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Harry Connick Jr. and friends in Jackson Square, New Orleans

Harry Connick Jr. and friends in NOLA

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United We Sing: Celebs Honor Essential Workers united-we-sing-cyndi-lauper-jamie-foxx-more-help-harry-connick-jr-bring-smiles

United We Sing: Cyndi Lauper, Jamie Foxx & More Help Harry Connick Jr. Bring Smiles To Essential Workers

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Brad Pitt, Oprah Winfrey, Herbie Hancock, Andra Day, Cyndi Lauper, Little Big Town, Dave Matthews, Tim McGraw, John Fogerty and others also brought gratitude from New York to New Orleans
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jun 21, 2020 - 7:02 pm

On Sunday, June 21, CBS aired the two-hour "United We Sing: A GRAMMY Salute To The Unsung Heroes" special featuring host Harry Connick Jr., who, along with his filmmaker daughter, Georgia Connick, journeyed via RV from New York to New Orleans to personally thank the essential workers risking their lives to keep us all safe and healthy during the COVID-19 crisis.

The inspiring road trip, which was shot several weeks ago and with a limited crew and social distancing precautions, saw the Connicks visiting truck drivers, teachers, grocery store workers, hospital cleaning staff, firefighters, a trash route worker and other unsung heroes of the coronavirus pandemic.

At each stop, a very special guest, via Zoom, helped Harry offer messages of gratitude to the local heroes, while Georgia filmed the moving interactions. These included Brad Pitt, Oprah Winfrey and Queen Latifah, along with GRAMMY winners Irma Thomas, Jamie Foxx, Herbie Hancock, Andra Day, Cyndi Lauper, Little Big Town, Dave Matthews, Tim McGraw, John Fogerty and others.

Watch Tim McGraw Perform "Something Like That"

The first stop was to visit Harry's sister Suzanna Jamison, a military doctor currently stationed at Queens Hospital Center in Queens, N.Y. "It's really hard for all the people involved," she said. It was also, understandably so, hard for the siblings to not be able to hug each other. He later visited their father in New Orleans, where they grew up, for another heartwarming family visit.

After narrowly escaping N.Y.C. while driving their massive RV through the narrow streets of Chinatown, Harry navigated them to Chattanooga, Tenn. to thank an adorable trucker couple. McGraw, the first celeb guest of the jaunt, said hi via Zoom. The country icon shared that his dad was a trucker, and he got his country music education at a young age, riding alongside his father with the tape deck going. He then sang an acoustic rendition of his 1999 song "Something Like That" (watch the performance above).

The next stop was to visit teachers at Irvington High School in Newark, N.J. One of the young teachers, Aaysha Notice, shared her passion for showing up for her students, even when they're apart, with innovative ideas like a car parade to celebrate the kids' test scores, driving outside their houses, shouting praises from a safe distance. Their special caller was Queen Latifah—she attended Irvington at the same time her mom taught there. Notice and the other teachers where thrilled to hear support from Latifah, who reminded them: "You are the superstars!"

Explore: 'Black Gold' At 50: How Nina Simone Refracted The Black Experience Through Reinterpreted Songs

The show was interspersed with a stellar selection of musical guests and virtual collabs, the second of which was Trombone Shorty and Little Big Town, with the New Orleans jazz artist playing from his hometown and the country act singing in from Florida and Nashville. They performed a rousing cover of Hank Williams' "Jambalaya (On The Bayou)."

Irma Thomas

Irma Thomas sings in front of the Mississippi River

Other performances included Thomas singing her GRAMMY-winning 1962 classic "It's Raining" in front of a grey-skied Mississippi river, with Lauper supporting virtually from Los Angeles and Foxx singing a moving rendition of Bill Withers' "Grandma's Hands," dedicated to his beloved grandmother and Withers. Foxx helped thank the cleaning staff at UAB Hospital in Birmingham, Ala.

Hancock and Day, who is playing Billie Holiday in an upcoming biopic, performed Holiday's "God Bless The Child," along with an upright bassist and drummer, each playing from their respective set-ups. Later, Jon Batiste and the Gospel Soul Children served up a beautiful performance of "Amazing Grace."

Fogerty and his family, calling in from Los Angeles, performed an electric rendition of his "Proud Mary," with help from Rockin' Dopsie Jr. playing the zydeco in front of the river that inspired the Creedance Clearwater Revival hit. Also while in NOLA, Connick joined an amazing, socially distanced second line, featuring the Bourbon Street Brass Band, the Lady Buckjumpers and the Wild Magnolias, who delivered a brass rendition of "America The Beautiful."

Read: Marching Six Feet Apart: How High School Marching Bands Are Coping With The Pandemic

One of the most moving musical moments came from the tribute to the late jazz pianist Ellis Marsalis, who died from COVID-19. Three of his sons honored the NOLA legend with the hymn "How Great Thou Art," along with Connick singing on a piano. They performed outside of the city's Ellis Marsalis Center For Music, built after hurricane Katrina to serves as a music education and enrichment space for kids, a recording studio, performance hall and more. One of the eldest sons, Branford Marsalis, returned to the show later to perform Dave Matthews Band's "Mercy" with Dave himself.

R.I.P.: Pianist And New Orleans Jazz Staple Ellis Marsalis Dies At 85

While visiting New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell at City Hall, Lou Hill of the Recording Academy stopped by to share the Academy would be joining Connick in making donations to the Marsalis Center and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, another important local music org highlighted during the special. During the show, viewers where encouraged to learn more and donate what they could to the non-profits, as well as MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund and two food-focused charities, No Kid Hungry and the Conscious Alliance, a coalition of artists dedicated keeping their communities fed.

Read: My Mind: The 'Panther' Theme Song Turns 25

Other stops and celebrity Zoom cameos included a visit to Oprah's Boys and Girls Club in Kosciusko, Miss., where the employees are feeding kids who would otherwise not eat with school out, with around 2000 meals a day! Winfrey called in to thank them personally; she helped open in that Boys and Girls Club in her hometown back in 2006. At a Kroger's grocery store in Knoxville, Tenn., Connick called on Renée Zellweger to praise two lovely employees there. Sandra Bullock zoomed with transit supervisor Joy Palmer, who recently lost her husband to COVID-19.

GRAMMYs

A gospel choir sings with Connick in Jefferson Square, New Orleans

Brad Pitt made two cameos, first offering playful jokes and heartfelt thanks to the lovely Darnell, the supervisor of trash pickup route, and later to help Connick close the show. The final number saw Connick singing "Stars Still Shine" on a piano in NOLA's Jackson Square, with the support of a gospel choir and orchestra. The new song, dedicated to all their new friends on the front lines, and the many more they didn't have time to meet, is available to download now with all proceeds going to the Marsalis Center.

"Nothing Like This Has Ever Happened": How Orchestra Musicians Are Faring In The Pandemic

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Harry Connick, Jr. (R) and Georgia Connick (L) filming "UNITED WE SING" on location for CBS

Harry Connick, Jr. (R) and Georgia Connick (L) filming "UNITED WE SING" on location for CBS

Courtesy Photo: CBS

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"United We Sing" Special To Air June 21 On CBS united-we-sing-grammy-salute-unsung-heroes-special-air-june-21-cbs-hosted-harry

"United We Sing: A GRAMMY Salute To The Unsung Heroes" Special To Air June 21 On CBS: Hosted By Harry Connick, Jr. And Featuring Dave Matthews, Tim McGraw, Herbie Hancock, Cyndi Lauper, Queen Latifah And More

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The two-hour star-studded event celebrating the essential workers across America will benefit MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund as well as No Kid Hungry and the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music in New Orleans
MusiCares
May 28, 2020 - 6:30 am

Next month, the Recording Academy and CBS are celebrating the essential workers across America with the "United We Sing: A GRAMMY Salute To The Unsung Heroes" special, a brand-new two-hour event hosted by GRAMMY- and Emmy Award-winning singer and actor Harry Connick, Jr. Airing Sunday, June 21, from 8-10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS, the star-studded show features Harry Connick, Jr. and his filmmaker daughter, Georgia Connick, as they take a road trip across the nation in an RV to thank and celebrate essential workers who risk their own lives on a daily basis to keep the country safe. 

Connick highlights the contributions of these everyday heroes with the help of his celebrity friends, including Sandra Bullock, Drew Brees, Queen Latifah, Brad Pitt, Oprah Winfrey and Renée Zellweger, who will deliver surprise messages to America's unsung heroes. The special will also feature performances by GRAMMY winners Harry Connick, Jr., John Fogerty, Jamie Foxx, Herbie Hancock, Cyndi Lauper, Little Big Town, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Dave Matthews, Tim McGraw and Irma Thomas as well as GRAMMY nominees Jon Batiste, Andra Day, Rockin Dopsie and Trombone Shorty.

https://twitter.com/CBS/status/1266000647419121664

.@HarryConnickJR hosts UNITED WE SING: A GRAMMY® SALUTE TO THE UNSUNG HEROES with performances & appearances by @Oprah @iamjamiefoxx @TheTimMcGraw @JonBatiste @IAMQUEENLATIFAH #BradPitt #SandraBullock & more Sunday, 6/21 at 8pm/7c on CBS & @CBSAllAccess: https://t.co/uuTKmoxlcq pic.twitter.com/mbprif3et4

— CBS (@CBS) May 28, 2020

The Connicks' journey begins at their home in Connecticut, and after stopping in various cities along the way, they reach their final destination of New Orleans, La. At each stop, the father-daughter duo listens to the stories of essential workers in healthcare, food preparation, sanitation, law enforcement, trucking and more to honor their dedication and public service during this unique moment in history.

The show culminates in Connick's hometown of New Orleans, with moving musical performances by Connick, Trombone Shorty and Irma Thomas at iconic locations throughout the city.

The special will invite donors to contribute to charities that support underserved children, such as No Kid Hungry and the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music in New Orleans, as well as to the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, a charitable organization of the Recording Academy.

"United We Sing: A GRAMMY Salute To The Unsung Heroes" was filmed with a minimal crew practicing social distancing and with extensive safety precautions in place. 

Harry Connick, Jr.'s career has exemplified excellence across multiple platforms in the entertainment world. He has received GRAMMY and Emmy Awards, as well as Tony nominations for his live and recorded musical performances, his achievements in film and television and his appearances on Broadway as both an actor and a composer. Over the past three decades, Connick has established himself as a musician, singer and composer, a legendary live performer and a best-selling artist with millions of recordings sold around the world. The foundation of Connick's art is the music of his native New Orleans, where he began performing as a pianist and vocalist at the age of 5. Connick has appeared in 19 feature films with actors such as Sandra Bullock, Hilary Swank, Renée Zellweger, Sigourney Weaver and Morgan Freeman. On television, he appeared on "Will & Grace," "South Pacific" and "American Idol." In 2016, he launched "Harry," a national daytime television show, which earned 11 Daytime Emmy nominations, including nominations for best host, and a Critics' Choice nomination for Best Talk Show. On Broadway, Connick received Tony nominations as both a lead actor in "The Pajama Game" and as a composer/lyricist for "Thou Shalt Not." In December 2019, he performed on Broadway in a show he wrote and directed, "Harry Connick, Jr.- A Celebration of Cole Porter."

From Foo Fighters To H.E.R., Chris Martin To Mavis Staples, Here's Who Rocked The GRAMMY Prince Tribute

Rio Cinema in London

Rio Cinema in London

Photo: Barry Lewis/InPictures/Getty Images

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UK Commits £1.57B Relief Package For The Arts uk-government-pledges-arts-relief-package-biggest-ever-one-investment-uk-culture

UK Government Pledges Arts Relief Package: "Biggest Ever One-Off Investment In UK Culture"

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Cultural institutions, including music venues, will be sharing funds from the "£1.15 billion support pot for cultural organizations in England," as the announcement states. £880 million of that money will be offered as grants and the rest as loans
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jul 7, 2020 - 1:17 pm

On July 5, the British government announced a £1.57 billion ($1.96 billion USD) coronavirus relief package for the gravely affected arts and culture sector of the country, including music venues, theaters, museums, galleries, independent cinemas, cultural institutions and freelance workers in the arts. No information on how to apply for funds—which will be distributed as loans and grants—has been given yet.

The news comes days after a coalition of over 1,500 British musicians, including Dua Lipa, the Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran and Rita Ora, urged the government to assist the £4.5 billion ($5.6 billion) live music sector with the #LetTheMusicPlay campaign.

Read: Congress Works To Improve COVID-19 Relief For Creators

"Our world-renowned galleries, museums, heritage sites, music venues and independent cinemas are not only critical to keeping our economy thriving, employing more than 700,000 people, they're the lifeblood of British culture," wrote Rishi Sunak, U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the announcement. "That's why we're giving them the vital cash they need to safeguard their survival, helping to protect jobs and ensuring that they can."

"I understand the grave challenges the arts face and we must protect and preserve all we can for future generations. Today we are announcing a huge support package of immediate funding to tackle the funding crisis they face. I said we would not let the arts down, and this massive investment shows our level of commitment," U.K. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden added.

The immediacy of the "immediate funding" is unclear, as applications and guidelines are not yet available. As Billboard reports, "Exactly how much funding will benefit the music sector, and what the process will be for allocating the funds, has not yet been fully fleshed out."

"We don't know the breakdown of how much will go to live music venues versus other sectors as applications are not open yet," the spokesperson says. "They will be soon."

Explore: Resources for Music Creators & Professionals Affected By COVID-19: Asia, Europe & The U.K.

All applicable cultural institutions, including music venues, will be sharing funds from the "£1.15 billion support pot for cultural organizations in England," as the announcement states. £880 million of that money will be offered as grants, while the remaining £270 million will be repayable loans. An additional £188 million will be allocated to Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The government will determine who the grants are allocated to in partnership with "expert independent figures from the sector including the Arts Council England and other specialist bodies such as Historic England, National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute. [Additionally,] repayable finance will be issued on generous terms tailored for cultural institutions to ensure they are affordable."

Read: #TheShowMustBePaused Creators Brianna Agyemang & Jamila Thomas Talk Vision, Next Steps

As Billboard highlights, "The funding will also target employment, including freelancers in the music industry. More than 350,000 people in the recreation and leisure sector have been furloughed since the pandemic began. (The U.K. live music sector supports 210,000 jobs)."

"Eligibility for grants and loans must be as broad as possible to ensure maximum take up from across the industry from those in desperate need of help," Tom Kiehl, acting CEO at U.K. Music, told the outlet.

More Support: The Best Apps & Tools For Recording And Monetizing Music In The COVID-19 Era

For more information on COVID-19 relief for those in the music industry, please visit MusiCares useful resource page. You can also find more info on applying for a one-time grant from the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, or donating to the Fund, if you are able.

From Aretha Franklin To Public Enemy, Here's How Artists Have Amplified Social Justice Movements Through Music

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Photo: Soundtrap/Unsplash

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Good Splits Debuts Free Music Royalty Calculator good-splits-debuts-free-music-royalty-calculator

Good Splits Debuts Free Music Royalty Calculator

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The free artist-centric tool was launched in beta in 2019 and is now available accepting sign ups for new users on a rolling basis
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Aug 25, 2020 - 1:15 pm

Last week, on Aug. 19, Good Splits officially launched their free music royalty calculator for artists, after a 2019 beta round. The new tool was created by Nashville-based music manager Jordan Mattison, who founded Good Folk Management, and New York-based digital agency Coalesce.

"The music industry has a terrible history of serving the artist last. Good Splits was built to help artists do their royalty accounting in a super accessible way—and I hope it's one step toward a more equitable music business," Mattison recently told Billboard. "Not only does it save time, it actually helps more artists get paid what they're owed, which in turn actually lets them plan for the future—something musicians feel is often out of their reach."

https://twitter.com/goodsplits/status/1296174400337858561

What's with the banana? Well, we help calculate splits. And bananas are pretty famous for splits. Plus, frankly, music royalty accounting is downright bananas. More about us: https://t.co/T03SXVENwg pic.twitter.com/FlpEB8vroN

— goodsplits (@goodsplits) August 19, 2020

Watch: How The Watts Summer Festival Created Community And Offered Healing | History Of

Good Splits' target users are independent artists or, as their website states, "working musicians who don't have access to fancy accounting teams." With the artist in mind, the team created "a new, simple tool that would allow musicians to bid farewell to their unwieldy spreadsheets, calculate payments faster, and provide more reliability and transparency to their collaborators."

"We saw a problem in the music business and knew that some smart strategy, simple tech and savvy design could help fill the gap in a real, tangible way," Tucker Margulies of Coalesce said to Billboard. "It shouldn't take crazy technology to be able to know how much a song has made or how much you owe a collaborator."

Good Splits was designed to work with all major aggregators and distributors, including self-distributor models like Tunecore or serviced-distributors like AWAL. The only data the user needs to provide is a CSV file from whichever music service they use, along with the splits. The tool will offer "a clean, easy-to-understand earnings breakdown by song, album and collaborator" to help users make payouts simpler and more transparent.

Good Splits is accepting new users for the free service on a rolling basis—visit their website for more info and to sign up.

Engineer Evan LaRay Brunson Goes Inside Cardi B’s Pandemic Recording Routine, The "WAP" Backstory & More

GRAMMYs

Kristolyn Lloyd at 2018 GRAMMYs

 

Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images

 
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Looking Ahead To The 2021 GRAMMYs 63rd-grammys-looking-ahead-2021-grammy-awards

The 63rd GRAMMY Awards: Looking Ahead To The 2021 GRAMMY Awards Show

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Need something to look forward to? Here's what you'll want to know about the 2021 GRAMMYs, including nominations, timelines, rule changes, possible formats, voting and more...
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Aug 19, 2020 - 9:37 am

Updated March 7, 2021.

Given how this year has gone, perhaps you're ready to fast-forward to 2021 (we're almost there!). Beyond it no longer being 2020, next year has some other big things going for it, including Music's Biggest Night, a.k.a. the 2021 GRAMMYs. Airing Sunday, March 14, 2021, on CBS, the 63rd GRAMMY Awards recognize excellence in music released in late 2019 and 2020. Hopefully, you're as excited about the show as we are! 

To help make sure you stay in the loop, read on to learn more important dates and details about GRAMMY nominations (they were announced on Nov. 24), the Recording Academy member voting process and everything else 2021 GRAMMY Awards show!

It's Here! 2021 GRAMMYs: Complete Nominees List

When Is It?

On Sunday, March 14, 2021, the 63rd GRAMMY Awards will be happening. The health and safety of the artists, guests, crew and staff is always front of mind during every GRAMMYs, so, logistically, things will be a little different this year.

62nd GRAMMY Awards Wrap Up Show

How To Watch The 2021 GRAMMY Awards Show

Ahead of Music's Biggest Night, GRAMMY.com has put together a useful guide about the different ways you can watch the show and experience the 2021 GRAMMY season in full. Check out our official Watch The 2021 GRAMMYs Live page and read below for more details.

Meet The New Class: Meet This Year's Best New Artist Nominees | 2021 GRAMMYs

Who Is Nominated?!

One of the biggest days in music outside of the show itself is the nominations announcement, when hundreds of artists learn they're in the running for a golden gramophone. For the upcoming 63rd GRAMMY Awards, the nominees were announced on Nov. 24. You can peruse the complete 2021 nominees list here and rewatch the star-studded nominations annoucement livestream here. You can also find out who are the most-nominated artists this year here.

GRAMMY nominations are always a very celebratory day for those nominated. It is truly a moment when all the love, long hours and hard work that was put into the music feels worth it. Celebrate with the 2021 nominees in this joyful reactions roundup. 

Revisit The Magic Noms Moment: "This doesn’t feel real:" 2021 GRAMMY Nominees Celebrate On Social Media

Who Is Performing?!

Performers for the 2021 GRAMMY Awards show include Bad Bunny, Black Pumas, Cardi B, BTS, Brandi Carlile, DaBaby, Doja Cat, Billie Eilish, Mickey Guyton, Haim, Brittany Howard, Miranda Lambert, Lil Baby, Dua Lipa, Chris Martin, John Mayer, Megan Thee Stallion, Maren Morris, Post Malone, Roddy Ricch, Harry Styles, and Taylor Swift.

To view a list of current nominations per artist, please visit our GRAMMY Awards performer and presenter page here.

What About The Premiere Ceremony?

Preceding the 2021 GRAMMY Awards show, the 63rd GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony will take place Sunday, March 14, at noon PT, and will be streamed live internationally via GRAMMY.com.

Hosted by current three-time GRAMMY nominee Jhené Aiko, the Premiere Ceremony will feature a number of performances by current GRAMMY nominees, including: Nigerian singer, songwriter and rapper Burna Boy, jazz band Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science, blues musician Jimmy "Duck" Holmes, classical pianist Igor Levit, Latin electropop musician Lido Pimienta, singer, songwriter and performance artist Poppy, and singer, songwriter and composer Rufus Wainwright. 

Learn more about the 63rd GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony.

What Releases Are Eligible?

The Product Eligibility Period for the 63rd GRAMMY Awards is Sept. 1, 2019—Aug. 31, 2020.

Read: 62nd GRAMMY Awards & "Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince" Earn Emmy Nominations

What Will The Show Look Like?

Just ahead of the nominees announcement on Nov. 24, the Recording Academy revealed GRAMMY-nominated South African comedian Trevor Noah will host the 2021 GRAMMYs.

While the format of next year's GRAMMY Awards has not been announced, Harvey Mason jr., the Recording Academy Interim President/CEO, offered some insight on what to expect at the 2021 show back in June during an interview with Variety. "We are simultaneously developing three plans for what the show would look like: One is the traditional show with the full crowd, two is a limited crowd, and three is no crowd, and there's creative around all three of those ideas: how and where we would film it. But none of them involve changing or postponing the date," said Mason. 

"I've spent a lot of time talking to artists, managers and labels and getting a feel for how the pandemic is affecting the release of music—and as I'm sure you've noticed, the amount of music released has actually increased during the pandemic, so we would not want to delay our date with so much great music coming out," he continued.

"But I also think it's important and helpful to have shows like this, when there's been so much uncertainty and unrest—to have something you know is coming around every year and to know there's a time when we all sit down together and watch great entertainment and art… We're trying to build the next evolution of the Academy, and the show will go hand-in-hand with that. Whether it's with a crowd or not, we're going to try to take things to the next level," Mason added.

Let's Add It Up: Find Out Who Has The Most GRAMMY Nominations, Which Categories Are All-Female & More: 2021 GRAMMYs By The Numbers

More recently, on Sept. 30, he spoke to Variety again and added that no matter what, the show will be executed fully live, with no pre-recorded segments.

"We're looking at Staples [Center] with a limited audience, although that seems increasingly unlikely; Staples with live performances and no audience; or something a little more virtual, with some elements from different locations," Mason said. "We're still waiting to hear back from our partners at the network and the venue and our medical experts, because obviously we want this to be safe for everyone ...

"Obviously, this is a very unique year. We've been looking at all of the [2020 awards] shows really closely and I've been talking with some of the people who put them together—the creative and also the business side. I think there have been some great examples of how to present music and awards at these shows, and I think there's some other things that we're gonna do pretty differently. The civic and social unrest deserves to be addressed, and we always encourage artists to voice their opinions, so I expect we'll see messages both from the artists' side and the Academy side."

Behind The Board: Harvey Mason Jr.

We can't wait for all the magical GRAMMY moments, epic performances and moving speeches—it's exactly what we need to start 2021 off on an inspirational note. While you'll have to wait to closer to the show to find out who the performers and presenters are (which are always announced in multiple waves), what's certain is things will be off the chain.

Read: The Recording Academy Announces Changes For 63rd Annual GRAMMYs, Releases Rules And Guidelines

What's New For 2021?

There are quite a few exciting changes going into effect with the 63rd GRAMMY Awards! Following Ken Ehrlich's celebrated 40-year run as the show's executive producer, Emmy Award-winning producer Ben Winston is taking over the reins. The highly experienced TV/film writer/director/producer has worked on "The Late Late Show with James Corden," co-creating Corden's beloved "Carpool Karaoke" show with the comedian himself.

James Corden Subway Carpool Karaoke | 2018 GRAMMYs

Additionally, several major changes to the voting guidelines and rules, the latter which affects five award categories, go into effect this year. These updates, announced in June, reflect the Recording Academy's ongoing commitment to evolve with the musical landscape and to ensure that the nomination process and rules are more transparent and fair. More details on the changes can be found in the above link, but, the rule/category updates are highlighted below.

  • Best Urban Contemporary Album has been renamed Best Progressive R&B Album to include a more accurate definition to describe the merit or characteristics of music compositions or performances within the genre of R&B.
  • Best Rap/Sung Performance has been renamed Best Melodic Rap Performance to represent the growing hybrid performance trends within the rap genre.
  • Latin Pop Album has been renamed Best Latin Pop Or Urban Album AND Latin Rock, Urban Or Alternative Album has been renamed Best Latin Rock Or Alternative Album to represent the current state and prominent representation in the Latin urban genres.
  • There is no longer a specified maximum number of releases prohibiting artists from entering the Best New Artist category. The screening committees will determinine whether the artist had attained a breakthrough or prominence prior to the eligibility year, with such a determination would result in disqualification.

Another exciting category update occured in November, when Best World Music Album changed to the more inclusive Best Global Music Album. While this might appear subtle to those not familiar with the baggage the term "world music" carries, it represents an important honoring of its past and movement towards a more inclusive, adaptive future.

The new name was decided after extensive conversations with artists, ethnomusicologists and linguists from around the world, who decided it was time to rename it with "a more relevant, modern, and inclusive term," an email sent to Recording Academy members explained. "The change symbolizes a departure from the connotations of colonialism, folk and 'non-American' that the former term embodied while adapting to current listening trends and cultural evolution among the diverse communities it may represent."

Related: Travel Around The World With The Best Global Music Album Nominees | 2021 GRAMMYs

Key Voting Dates

As the only peer-recognized music award, the GRAMMY is the music industry’s highest honor. This means GRAMMY nominations and winners are determined by the music professionals who are voting members of the Recording Academy. 

  • Sept. 1, 2019—Aug. 31, 2020: Product Eligibility Period
  • Sept. 30—Oct. 12, 2020: First-Round Voting—eligible members vote to determine the 2021 nominees!
  • Nov. 24: Nominations Announcement!
  • Dec. 7, 2020—Jan. 4, 202: Final-Round Voting—this round determines the GRAMMY winners!
  • Sunday, March 14, 2021: 63rd GRAMMY Awards & Premiere Ceremony

Your Academy: Welcoming The 2020 New Member Class

Find more at the GRAMMY Awards FAQ page here, including on the voting process.

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.