Joining host Alicia Keys and Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith and Jennifer Lopez, former First Lady Michelle Obama took the stage for an amazing opening address to the crowd. As the crowd roared with approval, Obama talked about the importance music played in her life.

"From the Motown records I wore out on the Southside to the 'Who Run the World' songs that fueled me through this last decade, music has always helped me tell my story," she said. "Music helps us share ourselves, our dignity and sorrows, our hopes, our joys. Music shows us that all of it matters."

The point of the opening was to highlight empowerment of women and greater representation in the music industry.