Endnote
That’s a wrap for another very long Grammys. There were notable highs and lows in what was a relatively subdued ceremony. Highs were Kesha’s moving performance of Praying with a stellar supporting cast and some deserved early wins for Kendrick Lamar. Lows were, well, the safe palatable pop of Bruno Mars winning out over some of his more daring competitors.
Hip-hop might have seemed like it would rule the night but ultimately, yet again, pop won out. Until next year ...
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And you can take a look back at the night here:
Also a reminder not to feel too sorry for Jay Z and Beyonce:
Hov and bey outchere collecting Grammys the way I save duck sauce packets smh https://t.co/vtWhcEnRRm
— Desus Nice (@desusnice) January 29, 2018
Nikki Haley wasn’t the only person to tweet about how much anger the Clinton cameo caused ...
Getting to read a #fakenews book excerpt at the Grammys seems like a great consolation prize for losing the presidency. #GrammyAwards
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 29, 2018
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As well as Logic using his airtime to criticize Trump, U2 also did the same during their performance earlier. There’s footage here, including Bono using a megaphone to say “Blessed are the shithole countries”
Jay Z not winning any of his eight awards is officially one of the biggest shutouts in Grammys history
JAY-Z’s 0 for 8 at the #Grammys ties for the second biggest shutout in Grammy history, according to GoldDerby. Kanye and Rihanna also 0/8 in 2017 and Paul McCartney went 0/9 in 1966.
— Trevor Anderson (@tanderson5569) January 29, 2018
Courtesy of the Guardian’s very own Bryan Armen Graham, here’s footage of a 4-year-old Bruno Mars with Pauly Shore:
Pauly Shore and 4-year-old Bruno Mars in 1989. https://t.co/QnBLxaqrM9
— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) January 29, 2018
You can also now read all about that Hillary Clinton cameo right here, along with video footage. Expect fire and fury on Fox News tomorrow as the right responds:
Also there was a hidden treat in Childish Gambino’s performance tonight: he was joined on stage by his co-star in Jon Favreau’s upcoming take on The Lion King:
Double Simba! #grammys #lionking pic.twitter.com/3fQCsOaTIa
— Jon Favreau (@Jon_Favreau) January 29, 2018
One of the most charged moments of the night saw Logic talk about the importance of supporting those being victimized by society as well as reminding many immigrants that their countries are not shitoles. Video is now up here:
Logic's powerful speech tonight at the end of his performance! #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/PTrhzMqCh6
— Lines of Logic™ (@LinesofLogic) January 29, 2018
While everyone on Twitter is still deservedly praising Kesha for her powerful performance, Sony is being criticized for joining in, given the role they played in the Dr Luke story:
You were complicit in her abuse so you’re not allowed to tweet about this. Next https://t.co/09iI9S2VYc
— Carly (@ylrac) January 29, 2018
If you’re sore about Bruno beating out Kendrick then here’s Jerry Seinfeld being handed a consolation puppy earlier in the evening:
While it’s unclear whether fans are going to end up being quite as angry as they were last year when Beyonce was snubbed, there’s already some anger over Bruno Mars beating Kendrick Lamar for album of the year.
Love Bruno but Kendrick should've won that! #DAMN #GRAMMYs
— Larry Wilmore (@larrywilmore) January 29, 2018
I love Bruno. He’s a genius. But Kendrick deserved that AOY.
— Vic Lombardi (@VicLombardi) January 29, 2018
I can’t. Bruno winning over Kendrick, Jigga + Childish Gambino?! So mirrored black culture is better than ACTUAL black culture in music?! #GRAMMYs
— Shelby Ivey Christie (@bronze_bombSHEL) January 29, 2018
WINNER: Album of the year - Bruno Mars: 24k Magic
HUH? In a year that saw both Kendrick Lamar and Jay Z dominate with nominations for their acclaimed and important albums, the Grammys decided to reward Bruno Mars? It’s a bizarre and disappointing way to end the night.
It’s also not that surprising given that Adele beat out Beyonce for album of the year last time. The poppier and more palatable album has won again. It’s a long speech at the end of a long night and Mars is being played off which is a relief.
It’s time for another performance. This time it’s Logic, Alessia Cara and Khalid singing suicide awareness track 1-800-273-8255 which they also performed at last year’s VMAs.
Logic has decided to talk about the importance of fighting for minorities and those who are underappreciated by others at the end. He made an impassioned plea for women to be safe from sexual predators and also that there are people from beautiful countries around the world that need to remember they are not shitholes. His words received a standing ovation and helped politicize what’s been a relatively quiet night on that front.
There’s now a tribute to Tom Petty with Chris Stapleton and Emmylou Harris singing Wildflowers. Remember this was the performance that Lorde was also asked to join rather than be allowed to sing by herself. She would have made an odd choice given the pairing they ended up with.
The song was also accompanied by a montage of those we have lost this year, including Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Don Williams, Hugh Masekala, Jerry Lewis, Prodigy, Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington.
FACT: Bruno Mars has been nominated for record of the year more than any artist this decade. FACT: the Grammys need some new voters.
Lorde decided to chose a more extensive statement about MeToo, pinning a statement to her dress:
Kesha has followed up her performance with a tweet tribute:
“after everything you've done I can thank you for how strong I have become”
— kesha (@KeshaRose) January 29, 2018
thank you to the @RecordingAcad, the women on stage with me tonight, and everyone who has supported me through this whole journey. pic.twitter.com/43gOsofL0S
WINNER: Record of the year - Bruno Mars: 24k Magic
Huh? Beating out Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino and Kendrick Lamar is ermmm Bruno Mars again. It’s a strangely dull choice for a category filled with exciting nominees (*googles average age of Grammys voter*).
Although Mars does get points for complaining about there being too many ballads during the ceremony. Kinda worried now that he might win the big award of the night now though...
Oh but speaking of SZA! The R&B breakout has sadly not won any of the five awards she was nominated for tonight but she’s on stage now to perform Broken Clocks and she sounds fantastic enough to make voters feel guilty. The stage design is a bit of a mess but her voice cuts through the background noise. One of the night’s best performers.
If you need a refresher on who has won what so far tonight then there’s a list of winners here. Bad news: SZA has won nothing.
What’s that? You want to know all about the origins of Don’t Cry for Me Argentina you said? Okay then!
Here’s that snippet of Hillary Clinton reading out an excerpt from Fire & Fury in case you want to see:
James Corden has a surprise guest audition to read "Fire and Fury" during the Grammys: Hillary Clinton pic.twitter.com/AZSkJpMGhw
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) January 29, 2018
More Broadway! This time it’s a tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber, who is not dead, don’t worry. But hey here’s Patti LuPone singing Don’t Cry for Me Argentina from Evita. Patti LuPone and Cardi B on the same lineup for the first and maybe last time. Nice one Grammys!
There’s a tribute now to Leonard Bernstein, who won 16 Grammys in his time. Dear Evan Hansen star Ben Platt, who won a Grammy in the pre-ceremony, is singing Somewhere from West Side Story and again, while it’s felt like a subdued evening, the night’s eclecticism has to be rewarded. Also Platt has one hell of a voice and he received a much-deserved standing ovation.
One person who most definitely did not enjoy the Fire & Fury sketch not one bit:
I have always loved the Grammys but to have artists read the Fire and Fury book killed it. Don’t ruin great music with trash. Some of us love music without the politics thrown in it.
— Nikki Haley (@nikkihaley) January 29, 2018
You can take a look at part of the performance everyone is talking about right here:
Here’s part of Kesha’s performance with Cyndi Lauper, Camila Cabello, Julia Michaels, Andre Day, Bebe Rexha and more singing Praying 🕊 #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/cEzfD908eC
— Daily Kesha Dose (@KeshaDose) January 29, 2018
Elton John has arrived on stage to remind everyone why they should book tickets to his upcoming final tour. He’s joined by Miley Cyrus, who’s swapped the controversy of awards performances of yesteryear for a more traditional, if slightly overacted, turn.
But the pair sound alright together, singing Tiny Dancer across a piano with a white rose resting on top. No fireworks though.
A slightly more successful skit now with James Corden getting celebrities to read out paragraphs from Trump expose Fire & Fury. John Legend, Cher and Snoop Dogg are included and there’s Cardi B shocked at Trump’s alleged cheeseburger addiction.
And it ends with Hillary Clinton arriving to join them. Viral moment made.
WINNER: Song of the year - Bruno Mars:That's What I Like
One of the big awards of the evening now and Bruno Mars has beat out Despacito and Logic’s suicide awareness anthem 1-800-273-8255.
He arrived on stage with his entire entourage which is a nice touch. Best song of the year though? Of the entire year?
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In unrelated news, Blue Ivy has had just about enough of her parents:
“Stop embarrassing me” pic.twitter.com/Vm7FMatzHP
— agerenesh ashagre (@agerenesh) January 29, 2018
Unsurprisingly, Kesha’s performance has gone down incredibly well on Twitter:
That @KeshaRose performance. 😭😭😭😭😭So good.
— Jesse Tyler Ferguson (@jessetyler) January 29, 2018
so powerful & beautiful @KeshaRose 💪🏽💕✨
— dev (@devishot) January 29, 2018
POWERFUL @KeshaRose and all you mega talented bad ass babes ❤️ #Grammys2018
— Tove Lo (@ToveLo) January 29, 2018
Camilla Cabello has remained on stage to talk about the importance of Dreamers and how, given the current government, we need to remember the heritage of many Americans.
She’s introducing a performance from U2 who are singing in front of the Statue of Liberty as a symbol of acceptance of others. They are performing Get Out of Your Own Way, the video of which was released just last week and was aimed directly at Trump.
It’s an aesthetically impressive setup and following on from Kesha’s show-stopping performance, it’s nice to finally see the Grammys making some form of statement this year.
Kesha is on stage joined by Andra Day, Camilla Cabello, Cyndi Lauper, Bebe Rexha, Julia Michaels and the Resistance Revival Chorus for a performance of Praying.
They are all dressed in white, mirroring the white roses worn by those supporting the Time’s Up movement. It’s an emotional highlight of the evening, given that it’s a song aimed at her alleged abuser Dr Luke, and one can feel the anger and sadness from all performers.
Given how a lot of the night has felt stuck on a flatline and how the speeches have all felt a bit safe, it certainly packed quite a punch.
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Janelle Monae has come on stage to talk about the Time’s Up movement. “We come in peace but we mean business,” she says after talking about the importance of recognizing abuse against women.
“Just as we have the power to shape culture, we also have the power to undo the culture that does not serve us well,” she says while reminding the audience that the same problems that have plagued Hollywood and Washington have also plagued the music industry.
She’s here to introduce a special performance by Kesha. More on that in a bit.
I’m not sure if this is true but it sure as hell sounds like it is:
Fun fact: DJ Khaled wanted to do a stunt with Asahd in the performance and show producers said absolutely not. #GRAMMYs
— Gerrick D. Kennedy (@GerrickKennedy) January 29, 2018
Right after Stapleton’s win there was some unfortunate technical issues as Maren Morris introduced a special performance by herself, Eric Church and Brothers Osborne. The sound was cutting in and out which brought back memories of last year’s problematic ceremony.
It’s an emotional take on Tears from Heaven dedicated to those affected by the Las Vegas shooting last year and by the time they start singing, tech issues have been fixed. Some had wondered whether they would make a more political statement about gun control but they chose to keep it restrained and devoid of any call to action. It was moving nonetheless.
WINNER: Best country album - Chris Stapleton: From a Room: Volume One
Points to whoever decided to pair Hailee Steinfeld and Donnie Wahlberg to present this award just because it doesn’t make a lick of sense. Talk of the town Chris Stapleton makes a lot of sense here, beating out the more established likes of Kenny Chesney.
The night after he performed on SNL and the week after his single with Justin Timberlake was released, he’s having quite the time of it.
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More music! One of last summer’s biggest tracks Wild Thoughts is being brought to life by DJ Khaled shouting from the side and Rihanna performing quite perfectly as usual. Bryson Tiller is there too.
It’s the most extravagant set of the night so far, a recreation of some debauched Miami party with a variety of dancers circling the stars. Rihanna went through a phase of being mostly stationary on stage and it’s great to see her on the move again. Definitely one of the night’s highpoints.
And because you probably wanted to know: Beyonce is in the building.
And here’s a quick look at the fun that Bruno Mars and Cardi B brought to the stage:
Bruno Mars & Cardi B perform 'Finesse' at the #GRAMMYs https://t.co/uA29ceagat pic.twitter.com/4SNDFKGojn
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 29, 2018
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The next performer is Sting, who in case you didn’t know is releasing a new album with Shaggy (!!), but he’s performing by himself tonight and is treating the audience to one of his classics. Given that he’s literally performing in New York and remains an English man, it’s fitting that he’s singing An Englishman in New York.
Oh wait, Shaggy just arrived. Scratch what I said before. This has now turned into a teaser for their new album and it’s a hard pass from me! Another reminder that Lorde was told there wasn’t space for her to perform tonight.
WINNER: Best comedy album - Dave Chappelle: The Age of Spin & Deep in the Heart of Texas
This award isn’t usually televised but given the star wattage this year, it got a special moment. Chappelle beat out Jerry Seinfeld and Kevin Hart to win and we also got to see Trevor Noah present the award which led to the first Trump joke of the night!
Oh and those who didn’t win were given consolation puppies in case anyone wants to gif Jerry Seinfeld looking ecstatic with a small dog.
Katie Holmes has come on stage to introduce Bruno Mars and Cardi B because I have literally no idea why. The duo are here to perform their recent hit Finesse which is a great way of injecting some energy into the ceremony which has been a bit ballad-heavy so far.
There’s 90s outfits and dancing and flashing lights and everyone is awake once more. Cardi B has remarkable confidence on stage for someone so new to the industry performing at the Grammys for the first time. She might not win anything tonight but she’ll be here again for sure.
Oh Corden is back and he’s doing a skit. Joy. He’s having a go at subway car karaoke with Sting and Shaggy. They found time to do this but they couldn’t find time to give Lorde a solo performance? Okay sure.
Pink’s on stage next and has decided against singing her more upbeat hit of the year What About Us. Instead it’s a ballad called Wild Hearts and it’s strange to see her not arriving via some sort of flying contraption:
If Pink is performing at your awards show and she isn’t flying from some contraption, she’s phoning it in.
— Kazeem Famuyide (@RealLifeKaz) January 29, 2018
It’s also symbolic of a night that’s seen singers picking their slower songs but with Rihanna and Bruno Mars coming up in a bit (with various guests), that’s likely to change. Only over two hours left.
WINNER: Best rap album - Kendrick Lamar: Damn
In a year that the Grammys has chosen to highlight hip-hop more than ever, this was a highly contested category. But Kendrick Lamar deservedly won out over Jay Z for an album that’s dominated the past year.
That’s his fifth award now of the night and signals that he might win the biggest trophies later on as well. He’s highlighting the rappers that have gone before him while ending on a pretty incredible suggestion: “Jay for president”.
Quite a nice aside there from Corden who called out the winner of the year’s music educator award given to the most inspirational music teacher in America. All awards shows should start doing this. Just an idea.
Bit of controversy brewing over Lorde and the Grammys. Despite the fact that she’s up for album of the year, a Variety report claims that the singer wasn’t allowed a solo performance spot during the ceremony and was told she had to be part of a Tom Petty tribute.
Her mother also tweeted this:
this says it all -@nytimes January 26, 2018 pic.twitter.com/R3YdHwieXf
— Sonja Yelich (@sonjayelich1) January 26, 2018
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Yet more singing! Straight after Despacito, the Grammys switched it up and brought on Childish Gambino, aka Donald Glover, to sing Terrified. The mood changed quickly from club to lounge and it’s refreshing to see him not sing Redbone, the most radio-played song from his hit album Awaken My Love.
Given his career trajectory, I’m predicting EGOT territory. He’s already got the E and the G!
Another performance! It’s Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s evil earworm of a track, Despacito, which was everywhere this past year, breaking records all over the place.
It’s a high energy performance although it feels a tad dated. But hey, given how the Oscars has got in trouble lately for constantly excluding Hispanic artists, it’s nice to see the Grammys embrace more inclusivity. Will it win some Grammys later? I’m thinking probably.
In case you want to see a whole heckload of pictures from tonight’s ceremony, including Ne-Yo in a mustard velvet suit (!), then no need to keep scrolling down because the best ones are all here.
WINNER: Best solo pop performance - Ed Sheeran: Shape of You
A tough category here but Sheeran picked it up for his song which broke numerous records in 2017 (it was the most played song on Spotify ever).
Sheeran wasn’t there to collect his award but given that he was snubbed in many of the main categories, it’s perhaps easy to see why ...
Gary Clark Jr and Jon Batiste are here to perform a tribute to Chuck Berry and Fats Domino. Batiste has been most recently associated with The Late Show with Stephen Colbert where he plays piano.
One has to compliment the Grammys for the eclectic nature of the performances given that we’ve already spanned a number of genres within the first 45 minutes. It’s also always a great pleasure to see Clark Jr perform.
In case you missed it, Lamar’s full performance is up here to watch now:
Kendrick Lamar's full performance at the 2018 #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/VG5K88hPQ0
— DUCKWORTH TDE (@DuckworthTDE) January 29, 2018
Little Big Town are on stage now to sing their Taylor Swift-penned hit Better Man. The foursome has already won the Grammy tonight for best country duo/group performance for the song and they were told on the red carpet earlier.
“It means everything. I don’t want to put too much on awards, but it really means a lot when your peers and the community recognizes your music,” band-member Phillip Sweet said. “We’re so happy and thankful for Taylor Swift for sending us the song Better Man. It’s amazing.”
As mentioned before, the big country music moment of the night is set to be a performance aimed at raising awareness of gun violence. Keep your eyes peeled for that later.
WINNER: Best new artist - Alessia Cara
A tough category here (she beat out SZA and Khalid) but Cara, who has dominated the radio this past year is on stage and delivering an earnest speech about doing this in the shower as a kid.
“I just want to encourage real music and real artists” she says while talking about the importance of rewarding lesser known musicians.
Sam Smith is performing next (this ceremony seems to be prioritizing music over award-giving more than ever). He’s wisely ditched the green suit he was wearing on the red carpet and is in some lab coat instead.
He’s singing Pray from his last album with a gospel choir backing him. Technically it’s hard to fault him but it’s even harder to get excited about this. His voice works but there’s not a massive amount of stage presence.
Full video of Kendrick’s politically charged opener will be up here soon but here’s a quick clip of Dave Chappelle’s part:
Watch @KendrickLamar open the #GRAMMYs with @U2 & Dave Chapelle https://t.co/HZyYEpfKFC pic.twitter.com/eUDP4OBFiE
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 29, 2018
WINNER: Best rap/sung performance - Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna: Loyalty
John Legend and Tony Bennett presenting the first award of the night and they did a brief duet which was rather nice. The Grammy has gone to Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna for Loyalty, which isn’t a great surprise as he’s the second most-nominated star of the night.
Both were charming and effusive about the other on stage although, awkwardly, Tony Bennett didn’t quite know where to stand while they spoke. Rihanna will be performing Wild Thoughts later, which after Gaga’s demure turn, should provide some excitement.
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Almost immediately after Lamar, Lady Gaga is up on stage with a piano topped with wings because of course. She’s here to perform a stripped down version of Joanne followed by A Million Reasons while Mark Ronson awkwardly plays guitar next to her.
The performance is dedicated to her father’s late sister and it’s a sign of the newer, quieter Gaga that she’s picked two ballads to perform. There’s no great fireworks here, just a chance to show off her impressive vocal talents.
Corden is bragging about the most diverse set of nominees ever in history tonight. Well yeah, it’s about time.
IT BEGINS
The show is kicking off with a performance from Kendrick Lamar with help from U2 and Dave Chappelle. It’s an evocative image with the American flag on a screen behind a group of dancers dressed as soldiers in combat gear as Lamar arrives on stage with his ever-impressive confidence and faultless flow.
“This is a satire by Kendrick Lamar’ is then shown with the arrival of Bono matched with massive applause. The aggression level kicks up a notch with the soldiers performing around Lamar and there remains something fascinating about this kicking off the Grammys on CBS of all channels, given its popularity in middle America.
“Hi, I’m Dave Chappelle and I just want to remind the audience that the only thing more frightening than watching an honest black man in America is being a black man in America,” says, you guessed it, Dave Chappelle.
After Lamar returns, Chappelle then remarks: “Is this on cable? Wait, CBS?”
A field of dancers dressed in red hoodies is then shot down one by one as Lamar raps. It’s a barnstorming performance that will most likely confuse and possibly enrage many of the easy to offend Republican viewers.
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In case you want to impress your friends or maybe just your Amazon Echo with your smug predictive skills, we’ve got a guide here from music editor Ben Beaumont-Thomas on who he thinks will win and also who he thinks should win. Warning: he’s a Despacito fan.
Lana Del Rey is wearing a star-studded outfit that’s “Custom Gucci” according to a tweet from earlier today. She’s been asked about the Time’s Up movement on the red carpet: “It’s not a passing phase. The ball’s going to keep rolling”
One of the most anticipated, and necessary, moments tonight will be the starry tribute to victims of the Las Vegas shooting and other instances of gun violence and terrorism at music events over the past 12 months.
What’s interesting is that it will be led by country music stars Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne and Eric Church, all of whom appeared at the Vegas festival where the shooting took place. The country music community has slowly entered the conversation about gun control recently and tonight could be a major turning point. You can read more about it here:
As said before, the white rose is being used a symbol of support for the Time’s Up movement on the red carpet. Most stars have chosen to wear them subtly as part of their outfit and yeah then there’s Miley Cyrus:
Well this is pretty staggering. The LA Times reported on a study showing that between 2013 and 2018, 90.7% of nominees were male.
“At the top of your mind, you can name prominent female solo artists and think things are good,” Stacy L. Smith, of the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative said. “This data challenges that, especially with how few women are songwriters and producers.”
Here’s Sam Smith in a green suit:
As would be expected, if anyone’s ever read her Twitter feed, Cardi B was completely unflitered on the red carpet. Giuliana Rancic didn’t know what the hell to say after:
Cardi B excited for the #Grammys is me pic.twitter.com/RLWGFXYtLz
— BuzzFeed (@BuzzFeed) January 29, 2018
Janelle Monae has arrived and is wearing an illustrated suit as well as a Time’s Up badge. She’s been vocal about the lack of equality within music, tweeting this weekend about the problem. There’s a rumor that she’ll be giving a speech later tonight before Kesha performs so stay tuned.
“The most unique opening to a Grammys that you’ve ever seen” is how host James Corden has just described the night’s opening performance from Kendrick Lamar, U2 and Dave Chappelle. He also said the show “doesn’t really need a host” because of all of the performers. Ah man, if only.
So last year singer Joy Villa arrived in a pro-Trump dress and trying again this year to make herself the event’s biggest pariah she’s turned up in an anti-abortion dress!
“I’m a pro-life woman,” she said earlier. “This year I chose to make a statement on the red carpet like I always do. I’m all about life.”
There are SO many performers tonight that CBS assembled a trailer letting you know if your faves are gonna be there. Spoiler: Beyonce won’t be:
Donald Glover often ends up being the best-dressed fella on the red carpet with purple and brown suits offering a refreshing change from the norm. This year he’s gone all-white and while he’s wearing it well, one has to worry about spillages. Updates on white suit stains will be with you throughout the night.
Jay Z might have the most nominations tonight but he won’t be one of the night’s many performers. Here’s why, and we don’t blame him:
“We’ve been kind of quiet about that,” said the show’s producer Ken Ehrlich. “We had a conversation that we thought was going to lead to a performance and really only two weeks ago he basically said he’d rather not. He wanted to come and enjoy the show. And I understand. This is not a man who has been under-tributed. His life has been full of these moments; he’s given us a couple great ones too. But still, there was that conversation of, ‘Are you sure?’”
Weirdest hair award of the night goes to Tyler, the Creator, who is looking a bit like a henchman in a Disney movie.
One of tonight’s pre-show winners was Carrie Fisher, who picked up an award for best spoken word album for her memoir The Princess Diarist. Another posthumous winner was Leonard Cohen who won best rock performance for You Want It Darker.
Elton John is here after quite the week (you can read all about it here). He’s rocking a characteristically wild jacket and will be performing with Miley Cyrus later. He’s just told Ryan Seacrest that he’s pumped as she’s the kind of “feisty” woman he’s drawn to and it’ll be interesting to see what the pair sing later. Her history of controversial awards show appearances suggests it could be one of the night’s biggest talking points.
After the SAGs, which boasted an all-female line-up of presenters, and the Globes, which were dominated by the Time’s Up initiative, all eyes are now on the Grammys to see how the ceremony will involve #MeToo.
Host James Corden has already said that the show will feature an emotional performance related to the movement but wouldn’t share any details. The New York Times has reported that Kesha, who alleges that producer Dr Luke sexually assaulted her, will be involved along with Cyndi Lauper and Camila Cabello.
Because there are so many awards, a lot of them have already been announced. Here are some of the major ones:
Best pop vocal album: Ed Sheeran - ÷ (Divide)
Best dance/electronic album: Kraftwerk - 3-D The Catalogue
Best urban contemporary album: The Weeknd - Starboy
Best alternative music album: The National - Sleep Well Beast
Best rock song: Foo Fighters - Run
Best R&B song: Bruno Mars - That’s What I Like
Best R&B album: Bruno Mars - 24k Magic
Best rap performance: Kendrick Lamar - Humble
Best rap song: Kendrick Lamar - Humble
Best traditional R&B performance: Childish Gambino - Redbone
Best folk album: Aimee Mann - Mental Illness
Best compilation soundtrack for visual media: La La Land
Best music video: Kendrick Lamar - Humble
Lady Gaga was an early arrival on the red carpet and while her previous awards outfits have been eccentric to put it mildly (from the meat dress to arriving in a big old egg), this year she’s pretty restrained, if still rather unique. She’ll be performing later as well. Gaga has been the target of some rather obscene street ads this weekend in LA from a conservative provocateur targeting her and Miley Cyrus with the tagline #WeAllKnew, similar to those that targeted Meryl Streep recently.
Earlier this month, the Golden Globes saw many attendees wear Time’s Up badges to show their support for the star-led initiative against sexual harassment and the Grammys equivalent is set to be a white rose. It’s been picked because it’s seen as a symbol of “hope, peace, sympathy and resistance”.
Celebrities planning to take part include Kelly Clarkson, Halsey, Dua Lipa, Cyndi Lauper and Rita Ora.
Welcome to the Grammys!
The industry’s biggest annual musical event is about to kick off with a stadium full of big names, eager nominees and, well, James Corden.
The late-night host is playing emcee yet again and will preside over a night that promises to be big for hip-hop and R&B, with the genres dominating the main categories. It’s something that’s been replicated in record sales in the US with the two becoming more successful than rock for the first time.
Jay Z is out in the lead with eight nominations, followed by Kendrick Lamar with Bruno Mars, SZA, Childish Gambino and Coldplay all up for multiple awards. There are a staggering 83 Grammys to be given out which means that, fear not, many are handed out before the televised ceremony.
We’ll be here all night with news on the winners, losers, performers and speeches. Will Jay Z get snubbed like Beyonce did last year? How will Elton John and Miley Cyrus sound together? Will it ever end? Stay here to find out.
