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The 67th Grammy Awards shall be held on Feb. 2 at Crypto.com Area in Los Angeles. The ceremony will rejoice a number of the yr’s greatest artists, together with Beyoncé (the highest nominee, with 11 nods), Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift, and reportedly pay tribute to the firefighters who labored to include the wildfires that ravaged Southern California this month.
Ben Sisario, who stories on the music business for The New York Occasions, shall be within the area on Sunday to cowl the present. In an interview on Thursday, he defined what he’ll be watching, and what could look totally different this yr. This dialog has been edited and condensed.
You reported on the academy’s determination to carry the Grammys regardless of the wildfires. Are you able to stroll me via your reporting, and any predictions on how the present could look this yr?
The fires broke out on Jan. 7. In a short time, there was chatter within the music business about what they had been going to do with the Grammys.
Within the fast disaster, there have been numerous voices, privately, calling on the Grammys to postpone. Individuals had been nervous about security, but additionally if holding the Grammys could be a nasty search for the music enterprise.
The opposite opinion, which was the opinion of the Grammys group, was that they hoped the present was far sufficient out, and that there was potential for the Grammys to be a rallying occasion, an emblem of resilience for Los Angeles.
Lower than every week after the fires broke out, they introduced they had been going ahead as deliberate. However numerous different occasions occur across the Grammys: events, brunches, dinners. Most had been canceled, formally, to preserve sources. The cash that the massive labels and expertise companies would have spent on events, many stated, could be donated to aid efforts. But it surely was additionally a approach for them to quietly ship a message that they weren’t happy about transferring ahead.
I reached out to the individuals who produce the Grammys and requested, can I discuss to you about your determination making? I had interview with Harvey Mason Jr., the pinnacle of the Recording Academy, the group behind the Grammys; and Ben Winston, the primary producer of the published present. They had been fairly candid, saying principally, There are individuals who could disagree with us, however we expect that is the appropriate factor to do.
The Grammys will nonetheless be giving out awards. There’ll nonetheless be performances by huge stars. However they need the present to additionally deal with the aid efforts, on elevating cash and highlighting what’s occurring. Winston was upfront in saying that he needs to discover a stability between a critical present that can elevate cash, and in addition a enjoyable present that shall be entertaining.
The Grammys have been criticized, particularly about its failures to award ladies and Black artists in a number of the greater classes. What adjustments have you ever seen, or not seen, in how the Grammys function?
This has been an enormous strain level for the Grammys within the final decade. Drake, Frank Ocean and Kanye West are a number of the huge stars who’ve been outspoken, declaring that Black artists typically get numerous nominations however then lose within the prime classes. Probably the most nominated artist of all time is Beyoncé, with 99. She’s misplaced album of the yr 4 occasions; she’s up for her fifth nomination within the class with “Cowboy Carter.” She’s perceived as a game-changing artist, so it’s type of stunning that she’s misplaced so many occasions.
The Grammys have additionally come below numerous criticism for the way in which their voting system works. There have been accusations of unfair practices, together with descriptions of nameless committees that will assessment the entire nominations, and make selections about who will get on the poll. They had been generally overruling the membership, which was seen as doctoring the method. They’ve develop into far more aware since these accusations got here out. They removed numerous these committees. They’ve carried out lots to attempt to present, We don’t put a thumb on the dimensions.
There are some high-stakes contests between artists like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Chappell Roan. Any predictions?
I don’t wish to make predictions. However I feel what occurs with Beyoncé is what Grammy watchers are paying essentially the most consideration to.
It was a extremely huge yr for girls in pop. Taylor Swift might be the most important star on the earth, and he or she had an enormous yr. However she set a file final yr by successful album of the yr for the fourth time. Will they offer it to her a fifth time? We’ll see. Billie Eilish just some years in the past was a teenage disrupter who got here out of nowhere, and now she’s an awards present darling. Her dedication to the craft is essential to Grammy voters.
Chappell Roan is a captivating, thrilling artist. She’s a type of in a single day successes that took years to get there. The Grammys wish to certify any person as a breakout success.
How are you protecting the occasion?
For me, Grammy evening may be very unglamorous. I’m in a media room deep within the bowels of Crypto.com Area, elbow to elbow with dozens of different journalists. We’re always writing, watching a reside feed. And so they convey winners in to take questions.
Protecting the Grammys is like protecting the World Collection, or one thing the place there’s one million stats. Is that this the primary individual to win on this class from this nation? Is that this the youngest individual? Did they lose twice, and win as soon as? I often make a reality sheet to maintain on my little nook of a bench within the media room.
Typically there’s moments when, in case you’re watching at residence, you throw the popcorn up within the air. That’s the joy of reside tv, of an awards present the place there may be numerous unpredictability. Often, the story of the evening occurs within the final 5 minutes, as a result of that’s when album of the yr is given out. Its arduous, and it’s type of a rush, however it’s additionally thrilling.
