- The annual Grammy Awards honor the best artists within the music industry.
- Unlike more formal events, celebrities tend to arrive at the Grammys wearing eye-catching, and sometimes wild, ensembles.
- Over the years, celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Christina Aguilera have taken daring fashion risks on the show’s red carpet, wearing sheer dresses and plunging gowns.
- Other artists, such as Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj, have taken different approaches, wearing statement outfits with standout designs and details.
The 62nd Grammy Awards, held this year on January 26th are a time for music’s biggest stars to show off their unique fashion sense on the red carpet.
But some stars make a bolder statement with their looks than others.
From Lady Gaga’s many looks to CeeLo Green’s iconic gold look, keep reading to see the wildest outfits that celebrities have worn to the Grammy Awards over the years.
In 1999, Missy Elliot wore this white jacket and hat combo with feathers dangling from the sleeves.
She’s had a few amazing Grammy Awards looks throughout the years.
Perhaps the most unforgettable Grammy Awards outfit ever was Jennifer Lopez's plunging Versace dress in 2000.
J. Lo's dress caused a stir across the internet and in the fashion world. In a blog post, Google's executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, even said her dress was the reason the company invented Google Image Search.
Lopez says she still has the dress, but still doesn't understand the craze behind her outfit: "It was a nice dress. I had no idea it was going to become such a big deal."
The next year, Christina Aguilera decided to go for a daring cutout dress and cornrows in her hair.
"This was a point in my life when I wanted to have braids, when I wanted to be able to be unafraid to experiment," she told People.
Aguilera would likely be brought to task for cultural appropriation in this day and age. Actress and activist Amandla Stenberg has spoken about why white celebrities wearing cornrows is problematic, referencing Aguilera's look - watch it here.
Also at the 2001 Grammy Awards was the flawless Destiny's Child, bedecked in matching green lace outfits from Tina Knowles to accept their wins.
The group won for best R&B performance by a group with vocals ("Say My Name").
"They looked a little crazy sometimes," Tina Knowles, Beyoncé's mom, admitted in a New York Times profile about her outfits for the group, "but people always wondered what they were going to wear next."
Toni Braxton accepted her 2001 Grammy Award for best female R&B vocal performance in a barely-there dress that took the concept of a thigh-high slit to another level.
"I've always gone a little risque with all my other awards [show outfits]," she said, according to Us Magazine, about her Richard Tyler dress. "I decided that before I got married and had babies, I'd wear this."
Braxton won for her song "He Wasn't Man Enough."
Lil' Kim rocked the 2002 Grammy Awards with a belt, cropped blouse, and red leather outfit while holding a Chanel motorcycle helmet above her head.
All things considered, this was one of Lil' Kim's more tame red carpet ensembles. (Who can forget her purple pasty from the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards?)
This was also the year she won for best pop collaboration with vocals for "Lady Marmalade."
Alicia Keys went with a see-through veil outfit with jeans and a white tank top in 2002.
Keys also wore jewels on her eyelids with this questionable getup. She later changed into Alexander McQueen to pose with her five awards that night, including for best new artist and song of the year for "Fallin'."
Eve rocked a fringed black miniskirt with ties and a striped top with a long tail.
She won the award for best rap/sung collaboration for the song "Let Me Blow Your Mind."
In 2003, Avril Lavigne arrived with a message to share.
At first glance, the Canadian musician appeared to have chosen a simple pantsuit.
But once Lavigne opened her jacket, she revealed that she'd seemingly used duct tape to write "Rock On" over its interior.
Mary J. Blige was bedecked in head-to-toe yellow at the 2004 Grammy Awards.
The audience needed sunglasses as they watched Blige accept her award for best pop collaboration with vocals for "Whenever I Say Your Name."
Kanye West went '80s old school in his purple jacket, white gloves, and chrome sunglasses at the 2006 Grammy Awards.
West won big at the awards show, racking up accolades for best rap song ("Diamond (From Sierra Leone)"), best rap album ("Late Registration"), and best rap solo performance ("Gold Digger").
OK Go showed up to the 2007 Grammys dressed like... this.
"We're dressed in the future - the future dressed us," one band member told People. "This is actually us in an hour."
They won best music video for "Here It Goes Again."
When MIA wore a sheer top with polka dot details to attend the 2009 Grammy Awards.
This was the outfit MIA wore for her stage performance with Jay-Z (then Jay Z) and Lil Wayne.
"He's getting ready for Jay Z and Lil Wayne. So far, so good," she said. "The baby is just moving around, getting his swagga on."
In 2010, Lady Gaga walked the red carpet with bright yellow hair and a trippy, celestial ensemble.
The look was designed by fashion legend Giorgio Armani.
"The series of pieces Mr. Armani created for me are truly iconic; they represent not only beautiful fashion, but my spirit and essence as an artist," Gaga told People. "Mr. Armani is a fashion legend, and tonight would not have been the same without his touch, and his wonderful team."
The next year at the 2011 Grammys, Lady Gaga arrived in an egg pod.
Gaga told Jay Leno on "The Tonight Show" that it wasn't an egg, so much as a "vessel."
"I was in it for three days," she said. "It was temperature controlled."
She later emerged from the pod for her stage performance in this space cowboy getup.
Gaga designed the latex outfits for herself and her dancers.
"Two days before the performances, I changed everything. I felt so bad because Haus of Gaga was red eyed and up all night," she told Jay Leno. "They looked like dancers in the outfits. I'm so close to all of them … sometimes I don't want the band and the dancers to look like the band and dancers behind me. It's really a performance, and 'Born This Way' is nothing without all of them."
Also in 2011, Katy Perry wore an iridescent dress with a sparkly top and a pair of wings.
This bedazzled creation was another one from Giorgio Armani.
The dress featured a "Swarovski crystal encrusted bustier and an iridescent silk organza ruffled skirt [and] feathery angel wings," according to MTV.
Fergie chose a bright orange, see-through dress with black underwear in 2012.
The singer's dress was designed by Jean Paul Gaultier.
"I had two choices," Fergie told E! News' Ryan Seacrest. "This was the safe one. I'm kidding!"
Nicki Minaj made quite the entrance that same year with a pretend Pope and a dress that looked like it was like something out of "The Handmaid's Tale."
After walking the red carpet with her religious theme - and causing a stir online - the singer and rapper later went for an "Exorcist" vibe while performing "Roman Holiday."
Red Foo, the front-man of electronic-pop duo LMFAO, chose to pair a velvet blazer with shorts at the 2013 awards.
The group was nominated in the best pop duo/group performance category for their song "Sexy and I Know It."
In 2014, Pharrell Williams became a viral sensation for wearing this hat.
Pharrell Williams took home four Grammy awards - including producer of the year - but all anyone was talking about was his oversized Vivienne Westwood hat that many people thought resembled the Arby's fast-food logo.
The hat became such a sensation that Arby's later bought the hat for $44,100.
Katy Perry, on the other hand, took the theme of the night literally.
The musician's sheer white gown overlaid another layer of music-note-printed fabric.
"It's musical, for music's biggest night," Perry told Ryan Seacrest that night on the red carpet.
Rihanna wore a gigantic, princess-like gown in 2015.
By the end of the night, Rihanna and her tiered pink dress were already an internet meme.
"I saw this dress on the internet and I just fell in love with it," Rihanna said on the carpet, according to People.
Meanwhile, Madonna wore an unforgettable matador-inspired getup that same year.
The black look, designed by Givenchy, looked pretty risqué from the front, but when Madonna turned around, she flashed the photographers.
Arguably the only look more daring than Madonna's in 2015 was the ensemble worn by Joy Villa.
The recording artist wore a completely see-through gown that appears to have been made entirely from plastic fencing material.
She's since made headlines for wearing equally bold dresses on the Grammy's red carpet, including one that featured President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.
Lady Gaga makes the list one more time for when she wore an out-of-this-world costume to honor David Bowie in 2016.
The singer wore a custom Marc Jacobs creation with orange hair, intense makeup, and sky-high shoes.
Later in the night, she also gave a performance in the departed singer's honor, too.
CeeLo Green wore head-to-toe gold at the 2017 ceremony.
See what fans were saying about his outfit.
Lady Gaga makes the list for a fourth time with this jaw-dropping 2017 look. This leather ensemble was designed by Alex Ulichny.
You can see other wild Grammy's outfits from 2017 here.
Cardi B turned heads at the 2018 Grammys, wearing a textured, tiered dress with a wing-like silhouette by the Saudi Arabian designer Ashi.
The rapper was nominated for two awards, with her song "Kodak Yellow" up for both best rap song and best rap performance, but she didn't make the list of winners. She joined many other celebrity attendees in carrying a white rose to show support for the Time's Up movement.
You can see all the looks from the 2018 Grammys here.
Pink also showed up in a head-turning gown last year.
The three-time Grammy winner wore a strapless gown in mixed shades of blue, pink, and purple. She also donned a belt, though it was hardly visible under the abundance of feathers on her dress.
Cardi B arrived at the 2019 Grammy Awards wearing a pearl-covered gown that made her look like she was emerging from a shell.
She accessorized the Mugler couture dress with a tower-shaped pearl headpiece and long pink gloves.
Later that night, Cardi took home the award for best rap album, becoming the first solo woman in Grammys history to earn the title.
Kylie Jenner arrived fashionably late wearing a baby-pink Balmain couture suit.
Her gloves were particularly striking, as they extended across her chest, covered the top of her suit, and created a halter-style look.
Katy Perry was the third star to wear a bold pink dress to the Grammys.
Not only did she match the color scheme of many red-carpet looks from the night, but she also wore couture from Balmain.
Joy Villa made a political statement in a dress inspired by Donald Trump.
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The musician donned a white dress that featured a brick print, and read "Build the Wall" on the back of its skirt.
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She also had a barbed wire accessory attached to each sleeve of her dress, and carried a purse that read "Make America Great Again."
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You can see all the wildest looks celebrities wore to the 2019 Grammys here.
- Read more:
- 13 celebrities who've called out designers for refusing to dress them
- What 19 celebrities wore for their first red-carpet appearances
- The 55 most daring dresses celebrities have ever worn
- 48 glamorous red-carpet looks celebrities wore in 2018
