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By winning the best pop duo/group performance for Unholy at the 2023 Grammys, Kim Petras has now become the first transgender woman to win a Grammy award.
While accepting the award, Petras thanked LGBTQIA+ rights activist Madonna and all the "transgender legends" who came before her:
"Sam graciously wanted me to accept this award because I'm the first transgender woman to win this award. I just want to thank all the incredible transgender legends before me who kicked these doors open for me so I could be here tonight."
Kim Petras had Gender Reassignment Surgery when she was 16, making her one of the youngest people in the world to undergo the process. In one of her previous interviews, she stated how the cost of her procedure was entirely covered by health insurance as her condition was officially diagnosed as an illness.
All of this happened as two psychiatrists at the Frankfurt Hospital confirmed that she was transgender, clearing her for the surgery at 16.
In many of her interviews, Petras has also said that she started hormone replacement therapy at 12.
“My mother believed me that I was a girl”: What did Kim Petras say during her acceptance speech at the Grammys?
While accepting the award for her Grammy win, Petras thanked her mother for always believing in her. She said:
“I grew up next to a highway in nowhere, Germany. And my mother believed me that I was a girl, and I wouldn’t be here without her and her support.”
In the speech, she thanked Sam Smith, deeming him her "hero":
“The recording academy, thank you. This is a huge moment for me. Sam, thank you, you’re a true angel and hero in my life. And I love you. And everyone who made the song, I love you guys so much.”
Kim Petras also took a moment to thank her friend Sophie, who passed away two years ago in 2021:
"Thank you so much for your inspiration Sophie, I adore you, and your inspiration will forever be in my music."
Petras and Sam Smith made queer history after the two collaborated on their song, Unholy, becoming the first queer collaborators to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The 65th annual Grammy Awards are being hosted in Los Angeles. Apart from Kim Petras and Sam Smith, other artists like Lizzo, Bonnie Raitt, Adele, and Beyoncé also took home big wins tonight.
