GRAMMYs

Dirty Projectors

Photo: Neil H Kitson/Redferns via Getty Images

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Dirty Projectors & Deerhunter Announce Co-Headlining North American Tour

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Both bands will also have a string of solo dates
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Apr 30, 2019 - 3:47 pm

Indie bands Dirty Projectors and Deerhunter have announced a co-headlining tour launching in July. 

The tour will kick off at Los Angeles' Palladium on July 17, head to Portland, Ore., Atlanta, Washington and other cities, before hitting its last stop in Boston's Paradise Rock Club on Sept. 13. Both bands will also have a string of solo dates. 

“We’re excited to announce a few new headline shows as well as a co-headline run with our friends @dirtyprojectors !"  Deerhunter tweeted. 

Tickets will be available Friday at 10 a.m. For more information on tickets, visit the Bandsintown website. 

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GRAMMYs

Bad Bunny

Photo: Mindy Small/FilmMagic via Getty Images

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The Latin GRAMMYs Add New Categories, Including Reggaeton, For 2020 Show

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Reggaeton, hip-hop and pop/rock get their big day at The Latin GRAMMYs
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Apr 2, 2020 - 4:35 pm

The Latin Recording Academy has added three new categories, including a reggaeton category, ahead of the 21st Latin GRAMMY Awards in the fall.

The Latin Academy sent a letter to members and record labels last week regarding the online entry process that is to begin in April. Winners of the new categories will be announced during the 2020 show later this year.

Two of the categories, Best Reggaeton Performance and Best Rap/ Hip Hop Song, which will include trap, will be under the Urban field. A third category, Best Pop/Rock Song, will be under the Rock field. Previously there was only a Best Pop/Rock Album category.

J Balvin Latin GRAMMY Speech Honors Reggaeton

Additionally, it was announced that submissions will now be accepted via streaming links. 

The Latin Recording Academy said it decided to not send a press release to media due to the current sensitive atmosphere that has emerged due to the coronavirus pandemic. The new additions were made after receiving feedback from members, the Latin GRAMMYS said in a statement:

“Following our mission to nurture and elevate Latin music and its makers, and after multiple meetings and feedback from our members, we are thrilled our Board of Trustees approved some modifications to our Awards Process, including the creation of new categories. While The Latin Recording Academy’s main concern is everyone's health and safety during these extraordinary times, we are excited to announce these new categories in addition to the launch of our Online Entry Process that reduces physical interaction. These changes follow our ongoing commitment to honor excellence in Latin music and, unless there are new health measures to adopt, we look forward to celebrating our 21st Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards® this year."

The announcement is major news for reggaeton and trap artists, who in past award shows could be honored under three umbrella Urban fields: Best Urban Fusion/Performance, Best Urban Music Album and Best Urban Song. 

Artists like Latin GRAMMY winner and GRAMMY-nominated J Balvin, have paid tribute to reggaeton, a genre that has risen in popularity worldwide the last few years, in past shows. During the 2018 Latin GRAMMY Awards show, Balvin sent a message of the genre's reach and power when he accepted his award for Best Urban Music Album.

"Let's not kill the dreams of the new producers that are coming up, the new songwriters that are coming up. Value the young blood that is coming because we are the future of music," he said.

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GRAMMYs

Ellis Marsalis in 1990

Photo by Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images

News

Pianist And New Orleans Jazz Staple Ellis Marsalis Dies At 85

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The renowned musician and educator reportedly passed away after experiencing complications with the coronavirus
Onaje McDowelle
GRAMMYs
Apr 2, 2020 - 3:22 pm

Legendary New Orleans jazz pianist and music educator Ellis Marsalis has officially passed away at the age of 85, as confirmed by the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music.

The musician who prominently served as the patriarch of a family of internationally successful jazz artists including his sons Branford, Wynton, Delfeayo, Jason Marsalis, was reportedly admitted into the hospital this past weekend after experiencing symptoms of pneumonia. His son Branford confirmed that the cause of death was COVID-19 complications.

In a statement made via Twitter, New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell expressed her condolences, recognizing the lasting impact that Marsalis had on his fans, students and jazz communities around the world. “He was the prototype of what we mean when we talk about New Orleans jazz,” she wrote. “Ellis Marsalis was an icon… and words aren’t sufficient to describe the art, the joy and the wonder he showed the world."

Among his students including Donald Harrison, Terence Blanchard and his four sons, many went on to lead a late 20th-century renaissance movement that committed itself to traditionalist styles in American jazz. As an instructor, he was described as "rigorous but supportive."

Following the news, others including Apple CEO Tim Cook, GRAMMY-winning bandleader and composer Eddie Palmieri, the Miles Davis estate and more galvanized to share their own stories and memories about Marsalis’ profound career and resounding impact.

In his life, Marsalis recorded over 15 studio albums as a bandleader and influenced the musical careers of numerous artists in his teaching stints at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, the University of New Orleans and Xavier University of Louisiana before opening his own center for music, focused on fostering a safe and positive environment for youth and underserved learners in the city’s 9th ward.

In 2011, Marsalis and his four sons were recognized as Jazz Masters by the National Endowment for the Arts, signifying the family of artists as one of the most substantiated in the history of jazz. The title of “Jazz Master” is considered the highest distinction an American Jazz musician can receive.

For those who want to ensure that Ellis’s legacy lives on, please consider making a donation to the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music. \You can find out more about the Center here: https://www.ellismarsaliscenter.org/ The Center provides instruction in music and the arts, academic support, and even basic food security for hundreds of kids from the 9thWard, as well as providing a world-class performance and recording space for local musicians, many of whom live in the adjacent Musician’s Village that Branford, Harry Connick and Ann Marie worked with Habitat for Humanity to build after Katrina.

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GRAMMYs

Joel and Benji Madden

News

With Veeps, Joel & Benji Madden Want To "Give Power Back To The Artists"

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With their direct-to-consumer artist platform, the Madden brothers' digital ticketing service offers V.I.P. experiences with the express intention of "giving power back to the artists, 100% commission-free"
Rachel Brodsky
GRAMMYs
Apr 2, 2020 - 2:13 pm

As the music industry continues to grapple with the fallout around live event cancelations due to COVID-19/coronavirus, musicians have, in large part, turned to live streaming as a potential salve to make up for lost exposure. Leaning on internet-based distribution is nothing new, of course; musicians and creators of all kinds have been leaning into D.I.Y. models of fan engagement and distribution for decades.

Good Charlotte performers and brothers Joel and Benji Madden—and their company MDDN.co—have had their finger on this particular pulse for a couple of years now, with their direct-to-consumer artist platform, Veeps: an event management tool that provides digital ticketing services for V.I.P. experiences with the express intention of "giving power back to the artists, 100% commission-free." With so many artists turning to live streaming, the Madden brothers are confident that Veeps can be a help—especially its "digital touring" platform, where bands are able to provide unique fan experiences that go beyond an Instagram live.

"Veeps is for live experiences, V.I.P.s, meet and greets, anything in the V.I.P. space," Joel tells the Recording Academy over the phone. "Veeps is the platform that allows artists to be able to operate on their own, commission-free. We saw a need for artists that are new, emerging, developing and independently minded artists who really depend on every dollar of their touring income."

With 350 currently artists using the platform—including plenty of big names like Larkin Poe, I Prevail, Cradle of Filth, and, of course, Good Charlotte—Veeps recently launched the ability to ticket live streams, with bands being able to track sales on an interactive dashboard, manage merch orders, utilize document sales and cash out directly to their bank accounts within 24-48 hours upon show completion. Once bands claim an artist page, creators can determine everything from customization is in their hands, with everything from a personalized logo to a fully custom branding that includes background, picture and video, not to mention a unique URL.

Touting Veeps as a "boutique experience," Joel and Benji take a lot of pride in their creation and its artist-friendly mission. "The secret sauce of it is the people behind [the platform] that are working every day," Joel says. "They love what they do. They love artists. They really are in it because they're fans of music and they're fans of experiencing music. So it is a really, truly special little platform that's especially [handy] in this time where we've been just trying to help people figure out their business solutions. W want to make it count for everyone the most we can.

As for what Joel is doing to get through our ongoing COVID-19/coronavirus quarantine, he's hanging at home with his wife, Nicole Richie, and their kids, who are currently being homeschooled. "Everything around the house we've been doing together as a family," he says. "Playing instruments, playing board games and going for a lot of walks together. We dyed our hair the other night. It's like anything goes. If you got an idea, we're doing it.

"It's a team effort, but this has been nice family time," he continues. "As scary as these times are for everyone—from work to life—we always try to look at everything and find the best in it."

If you wish to support our efforts to assist music professionals in need, learn more about the Recording Academy's and MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

If you are a member of the music industry in need of assistance, visit the MusiCares website. 

Grammys Newsletter

GRAMMYs

Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers

Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images

News

CMT Announces Kenny Rogers Tribute Special With Dolly Parton, Jason Isbell & More To Benefit MusiCares

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The April 8 airing will feature at-home performances from Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires, Lady Antebellum, Vince Gill and more to benefit the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund
Nate Hertweck
MusiCares
Apr 2, 2020 - 12:14 pm

CMT has announced plans to pay tribute to the late Kenny Rogers with a star-studded special. “CMT Giants Kenny Rogers: A Benefit for MusiCares” will air April 8 and feature at-home performances by Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires, Lady Antebellum, Vince Gill, Michael McDonald, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles, Randy Houser and more.

The special will also benefit for the MusiCares organization’s COVID-19 relief fund, as viewers can donate throughout the special. Established by the Recording Academy and MusiCares, the fund has seen mounting support from  artists, companies, organization and charities.  

“Kenny Rogers transcended genres and generations with his musical versatility, legendary collaborations and timeless appeal, and we’re honored to pay tribute to his legacy,” Margaret Comeaux, the show’s executive producer and CMT’s VP of production, music & events said in a statement. “Particularly in these turbulent times, we’ll stop and take a moment to allow the memory of our dear friend Kenny to bring us together and inspire us to lend support to those in the music community who are most in need.”

Rogers passed away just last month at age 81. The three-time GRAMMY-winning country music icon scored 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and 12 No. 1 hits on the Top Country Albums chart. He also received the Recording Academy's President's Merit Award in 1986, was inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2013, and earned the Country Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013 and the Artist Of A Lifetime Award at the CMT Artists Of The Year 2015.

"As one of the first artists to successfully master the country/pop crossover, Rogers touched the lives of millions worldwide and led the way for many notable artists who followed," Harvey Mason jr., Chair and Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy said in a statement. "This is a great loss for the music industry, but his influence and legacy will continue. We're thinking of his loved ones during this difficult time."

“CMT Giants Kenny Rogers: A Benefit for MusiCares” will premiere April 8 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CMT, and air again April 11 at noon as well as on MTV Live April 10 at 8.

Learn more about how you can donate to or apply for assistance via the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Learn more about the financial, medical and personal emergencies services and resources offered by the Recording Academy and MusiCares.