THE 66TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS PREMIERE CEREMONY® WILL BE HOSTED BY ACCLAIMED SONGWRITER/PRODUCER, ACTIVIST AND CURRENT GRAMMY® NOMINEE JUSTIN TRANTER ON SUN, FEB. 4 AT PEACOCK THEATER
PATTI AUSTIN, JIMMY JAM, NATALIA LAFOURCADE, CARLY PEARCE, MOLLY TUTTLE, RUFUS WAINWRIGHT TO PRESENT; ADAM BLACKSTONE, BRANDY CLARK, KIRK FRANKLIN, ROBERT GLASPER, BOB JAMES, LAUFEY, TERRACE MARTIN, HARVEY MASON SR., AND GABY MORENO TO PERFORM; OPENING NUMBER BY J. IVY, LARKIN POE, PENTATONIX, SHEILA E., AND JORDIN SPARKS
Acclaimed songwriter/producer, activist and current GRAMMY® nominee, Justin Tranter will host the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony®, live from Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Kicking off the ceremony, the opening number will feature a performance by J. Ivy, Larkin Poe, Pentatonix, Sheila E., and Jordin Sparks. Other artists scheduled to perform include current nominees Adam Blackstone, Brandy Clark, Kirk Franklin, Robert Glasper, Bob James, Laufey, Terrace Martin, and Gaby Moreno, as well as GRAMMY-nominated recording artist/drummer Harvey Mason Sr. Presenters for the first GRAMMY Awards® of the day include Patti Austin, Natalia Lafourcade, Carly Pearce, Molly Tuttle, Rufus Wainwright, and five-time GRAMMY winner and former Recording Academy® Board of Trustees Chair Jimmy Jam. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. and Chair of the Board of Trustees Tammy Hurt will provide opening remarks. The 66th GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony will stream live on Sun, Feb. 4, at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT on the Recording Academy’s YouTube channel and on live.GRAMMY.com. City National Bank, the Official Bank of the GRAMMY Awards, is returning for its second year as the presenting sponsor of the Premiere Ceremony.
“The Premiere Ceremony is the most incredible lead-up to Music’s Biggest Night®.,”“With an amazing line-up of presenters and performers, we’ll reveal and celebrate the winners of more than 80 Categories, spanning the diverse genres and crafts that have contributed to such a spectacular year in music.” – Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy.
Most of the Premiere Ceremony performers, presenters and host are current 66th GRAMMY® nominees. Austin is nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album (For Ella 2 Featuring Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band); Blackstone is nominated for Best Jazz Performance (“Vulnerable (Live)” Featuring The Baylor Project & Russell Ferranté) and Best Jazz Instrumental Album (Legacy: The Instrumental Jawn); Clark is nominated for Best Musical Theater Album (Shucked), Best Country Solo Performance (“Buried”), Best Country Song (“Buried”), Best Americana Performance (“Dear Insecurity” Featuring Brandi Carlile), Best American Roots Song (“Dear Insecurity” Featuring Brandi Carlile), and Best Americana Album (Brandy Clark); Franklin is nominated for Best Gospel Performance/Song (“All Things”); Glasper is nominated for Best R&B Performance (“Back To Love” Featuring SiR & Alex Isley) and Best R&B Song (“Back To Love” Featuring SiR & Alex Isley); James is nominated for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album (Jazz Hands); J. Ivy is nominated for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album (The Light Inside); Lafourcade is nominated for Best Latin Rock Or Alternative Album (De Todas Las Flores); Larkin Poe is nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album (Blood Harmony); Laufey is nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album (Bewitched); Martin is nominated for Best Progressive R&B Album (Nova with James Fauntleroy); Moreno is nominated for Best Latin Pop Album (X Mí (Vol.1)); Pearce is nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“We Don’t Fight Anymore” Featuring Chris Stapleton); Pentatonix is nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album (Holidays Around The World); Sparks is nominated for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song (“Love Me Like I Am” with for KING & COUNTRY); Tranter is nominated for Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical; Tuttle is nominated for Best Bluegrass Album (City Of Gold with Golden Highway); Wainwright is nominated for Best Folk Album (Folkocracy).
The 66th GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony is produced by Branden Chapman, Ruby Marchand, Chantel Sausedo, and Rex Supa on behalf of the Recording Academy. Greg V. Fera is executive producer and Cheche Alara is music producer and music director.
The 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards® will broadcast live following the Premiere Ceremony on CBS Television Network and stream live and on-demand on Paramount+ at 8-11:30 p.m. ET/5-8:30 p.m. PT. See here for the full list of nominees at the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards. Learn more about how to watch the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards.
THE CELEBRATION HONORING THE GROUNDBREAKING PRODUCER WILL KICKOFF GRAMMY® WEEK ON JAN. 22 AT VILLAGE STUDIOS IN LOS ANGELES
Dr. Dre Photo Credit: Garia Skew
Revolutionary producer and recording artist Dr. Dre and the music industry’s most revered producers, engineers, and artistic professionals will gather on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at the iconic Village studios in West Los Angeles for the Recording Academy™’s 13th annual Producers & Engineers Wing GRAMMY® Week celebration. Known as the official kickoff to GRAMMY Week, the signature event will pay tribute to the artistic achievements and innovations of Dre—one of the music industry’s most groundbreaking producers of all time.
“Dr. Dre is an influential force in music,” said Deborah Dugan, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. “Dre breaks boundaries and inspires music creators across every genre. His evolution as a producer solidifies him as a leader of the pack within our industry, and we watch in amazement as he continues to shape the future of music.”
In addition to celebrating Dre’s legacy, the event will also salute the overall industry influence of the Producers & Engineers Wing’s more than 6,400 professional members and their commitment to creativity and technical prowess in the field of recording. Year-round, the Producers & Engineers Wing continues to advocate for excellence and best practices in sound recording, audio technologies, and education in the recording arts, along with proper crediting, recognition, and rights for music creators.
GRAMMY Week culminates with the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards® on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, airing live on the CBS Television Network, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
ABOUT DR. DRE Six-time GRAMMY Award-winning artist and producer Dr. Dre was born in Compton, Calif., as Andre Young and began his music career as a member of the World Class Wreckin’ Cru. Shortly after, Dre co-founded the legendary group N.W.A. with Ice Cube, MC Ren, DJ Yella, and the late Eazy-E. They brought the rage and intensity of life in South Central Los Angeles to a global consciousness with their landmark album, Straight Outta Compton. In 1992, Dre released his solo debut, The Chronic. Dre also co-founded Death Row Records that same year, where he worked with artists like Snoop Dogg and Tupac, establishing West Coast hip-hop.
In 1996, Dre launched Aftermath Entertainment, where over the years he discovered hip-hop superstars such as 50 Cent, The Game, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem, whose 1999 debut, The Slim Shady LP, sold nine million copies, with Anderson .Paak up next. He continues to be one of the most influential and sought after producers and voices of today’s generation. He followed it with a second solo album, the six-time platinum 2001.
In 2008, Dre co-founded Beats Electronics, the audio consumer electronics company, with Jimmy Iovine. In January 2014, they launched Beats Music—a subscription streaming service. Apple acquired both in July 2014. In 2013, Iovine and Dre gave a $70 million endowment to the University of Southern California to create the USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation—a new model for training and inspiring young innovators.
He also produced the Oscar nominated feature Straight Outta Compton (2015), a film that tells the true story of how Dre, along with his N.W.A. counterparts, formed this revolutionary group and spoke the truth that no one had before, pushed back against the authorities and ignited a social revolution that is still reverberating today. In 2016, the group’s immense influence and reach was once again confirmed as they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
In 2017, Dre and Iovine partnered once again to help create the four-part GRAMMY Award-winning and Emmy nominated HBO docuseries The Defiant Ones. The series told the decades long story of Dre and Iovine’s innovative and transformative partnership.
ABOUT THE RECORDING ACADEMY The Recording Academy represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural heritage, the Academy honors music’s history while investing in its future through the GRAMMY Museum®, advocates on behalf of music creators, supports music people in times of need through MusiCares®, and celebrates artistic excellence through the GRAMMY Awards—music’s only peer-recognized accolade and highest achievement. As the world’s leading society of music professionals, we work year-round to foster a more inspiring world for creators.
For more information about the Academy and its Producers & Engineers Wing, please visit www.recordingacademy.com or @ProdEngWing on Instagram. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @RecordingAcad on Twitter, “like” Recording Academy on Facebook, and join the Recording Academy’s social communities on Instagram, Tumblr, and YouTube.
AWARDS SHOW AND TRIBUTE CONCERT CELEBRATES RECORDING ACADEMY™ 2018 SPECIAL MERIT AWARDS RECIPIENTS
The Recording Academy™ has expanded its lineup for the “GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends®,” an awards ceremony and live tribute concert celebrating the 2018 Special Merit Awards honorees on Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Added to the lineup are four-time GRAMMY® winner Yolanda Adams, who will perform and honor Tony Agnello and Richard Factor, GRAMMY winner Gustavo Dudamel who will present to John Williams; violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, who will perform in tribute to Williams; and members of The Meters, including Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste, Cyril Neville, Leo Nocentelli, and George Porter Jr. This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award honorees are Hal Blaine, Neil Diamond, Emmylou Harris, Louis Jordan, The Meters, Queen, and Tina Turner. Additional Special Merit Awards honorees to be celebrated include Bill Graham, Seymour Stein, and Williams, who are this year’s Trustees Award honorees, and Agnello and Factor, who are the Technical GRAMMY® Award recipients. Also being honored is Melissa Salguero, this year’s recipient of the Music Educator Award™. Tickets for the event are on sale now via Ticketmaster.
Led by the GRAMMY-nominated Greg Phillinganes as musical director, the tribute concert will feature rare performances by honorees and never-seen renditions by those they’ve inspired. Previously announced performers scheduled to appear are eight-time GRAMMY winner Herb Alpert, who will honor Blaine; past GRAMMY nominee Micky Dolenz, who will be honoring Diamond; GRAMMY winner Sammy Hagar, who will pay tribute to Graham; 13-time GRAMMY winner and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Harris; past GRAMMY nominee Ledisi, who will salute Jordan; and three-time GRAMMY winner Trisha Yearwood, who will pay tribute to Harris.
The Recording Academy will produce “GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends” in partnership with THIRTEEN Productions as part of the “Great Performances” series on PBS, set to air later this year. Previously held during GRAMMY Week, this is the third year the Recording Academy has celebrated the Special Merit Awards with a stand-alone TV event and musical tribute. In addition to the tribute concert, special celebrity guests will present recipients their award statues and guests will enjoy never-before-seen video packages celebrating each of the honorees’ contributions to the music industry and our cultural heritage.
A production of THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET, “GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends” will be written by David Wild and directed for television by David Horn, with Mitch Owgang as producer, and David Horn and Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow as executive producers.
The Lifetime Achievement Award honors performers who have made contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording, while the Trustees Award recognizes such contributions in areas other than performance. Both awards are determined by a vote of the Recording Academy’s National Board of Trustees. Technical GRAMMY Award recipients are determined by vote of the Academy’s Producers & Engineers Wing® Advisory Council and Chapter Committees. The award is presented to individuals and companies who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.
Official Unveiling At ‘Tune of Time’ Event During GRAMMY Weekend With Special Performance By Nile Rodgers & CHIC
Bulova and the Recording Academy™ celebrate the upcoming 60th Anniversary of the GRAMMY Awards® with the unveiling of a new Limited Edition timepiece. The timepiece will be gifted to each 60th GRAMMY Award winner.
Nile Rodgers (PRNewsfoto/Bulova)
This year, the Recording Academy will host the 60th GRAMMY Awards® in New York City, Bulova’s beloved home, where the duo will hold an exclusive event during GRAMMY weekend. Titled, “Tune of Time,” the intimate afternoon will feature a special performance by music legend and three-time GRAMMY Award winner, Nile Rodgers and his band CHIC. As part of the event, Nile will be interviewed directly by Scott Goldman, Executive Director of the GRAMMY Museum®, about his career, music and his recent partnership with Bulova, including a special project and upcoming spring advertising campaign.
The Limited Edition timepiece, from the brand’s Precisionist collection, features a stainless steel case with a multi-layer gold-tone GRAMMIUM® — a custom alloy developed by John Billings, the craftsman who creates, by hand, the lustrous gold gramophone statue that is presented to GRAMMY recipients — medallion dial showcasing the New York City skyline and 60th anniversary design detail. The commemorative watch is presented with a date window feature and sweeping second hand, that is proprietary to Bulova’s, three-prong quartz crystal, Precisionist movement. The watch is complete with an anti-reflective sapphire glass, screw-back case with GRAMMY logo and a black rubber and croco-embossed grey leather strap.
“This year is incredibly momentous for not only the Recording Academy™ but also Bulova as we celebrate our musical partnership in our hometown,” said Jeffrey Cohen, President of Bulova. “We look forward to a great event where we can highlight the new Limited Edition timepiece, but also commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the GRAMMY Awards® with a special partnership announcement with Nile Rodgers.”
“We’re thrilled to continue this extraordinary partnership with Bulova, and to commemorate our milestone anniversary with a special Limited Edition timepiece that will be presented to all 60th GRAMMY® winners,” said Evan Greene, Chief Marketing Officer at the Recording Academy. “We look forward to kicking-off this year’s efforts with an exclusive performance by iconic, three-time GRAMMY® winner Nile Rodgers during one of our coveted, highly-anticipated GRAMMY Week events.”
The new Limited Edition 60th Anniversary GRAMMY® timepiece will be exclusively available for purchase at Macy’s Herald Square and Macys.com. The watch retails for $1,150.
About Bulova Founded by Joseph Bulova in 1875, Bulova remains an iconic brand at the forefront of today’s timepiece industry – forever pursuing a profound history of firsts.
Headquartered in New York City, with eight international offices and distribution in 65 markets, Bulova’s distinguished portfolio includes Bulova, Caravelle, Wittnauer watches, as well as licensed Harley-Davidson Timepieces by Bulova watches, Frank Lloyd Wright Collection watches and clocks, and Bulova Clocks. Today, Bulova is driven by the same principles of craftsmanship, innovation and technology that inspired their founder more than 140 years ago. Committed to advancing the art of watchmaking with extraordinary design, exclusive high-performance technology and enduring quality that upholds a tradition of excellence and meets the needs of today’s global consumer. For more information, visit www.bulova.com.
About the Recording Academy™ The Recording Academy represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural heritage, the Academy honors music’s history while investing in its future through the GRAMMY Museum®, advocates on behalf of music creators, supports music people in times of need through MusiCares®, and celebrates artistic excellence through the GRAMMY Awards®—music’s only peer-recognized accolade and highest achievement. As the world’s leading society of music professionals, we work year-round to foster a more inspiring world for creators.
About Nile Rodgers Among music legends, Nile Rodgers is truly exceptional. He amplifies his legacy as a multiple GRAMMY-winning composer, producer, arranger and guitarist by constantly traversing new musical terrain and successfully expanding the boundaries of popular music. As the co-founder of CHIC, Rodgers pioneered a musical language that generated chart-topping hits like “Le Freak,” sparked the advent of hip-hop with “Good Times”. Nile Rodgers transcends all styles of music across every generation with a body of work that’s garnered him inductions into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (2017) and the Songwriters Hall of Fame (2016). His work in the CHIC Organization and his productions for artists like David Bowie, Diana Ross and Madonna have sold over 300 million albums and 50 million singles worldwide. Fueling four decades of pop anthems with more than 200 production credits to his name, the scope of Nile Rodgers’ peerless influence is undeniable.
Whenever a GRAMMY® winning artist or member of a group dies, the Recording Academy issues an official statement. On last week, Mr. Howard Carroll, a member of the legendary Dixie Hummingbirds passed away.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDJUxJHxi8Y
The Dixie Hummingbirds’ influence went well beyond traditional gospel. Mr. Carroll’s guitar playing was a huge part of their success and multi-genre influence. As is customary, the Recording Academy and President/CEO Neil Portnoy issued the following statement in memoriam regarding Mr. Carroll.
Howard Carroll was a legendary gospel musician, contributing to the success of the GRAMMY®-winning quartet the Dixie Hummingbirds during their peak period starting after World War II. The group earned four GRAMMY nominations throughout their expansive career, and were awarded the Best Soul Gospel Performance GRAMMY for their rendition of Paul Simon’s “Loves Me Like A Rock” at the 16th Annual GRAMMY Awards®. A revered guitarist, Carroll, and the Hummingbirds, exerted a major influence on gospel music as well as on pop and R&B artists such as Jackie Wilson and the Temptations. He will be dearly missed, and our thoughts go out to his family, friends, and collaborators during this difficult time. -Neil Portnoy, President/CEO of the Recording Academy
