Ken Ehrlich

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Ken Ehrlich Announced As Executive Producer For 62nd GRAMMYs, Ben Winston Named New Executive Producer For 63rd GRAMMYs

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Ehrlich to celebrate his milestone 40th GRAMMY Telecast On Music's Biggest Night, Jan. 26, 2020
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jul 17, 2019 - 6:30 am

The Recording Academy announced Ken Ehrlich, longtime producer/executive producer of the GRAMMY Awards, will be the executive producer of the upcoming 62nd GRAMMY Awards, to be held on Jan. 26, 2020 in Los Angeles. The telecast will mark Ehrlich's milestone 40th anniversary of making Music's Biggest Night the must-see music awards show year after year. 

In his four decades as executive producer, Ehrlich has organized some of music's most iconic and memorable TV moments and, as the Los Angeles Times put it,  "redefined the way we experience live music on television." Since producing his first GRAMMY Awards show in 1980, he has become known for his signature touch: incredible and unexpected pairings such as Eminem and Elton John, Prince and Beyoncé, and Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, and Joe Walsh.

"To have been a part of the growth of the GRAMMY Awards into the preeminent music awards show of our time has been one of the highlights of my professional life, and I'm grateful to the Recording Academy and to our partners at CBS for their support and for trusting my vision over the past four decades," said Ehrlich. "I have also been the happy recipient of having an incredible group of people who have worked on the show over the years, and of course the most amazing cadre of musical artists who bring their own creativity and brilliance to the GRAMMY stage year after year. I want to wish my successor Ben the best as he assumes the executive producer role. I am confident that his abilities in all aspects of production will both ensure the legacy of the GRAMMY Awards and also instill a new creative direction for the show."

"Ken's imprint on the GRAMMY Awards and the music industry are well-known and represent the kind of work and vision that legends are made of," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. "Having worked closely with Ken for almost half of his tenure with the show, I have seen first-hand the vision, extraordinary musical knowledge, and passion he brings to every minute of the process, and the spectacular results and memorable GRAMMY Moments that have been delivered. It's an honor to celebrate his 40th anniversary with the GRAMMYs. I also recognize the wonderful opportunity ahead by bringing the immensely talented, innovative, and well-respected Ben Winston into the family, and we look forward to his enthusiastic and forward-thinking approach to presenting music on television."

The Academy also announced Emmy Award winner Ben Winston will become the sole executive producer for the 63rd GRAMMY Awards telecast in 2021. 

Ben Winston

"It's an absolute honor to be executive producer of the GRAMMYs for 2021," said Winston. "I feel excitement and nerves in equal measure on taking on this role, but mostly I feel immense gratitude to the Recording Academy for this wonderful opportunity. I also want to salute Ken, who has done an absolutely remarkable job over the last 40 years."

Winston is a multifaceted and award-winning producer, director, and writer with credits in television, movies, music videos, and commercials. A six-time Emmy Award winner and a 22-time nominee, he has produced a multitude of shows including "The Late Late Show with James Corden," co-created "Carpool Karaoke," and "Drop The Mic" and has produced many music specials for artists such as Bruno Mars, Sam Smith, Harry Styles, Justin Bieber to name a few. Winston has also made his mark in the live envents space, as a producer of the Brits awards and Tony awards, in the documentary film world and as a music video director.

The 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, and will be broadcast live on the CBS.

Dates Announced For 62nd GRAMMY Awards Process & GRAMMY Week 2020 Events

 

Dan + Shay listen to a GRAMMY

Dan + Shay

Photo: Jerod Harris/Getty Images

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Who Had The Most-Shazamed Performance Of The 2019 GRAMMYs?

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Find out which 2019 GRAMMY artist's performance prompted the most people to discover a new favorite on the media-identifying app
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Feb 12, 2019 - 5:56 pm

The GRAMMY Awards have become known for today's biggest artists delivering electrifying performances. But what do you do if you're not familiar with the song being played or the artist performing? Insert Shazam, an app that (for those of you not yet in the know) analyzes music and tells users what song and artist they're hearing. On Music's Biggest Night, fans from all over reached for their phones to identify the show's performers, and now the results are in on which artists prompted the most Shazams.

Country breakout duo Dan + Shay not only took home the GRAMMY for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for "Tequila," they also conquered the top spot on the list with the most Shazams of the night, according to a statement from Shazam. Their performance of "Tequila" no doubt led to a fair few new fans who needed to know more about who these GRAMMY newcomers.

The silver medal went to host Alicia Keys, whose journey through songs she wish she wrote strolled through hits by everyone from Roberta Flack and Nat King Cole to Kings Of Leon and Drake, before finishing with her hit Jay-Z collab "Empire State Of Mind." The dual piano live playlist garnered the second most Shazams of the night as fans tried to keep up with her magical medley.

R&B darling H.E.R. took the bronze on Shazam's list with her captivating performance of "Hard Place." St. Vincent & Dua Lipa's intimate duet of "One Kiss" and Brandi Carlile's soaring performance of "The Joke" rounded out the top five Shazamed moments on the show.

Janelle Monáe's "Make Me Feel" and Kacey Musgraves' "Rainbow" took the sixth and seventh spots on the list, while eight and nine belonged to Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Dark Necessities" and Travis Scott's "NO BYSTANDARDS." This swath of styles shows that fans of all genres use Shazam.

At No. 10 on the list was Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus and Maren Morris' rendition of Neil Young's After The Gold Rush," a revamp of the song Parton previously tackled with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris on their collaborative album Trio II. When you consider how much music history—and future—are rolled into a performance like that, it's no wonder viewer's wanted to know more.

With so many ways of measure an artists' success, from the streaming charts to ticket sales, Shazam data provides a unique look at music discovery, which for many fans is the most fun part.

2019 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Nominees And Winners List

Cardi B

Cardi B

Photo: Dan MacMedan/WireImage

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Cardi B, Camila Cabello, Post Malone, Janelle Monáe & More To Perform At The 2019 GRAMMYs

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Kacey Musgraves, Dan + Shay and Shawn Mendes also set to take the GRAMMY stage on Feb. 10 for Music's Biggest Night
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jan 17, 2019 - 6:32 am

The 61st GRAMMY Awards are beginning to come to life as the Recording Academy has announced the first group of artists to perform at this year's show. Current nominees Camila Cabello, Cardi B, Dan + Shay, Post Malone, Shawn Mendes, Janelle Monáe, and Kacey Musgraves will take the GRAMMY stage on Feb. 10. 

Making her GRAMMY performance debut, Cabello received two nominations for Best Pop Solo Performance for "Havana [Live]" and Best Pop Vocal Album for her debut full-lenght, Camila.

Cardi B has five nominations this year, including Record Of The Year for "I Like It", Album Of The Year and Best Rap Album for her debut full-lenght, Invasion Of Privacy, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with Maroon 5 for "Girls Like You" and Best Rap Performance for "Be Careful."

First-time GRAMMY nominees Dan + Shay are up for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for "Tequila," while fellow first-time nominee Post Malone received four nominations: Record Of The Year and Best Rap/Sung Performance for "Rockstar" with 21 Savage, Album Of The Year for Beerbongs & Bentleys and Best Pop Solo Performance for "Better Now." 

Taking the GRAMMY stage for the first time, Mendes is nominated for Song Of The Year for "In My Blood" and Best Pop Vocal Album for Shawn Mendes.

Current two-time GRAMMY nominee Monáe is up for Album Of The Year for Dirty Computer and Best Music Video for "PYNK."

Two-time GRAMMY winner and current nominee Musgraves is up for four GRAMMY Awards, Album Of The Year and Best Country Album for Golden Hour, Best Country Solo Performance for "Butterflies" and Best Country Song for "Space Cowboy."

Hosted by Alicia Keys, the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast live from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles in HDTV and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network, Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019, at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT.

Alicia Keys To Host the 2019 GRAMMY Awards

Alicia Keys GRAMMYs

Alicia Keys

PHOTO: JACLYN MARTINEZ/COURTESY OF AK WORLDWIDE, INC ©2019 AK WORLDWIDE, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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Alicia Keys GRAMMY Rewind: Relive The 2019 Host's History On Music's Biggest Night

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Look back at the 15-time GRAMMY winner's most memorable moments on stage at the GRAMMY Awards
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jan 15, 2019 - 4:30 pm

Big news brightened this the music world morning, as pop/R&B superstar Alicia Keys was announced as the host of the 61st GRAMMY Awards, set to air Sunday, Feb. 10 on CBS. While this marks the first time Keys will take on host duties for Music's Biggest Night, it's far from the first time she's taken on the GRAMMY stage. In honor of the occasion, let's take a look back at some of Keys' most memorable moments at the GRAMMY Awards.

GRAMMY Rewind: Alicia Keys

An inspirational artist from the very beginning, Keys burst onto the airwaves in 2001 with her smash hit "Fallin'" from her debut studio album, Songs In A Minor, which topped the Billboard 200. Her first evening on the GRAMMY stage was a huge one, when she took home her first five career awards at the 44th GRAMMY Awards in 2002, Keys, including Best New Artist and Song Of The Year for "Fallin'." That year, she made her GRAMMY performance debut with a medley performance of "Fallin'" and "A Woman's Worth" alongside flamenco dancer Joaquin Cortes.

Keys has returned to the GRAMMY stage as a performer, presenter and winner many times since, including memorable performances such as her on-stage collaboration with Jamie Foxx and Quincy Jones at the 47th GRAMMY Awards in 2005 or her touching tribute to the victims of Katrina alongside Stevie Wonder the following year, where the duo performed Wonder's classic "Higher Ground."

Two years later she returned to perform her multiple GRAMMY-winning hit "No One" with John Mayer in 2008. In 2013, Keys delivered a rendition of "Girl On Fire," the title track from another GRAMMY-winning album. Just last year, she returned as presenter, serving as a fitting warm-up for her hosting outing in 2019.

Check out the full list of 2019 GRAMMY nominees, and watch the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, Feb. 10 at 8 p.m.ET / 5 p.m. PT. on CBS.

Alicia Keys To Host the 2019 GRAMMY Awards

Turntable playing a vinyl record
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What's The Difference? GRAMMY For Album vs. Record Of The Year Explained

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If you don't know, now you know—here's the lowdown on two of music's most well-known yet often-confused terms, especially as they pertain to the GRAMMY Awards
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Dec 9, 2018 - 9:01 am

How many albums are in your record collection? You see, confusion between the terms "album" and "record" are nothing new, as vinyl albums and vinyl records are often called “records”—but this terminology has roots in the history of both.

In the early days of vinyl, a 45-rpm (meaning "revolutions per minute") disc would hold one recording on each side, with an "A-side” —usually the hit single—and a "B-side," meaning a second single, outtake or sleeper hit.

Later, when long-playing records came around at 33 1/3-rpm, more music could be stored on each side because the rotation speed was slower, and "tracks" were born. A series of recorded songs, or tracks, could now fit on a single vinyl and make it an album.

Makes sense? Good! Now let's see how this applies to two GRAMMY Award categories in the General Field: Album Of The Year and Record Of The Year…

Album Of The Year, Explained

Fast-forward to today, when music is enjoyed in a multitude of formats: So, what makes an album eligible for the Album Of The Year category of the GRAMMY Awards? According the Recording Academy official Awards Department guidelines, recordings must contain at least five different tracks and a total playing time of 15 minutes or a total playing time of at least 30 minutes with no minimum track requirement.

Watch: Bruno Mars Wins Album Of The Year

Voters in this category are expected to consider the quality and artistry of the collection of tracks as a whole, and this GRAMMY is awarded to any artist, featured artist, songwriter of new material, producer, recording engineer, mixer, and mastering engineer with at least 33 percent playing time of the album. For example, last year at the 60th GRAMMY Awards, Bruno Mars' 24K Magic won Album Of The Year.

Record Of The Year, Explained

On the other hand, the Record Of The Year category awards a single track and recognizes the artist’s performance as well as the overall contributions of the producer(s), recording engineer(s), and/or mixer(s), and mastering engineer(s). Bonus points if you read up on how this category is distinguished from Song Of The Year (hint: Song Of The Year is a Songwriter(s) Award…).

Whitney Houston Wins Record Of The Year

For example, at the 59th GRAMMY Awards, Adele's mega-hit "Hello" won Record Of The Year. Her album 25 also won Album Of The Year, but "Hello," being an individual track on that album, was eligible and victorious for Record Of The Year.

In both cases, with Album Of The Year and Record Of The Year, recordings must be released in the proper eligibility period and available to the public as stand-alone purchases or audio-only streams, although exceptions are made for opera and music video/film.

For further information on the contrast between these formats, the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame is filled with both, clearly labeled. For more helpful information on the GRAMMY Awards process, including key dates, a process overview and FAQs, head over to GRAMMY101.com.

See The Full List Of Nominees For The 61st GRAMMY Awards