Doechii Wows Grammys With Show-Stopping ‘Catfish’ and ‘Denial Is a River’ Performance After Best Rap Album Win

Doechii stole the show at the Grammy Awards on Sunday evening with a dual performance of “Catfish” and “Denial is a River,” capping off an evening that already saw the rapper win the award for best rap album of the year for “Alligator Bites Never Heal.”

The performance began with an industrial-themed rendition of “Catfish,” with Doechii rapping against a massive backlit fan as a group of gray-clad dancers bounced along below. After that, Doechii went ground-level, stripped down and moved into a treadmill-set performance of “Denial is a River.”

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Doechii took the stage second amid a medley of performances by other best new artist nominees, including Benson Boone, Teddy Swims, Shaboozey and Raye.

A cut to the audience saw a stunned Billie Eilish exclaiming, “Oh my God!”

Doechii is only the third woman to win in the history of the nearly 30-year-old category behind only Lauryn Hill and Cardi B, who awarded Doechii with her first-ever Grammy.

This is the first year as a nominated artist for Doechii, with additional nods in the best rap performance (“Nissan Altima”) and best new artist categories.

The Tampa-based rapper first broke through in late 2021 with the viral hit “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” before becoming the first female rapper signed to Top Dawg Entertainment in a joint partnership with Capitol Records. Doechii nabbed her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 with 2023’s “What It Is (Block Boy)” featuring Kodak Black, a track that was also certified platinum.

In 2023, Doechii toured with Doja Cat, opening for the “Scarlet” tour, before releasing her first full-length project, the mixtape “Alligator Bites Never Heal,” in 2024 to critical acclaim. Doechii’s meteoric rise following the release of “Alligator Bites” included a breakout Tiny Desk Concert and a memorable collaboration with Issa Rae as the voice of her inner dialogue on “Denial Is a River.” In December 2024, Doechii was named Variety’s Hitmakers hip-hop disruptor of the year.

See the full list of this year’s Grammy winners here.

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