Kim Petras Becomes First Transgender Artist to Win 'Best Pop/Duo Group Performance' GRAMMY For 'Unholy'

Petras won for her "Unholy" collaboration with Sam Smith.

By: Feb. 05, 2023
Kim Petras Becomes First Transgender Artist to Win 'Best Pop/Duo Group Performance' GRAMMY For 'Unholy'
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Global pop sensation and critically acclaimed songwriter Kim Petras has won her first GRAMMY award in the category of Best Pop Duo/Group Performance alongside Sam Smith for their #1 global, platinum hit "Unholy," which Kim also co-wrote.

Taking to the stage to accept the award, Sam graciously turned the mic over to Kim as she became the first openly transgender solo artist to win a GRAMMY in the category, acknowledging the significance of the moment to a warm standing ovation while speaking about the trailblazers that came before her, including her late friend and fellow artist SOPHIE.

A groundbreaking win for a song that made chart history, Kim and Sam also became the first openly transgender solo artist and non-binary solo artist, respectively, to ascend to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Introduced by Madonna, Kim also made her debut on the GRAMMY stage in one of the night's best performances, delivering a sinfully divine, red-hot rendition of "Unholy" with Sam and their cult of dancers on stage. Wearing custom Seth Pratt, Kim slayed her verse in a cage encircled in fire and flanked by RuPaul's Drag Race superstars Violet Chachki and Gottmik.

Prior to the telecast, Kim smoldered on the red carpet in all-red, veiled, vintage Victor Costa to join Sam Smith. Capturing everyone's attention by staging a tableau scene - a theatrical living picture with Violet Chachki and Gottmik in tow - Kim and Sam had one of the night's biggest red-carpet moments.

Kim's icy, beat-heavy new single "brrr" (Republic Records / Amigo Records), produced by ILYA, is out now. Kim recently performed the bad bitch anthem on Seth Meyers and did her first late-night interview.

Kim also recently made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live - emerging from under Sam Smith's dress to light up the SNL stage for a performance of "Unholy."

Kim is also featured on the new official remix of Meghan Trainor's viral smash hit "Made You Look" and will perform "Unholy" with Sam Smith at the BRIT Awards February 11 where she and Sam are nominated for "Song of the Year." "Unholy" is also nominated for "Best Collaboration" at the iHeart Radio Music Awards.

Billboard's Women In Music will honor Kim with the Chartbreaker Award this March, before Kim heads too to Australia to headline Sydney WorldPride. She will perform at Governor's Ball in NYC this June.

"brrr" follows the recent release of Kim's guitar-driven pop single "If Jesus Was A Rockstar" and the worldwide success of "Unholy." The chart-topping song quickly became one of 2022's top pop debuts, earning Kim her first GRAMMY nomination and skyrocketing to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the Billboard Global 200, the worldwide charts on Spotify and Apple Music, and the UK Official Singles Chart. Following their MTV EMA win for 'Video for Good,' Kim and Sam received the 'Innovator of the Year' Award at the Variety Hitmakers event.

Photo credit: Jason Al-Taan



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