8 Moments That Belonged to Women at the 2018 Grammys

The 2018 Grammys might have highlighted both the #MeToo and Time's Up movements, but its actual representation of female artists was noticeably lacking: Only one woman, Alessia Cara, won an award during the main ceremony, even in categories that were dominated by women who were favored to win. And Album of the Year nominee Lorde was reportedly the only artist in the night's biggest category who was not asked to do a solo performance. Overall, female musicians claimed just 11 of the approximately 80 awards for the night, a disappointing number at any given moment, but doubly so given the air of equality the show was aiming for. But that doesn't mean that women didn't show up and knock it out of the park when they were given the stage. The moments that weren't all about the men stand out as highlights of the night. Check out some of the women who absolutely ruled the stage at the 2018 Grammy Awards. (Photos via Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NARAS)

Lady Gaga performs: Gaga's Grammys performance was memorable before she even sang a note. Sitting behind a piano decked out in angelic, feathered wings, and rocking a stunning, custom, pink tulle Armani Privé gown (her second of the night), she proceeded to sing "Joanne" and "Million Reasons" in emotional tribute to her late Aunt Joanne (the namesake of her latest album). "This is for my father's sister, Joanne," she said before she started. "This is for love and compassion, even when you can't understand." Then, about midway through, she shouted out, "Time's up," referring to the ongoing Hollywood initiative against sexual assault and harassment. Earlier, she wore a white rose on the red carpet in solidarity with the movement. (Photo via Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NARAS)

Alessia Cara wins Best New Artist: Cara was the only solo female artist to win an award during the main ceremony, and she took the opportunity to speak up for the underdogs. "There are some incredible artists out there that are making incredible music that deserve to be acknowledged — that don't always get acknowledged because of popularity contests or numbers games," the 21-year-old said. "I just want to encourage everyone to support real music and real artists." Cara also admitted that she'd been pretending to win Grammys since she was a kid and, given her status as the ONLY Canadian artist to win this award, we can't help but be so, so charmed. (Photo via Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NARAS)

Pink performs: Typically known for her next-level acrobatics and scene-stealing stunts during live awards show performances, Pink surprised the crowd with a stripped-down, jeans-and-t-shirt performance of "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken." The song's empowering lyrics ("There’s not enough tape to shut this mouth") were fitting given the Time's Up and #MeToo movements currently dominating the entertainment industry, and with Pink's powerful vocals on full, emotional display, they were made even more poignant. (Photo via Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NARAS)

Janelle Monae supports #TimesUp: "We come in peace, but we mean business" is set to become a battle cry of 2018. Monae took the stage not just to introduce Kesha's performance, but also to give a passionate speech about the Time's Up movement. "Tonight, I am proud to stand in solidarity as not just an artist, but a young woman, with my fellow sisters in this room who make up the music industry. … To those who would dare try and silence us, we offer you two words: Time's Up," she said. "Time's Up for pay inequality, discrimination or harassment of any kind, and the abuse of power." The crowd was rapt. (Photo via Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NARAS)

Kesha performs: In what was undoubtedly one of the best and most affecting performances of the night, Kesha — joined by other pop-music heavyweights such as Camila Cabello, Julia Michaels, Cyndi Lauper, and more — performed her hit ballad "Praying." The song, when it was released in 2017, served as something of a comeback for the Rainbow artist, following her lengthy, public legal battle with producer Dr. Luke. Sunday's performance ended with a group hug from her all-star backup singers as she broke down into tears — and as audience members such as singer/actress Hailee Steinfeld did too. (Photo via Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NARAS)

Camila Cabello supports DREAMers: Shortly after joining Kesha for her watershed "Praying" performance, Cabello — the current #1 artist on the Billboard charts — took the stage to introduce U2's live performance. First, though, the "Havana" singer spoke out on behalf of the many children of undocumented immigrants who are currently fighting to stay in the US — something that hits close to home for Cabello. "I'm here on this stage tonight because, just like the DREAMers, my parents brought me to this country with nothing in their pockets but hope," she said. "They showed me what it means to work twice as hard and never give up. And honestly, no part of my journey is any different from theirs." Cabello, who was born in Havana, Cuba, reminded the audience that, "just like dreams, these kids can't be forgotten and are worth fighting for." (Photo via Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NARAS)

Hillary Clinton makes a cameo: Any awards show worth its salt has a fun surprise or two up its sleeve, and the 2018 Grammys saved their biggest for close to the end. In a sketch about the Best Spoken Word Album, Grammys host James Corden wrangled some A-list celebs to read from Fire and Fury, the controversial book by Michael Wolff about the inner workings of Trump's White House, and none other than Hillary Clinton showed up to contribute. "He had a longtime fear of being poisoned," Clinton read. "One reason why he likes to eat at McDonald's: Nobody knew he was coming and the food was safely pre-made." Corden assured her the Spoken Word Grammy was all hers. In real life, of course, the Grammy posthumously went to Carrie Fisher for The Princess Diarist. (Photo via Lester Cohen/Getty Images for NARAS)

SZA performs: R&B singer SZA's debut album CTRL was a 2017 standout, earning deep devotion from fans as well as critical accolades. It also garnered a whopping five Grammy nominations, and even though she went home empty-handed, her stirring performance of "Broken Clocks" — reserved for close to the end of the night as one of the most anticipated acts of the show — proved why she deserved to be there. (Photo via Christopher Polk/Getty Images for NARAS)