On March 2, former Recording Academy CEO and president Deborah Dugan was fired nearly two months after being put on paid leave. The following post has been updated throughout. “Music’s biggest night” carried on mostly business as usual this year, but prior to the Grammys ceremony, was overshadowed by weeks-long behind-the-scenes tension. Just over a […]
“Music’s biggest night” carried on mostly business as usual on Sunday, but prior to the Grammys ceremony, was overshadowed by weeks-long behind-the-scenes tension. Last Thursday, a dramatic news story broke revealing that Recording Academy president Deborah Dugan, newly in the role as of August 2019, was put on administrative leave only ten days ahead of […]
This was always going to be a heavy Grammy ceremony, but there was no way to tell just how heavy it would get. Upheaval at the highest levels of the Recording Academy had muddied the days leading up to the show. On January 16, it was announced that Academy president and CEO Deborah Dugan — […]
Stand-up comedian and Yang Gang member Dave Chappelle took home the Grammy last night for Best Comedy Album, beating fellow nominees Jim Gaffigan (Quality Time), Trevor Noah (Son of Patricia), Ellen DeGeneres (Relatable), and Aziz Ansari (Right Now) for the award with his 2019 Broadway show turned Netflix special Sticks & Stones. Unless you were […]
When Recording Academy president Deborah Dugan was placed on leave ten days prior to the 2020 Grammys, many wondered if the awards would serve as a space for artists to be vocal about inequities within the industry. Dugan’s suspension came amid rumors that she was due to blow the whistle on the Recording Academy, its […]
Spanish singer Rosalía won the Grammy award Sunday night for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album for El Mal Querer, and her performance of “Juro Que” and “Malamente” on the telecast featured the vibrant influence of Flamenco on her music. In the press room after accepting her trophy, Rosalía, who is the first all-Spanish-language […]
Ah, musical tributes: the very lifeblood of any good Grammy Awards broadcast. This year’s ceremony is no exception. On Sunday night, Usher and FKA twigs performed a, erm, well-intentioned tribute to Prince, John Legend and DJ Khaled gave a powerful tribute to the late rapper Nipsey Hussle, and Camila Cabello performed what appeared to be […]
Tyler, the Creator graciously accepted his Best Rap Album statuette, his first ever win, at the 2020 Grammys Sunday night, but as soon as he got to the press room backstage, the IGOR singer had something to get off his chest. Sure, he’s willing to accept his album is great … but does the Recording […]
Billie Eilish ran out of people to thank as she took the stage to accept the Grammy for Record of the Year (for “bad guy”), simply saying “thank you” in unison with her brother and producer, Finneas. That’s because the 18-year-old became only the second artist ever to sweep the four general categories of Record […]
The Grammys are ostensibly music’s biggest night, but once again, Sunday night’s awards felt more like music’s longest night. Looming over the celebration were two unexpected happenings: the sudden death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, and the news of turmoil within the organization, prompted by Recording Academy president Deborah Dugan’s ouster. Could there be a […]
It wouldn’t be the Grammy Awards without a heaping dose of musical nostalgia, and Aerosmith was on hand Sunday night to spoon-feed it directly into your waiting mouth, which is open, since you are, after all, singing along. Not only were Steven Tyler and the gang there to play the hits, but they were also […]
Ariana Grande is one of the most heralded stars at the 2020 Grammys, coming into the night with five nominations, including Album of the Year, and after receiving a very “go best friend!” introduction from Ben Platt, she took the stage to sing a three-song medley. Grande started with “Imagine” before transitioning into “My Favorite […]
For all of the winners tonight, an air of loss has hovered over this year’s Grammy Awards. First, there were dedications and tributes by Lizzo, Boys II Men and Alicia Keys to basketball great Kobe Bryant, who died earlier on Sunday. Then, there is the absence of nominated rapper Nipsey Hussle, who was tragically murdered […]
At an already emotional Grammy Awards where attendees are mourning the death of Los Angeles legends Kobe Bryant and Nipsey Hussle, Demi Lovato did what she promised long ago and returned to music at her industry’s biggest awards show. Lovato has stayed mostly out of the public eye since a near-fatal overdose in the summer […]
Do you see that? Billie Eilish is shining, in more ways than one, on the Grammys stage. The singer-songwriter abandoned her usual dark, electronic backing to perform “when the party’s over” with her producer brother Finneas on piano. The sibling duo are already both Grammy winners tonight, with Eilish taking home Best Pop Vocal Album […]
The sky was thick with fog Sunday morning as media outlets began to take their place on the Grammys red carpet for music’s biggest night. There was already a significant heaviness preceding this year’s ceremony given the ongoing controversy surrounding the Academy and its decision to put its president, Deborah Dugan, on leave ten days […]
If you aren’t up on Grammys drama, you might have missed the subtle dig Alicia Keys made at the Recording Academy during her opening monologue at tonight’s Grammy Awards, following her Kobe Bryant tribute with Boys II Men. “I’m proud to be here as an artist, for the artists, with the people, and I feel […]
Given his own unbridled sensuality, unbuttoned blouses and love of guitar riffs, hopefully Prince would have approved of Usher, Sheila E. and FKA Twigs paying tribute to his oeuvre at Sunday night’s Grammy Awards, complete with intricate pole dancing and lingerie as outerwear. Of course, if Prince had been alive, it feels like he would […]
This morning in Calabasas, California, a helicopter with Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven other people crashed, killing everyone aboard. At the start of this year’s Grammy telecast, Alicia Keys led a tribute to the basketball legend with the help of Boyz II Men. Together, they sang a somber rendition of “It’s So Hard […]
Lizzo can’t cure broken hearts, but she opened the 2020 Grammys with a little music for thought. “This is for Kobe,” she declared, before ripping into her song “Cuz I Love You.” The singer dedicated her first ever Grammys performance to the late basketball legend, Kobe Bryant, who died Sunday morning. The award show takes […]
Billy Porter didn’t attend last year’s MET Gala as a literal golden god to let you down on the Grammys 2020 red carpet now. On Sunday evening, the Pose actor swept into the awards show with what at first appeared to be just your regular ol’ glimmering turquoise cowboy hat with a curtain of metallic […]
While the world is reeling from the tragic death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, the Grammys must go on. It’s music’s self-proclaimed biggest night of the year. This year’s nominees were announced back in November by Alicia Keys, who hosted the awards show for the second time. Turns out when Beyoncé sang “Who run the […]
The 62nd annual Grammy Awards have arrived at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, and many, many more Grammy Awards have arrived at the Microsoft Theater directly across the street. Before the performances begin, and following the victories Beyoncé and Lady Gaga have already netted, we’re gathering the best looks turned by the best stars […]
In the wake of the shocking death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant today, the Grammys will honor the player with a tribute during tonight’s ceremony, Billboard reports. The ceremony takes place at Staples Center, the home of the L.A. Lakers, where fans have been gathering outside this afternoon to remember Bryant. He played on the […]
With chaos and disarray oozing from every pore of Grammys HQ this year, it’s easy to lose sight of what the Grammys are really all about: blockbuster musical performances, high-wattage celebrity moments, and giving out, like, maybe four awards during the actual telecast. The Grammys have televised awards shows down to a science: fewer acceptance […]
Following an early morning raid at his home, the rapper YG has been arrested by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Law enforcement sources told TMZ that they arrived at YG’s home in the San Fernando Valley armed with a search warrant and an arrest warrant related to a robbery case. TMZ reports that YG […]
A few years ago, Yola caught fire. That’s not a metaphor for the multidimensional British singer-songwriter’s speedy rise to the top of a heap of her own creation. 2019 saw her cut a jaw-dropping debut solo full-length record with the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, collaborate with some of country music’s fiercest voices on the Highwomen […]
When the lights dim and someone tall and famous and glamorous opens the envelope for Best New Artist at the Grammys on Sunday night, they will probably twist their lips to say the name we all expect: the teenage sensation Billie Eilish, whose horny-emo thumping pop music has earned her many a trophy and the […]
“Music’s biggest night” is this Sunday, but it’s already been overshadowed by behind-the-scenes tension. Last Thursday, a dramatic news story broke revealing that Recording Academy president Deborah Dugan, newly in the role as of August 2019, was put on administrative leave only ten days ahead of this year’s Grammys ceremony. Dugan, the former CEO of […]
Joey Kramer, the drummer and longtime member of Aerosmith, is currently suing the band for excluding him in the lead-up to several high-profile events. Per court documents obtained by Rolling Stone, Kramer is alleging that the band forced him to re-audition months after sustaining a few minor injuries last spring, when they were preparing to […]