In 2004, the Grammy Awards featured a memorable win for Evanescence, the alternative rock group led by singer Amy Lee, who won Best New Artist. This victory was all the more surprising because Evanescence was competing against the successful rapper 50 Cent, who was considered the favorite to win the prize.
Evanescence’s Grammy win was a huge moment for the group, who had phenomenal success with their debut album Fallen. Amy Lee’s powerful voice, combined with the melancholic and emotional music of Evanescence, had captured the hearts of millions of fans around the world.
The band’s victory was also a proud moment for the rock community that has been largely ignored by the mainstream media and music industry in recent years.
In a new interview with the Daily Beast, Lee reflects on that moment and notes that 50 Cent has “hated” her ever since.
She says, “50 Cent hates me. That’s how it is… Honestly, we thought he would win too. It was such a crazy night. People ask me what it’s like to win a Grammy and I tell them it’s stressful. Looking back, it’s wonderful, but in the moment it was surreal… I remember thinking, “I don’t think anyone in this room knows who we are.”
Regarding the rapper’s reaction, she adds: “[50 Cent] was in shock. He didn’t do anything. He didn’t pick up the microphone. He didn’t do anything wrong. He just showed up [sur la scène]. It was like Zoolander when he thought he had won.”
When asked if the rapper said anything to her after the fact, Amy replied: “No, he never said anything to me, but he likes to talk about me and how he got robbed. “I don’t want to start a conflict with him. .. Thank you for saying that I looked listless because I was completely distraught. Everything around me was chaos and I thought, ‘I’ll stay here and see later if it’s true whether I wake up or not.'”
Evanescence won two Grammy Awards at the 2004 ceremony and also took home the Best Rock Performance category.
Lee is currently promoting the 20th anniversary commemorative edition of Evanescence’s debut album Fallen, which has been enhanced.
Evanescence’s latest studio album, The Bitter Truth, was released on March 26, 2021 via BMG.