On February 15th, a very special broadcast will take place that has never been done in its past. For the first time in the ceremony’s history, the 58th annual Grammy Awards will be airing live in both Eastern and Pacific time zones, and as a treat for this inaugural telecast Rolling Stone has reported that this year’s performances include chart topping names such as Adele, Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, and Little Big Town who set of the initial wave of artist announced for the massive event that will take place in the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Everyone is familiar about the Grammy Awards, it is the yearly award ceremony created by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 1959 that celebrates musical creation and recognizes outstanding achievement in the music industry. The Ceremony, which is presented annually, features prominent performing artists and presents them with awards and accolades in specific categories. There are four “General Field” awards that are given which are not genre restricted; Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist, the rest are awards that are categories by specific genre production and performance, as well as awards celebrating longer lasting contributors in the music world.
This year the Grammy Awards will be doing something they have not been able to accomplish, until this year. With evolving broadcasting technology and skillful scheduling the members of the ceremony’s board have been able to arrange that the entire nation will be able to watch the telecast live. Rather than one timezone audience being forced to either stay up late, or hoping that it has been recorded for future viewing while trying to avoid hearing the details from news sources and friends, both Pacific and Eastern zones will be able to simultaneously find out the award winners.
Recording Academy CEO Neil Portnow stated “We’ve discussed this with CBS for years, but a variety of factors came together this year, and we collectively agreed that we had the perfect opportunity to try a new model and see how viewers respond,” Portnow said of the change. “I’m very pleased to share that, for the first time, west coast TV viewers will be able to watch the Grammy Awards live.”
Leading this year’s field with 11 nominations, including Album of the Year the To Pimp a Butterfly rapper Kendrick Lamar will take the stage for a performance that is bound to set off a night with a bang!. Performing on stage as well is fellow Album of the Year nominee, Beauty Behind the Madness, The Weeknd whose music has earned him a spot on the iconic stage, as well several nominations. There is also something for the country music fans in the audience, also expected to take the stage for the ceremony is Little Big Town, the popular country band nominated for two Grammy awards, including Country Album of the Year. Surprising though is the presence of Adele who will grace the stage showcasing her incredible singing talent and rage, however the former Grammy winner has not been nominated for any awards for her record breaking album 25, or for the debut smash single “Hello” since they arrived after nomination eligibility date. That being said, the singer’s performance is going to be received with open hearts, it would be difficult to imagine a celebration of 2015’s music without including her.
To add on to the stellar lineup of the scheduled performers, the night will also feature a tribute to the winner of the MusiCares Person of the Year award, Lionel Richie.
Portnow states “This lineup of talented artists is just the beginning of what will, once again, prove to be music’s biggest night. We look forward to celebrating what’s been a wonderful year in music, honoring the best of the best and featuring never-before-seen performances.”
Update 02/05/2016:
According to Fader, the Grammy’s have added pop sensation Rihanna to the lineup of performances for the ceremony. Tweeting this morning “See ya’ll at the #GRAMMY’s” Rihanna, who recently released a her new album ANTI, is the latest to join a long list of Grammy performers that also includes Adele, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, and Kendrick Lamar. With 10 days left until the ceremony, who knows which other artist will be added to the bill.
Update 02/15/2016:
Just announced on NME, singer Miguel has been added to the already epic lineup of the Grammy’s. Joining Miguel on stage will be keyboardist Greg Phillinganes, the duo will pay tribute to the late Michael Jackson, who passed away on June 25, 2009, by performing his hit song ‘She’s Out Of My Life’, which featured on the legend’s 1979 album ‘Off The Wall’. They join the likes of Adele, Rihanna and Taylor Swift by taking to the stage at the event.
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