators but when Celine paused while handing the younger singer the trophy, Taylor took the award without a word or hug and proceeded directly to her speech.

Better late than never

After the painfully awkward exchange onstage — amid a storm of social media commentary on the tense moment — Taylor Swift hugged Celine Dion backstage and gave major deferential vibes while posing for photos with the star.