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In Loving Memory …

Remembering the music people we lost in 2012–2013

GRAMMYs/Dec 3, 2014 - 05:06 am

(The following is a list of artists and industry professionals the music community lost in 2012–2013. The 55th GRAMMY Awards telecast on CBS will feature an In Memoriam segment highlighting some of these individuals via a video tribute. The Recording Academy salutes each individual for their respective talents and contributions to our culture and community. We invite you to share your memories in our comments section below.)

Mark Abrahamian

William Paul "Willie" Ackerman

Richard Adler

Warda Al-Jazairia

Audrey Allison

Tandyn Almer

Christopher Amenita

Maurice André

Chris Andrews

Inez Andrews

Patty Andrews

Charles Anthony

Tom Ardolino

Pedro Arroyo

Alexander Arutiunian

Mike Auldridge

Bob Babbitt

Perry Baggs

Roy Baham

Brad Baker

Israel Baker

Mickey Baker

Billy Barnes

Frank Barsalona

Kearney Barton

Fontella Bass

"Uncle" Lionel Batiste

James Richard Belote

Richard Rodney Bennett

Paavo Berglund

Emilio "Miliki" Aragón Bermúdez

Eddie Bert

John Birch

Robert Wayne Birch

Rick Blackburn

Eddie Blazonczyk Sr.

Nicole Bogner

Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner

Sean Bonniwell

Horacio "Chivo" Borraro

Mark Boyd

John Braheny

David Braun

Herbert Breslin

Lloyd Brevett

Gerry Bron

Chuck Brown

Frederick J. Brown

Dave Brubeck

Billy Bryans

Patti Denise Bryant

Frank Buchanan

Dewel Bullington

Rahn William Burton

Larry Butler

Margaret Ann  Buxkamper

Donald Byrd

Terry Callier

Hebe Camargo

Don Campbell

Tim Campbell

Pupi Campo

Sylvia Cantarell

Capital Steez

Vincent Cardell

Earl Carroll

Elliott Carter

Lisa Della Casa

Hal Casey

Ed Cassidy

Thomas Cassidy

Hadley Castille

Jimmy Castor

Dee Cernile

Dominic Cerulli

Rick Chadock

Jules Chaikin

Teddy Charles

Celso Chavez

Lili Chookasian

Rick Cimato

Dick Clark

Susanna Clark

Mario Clavell

John Clive

John Coates

Maria Cole

Charlie Collins

Ray Collins

Elizabeth Connell

Adrienne Cooper

Everett J. Corbin

Don Cornelius

Jayne Cortez

Pete Cosey

Don Cox

James "Sugarboy" Crawford

Robert Lee Crigger

Armand Crump

José Curbelo

Carlo Curley

Ted Curson

Marcel Curuchet

Lucio Dalla

Hal David

Carl Davis

Michael Davis

Gloria Davy

Jeremy Deacon

Dick Decent

Marcella DeCray

Bill Dees

Al DeLory

James DePreist

Robert Dickey

Doug Dillard

Mat Domber

Lee Dorman

Bill Doss

Nell Haas Driver

William Duckworth

Chris Duffy

Cleve Duncan

Michael Dunford

Donald "Duck" Dunn

Bobby Durango

Pham Duy

Marion Franklin Dycus

Dusty Edwards

Joseph Eger

Jimmy Ellis

Brigitte Engerer

Chris Ethridge

Calvin Everhart

Danny Evins

Osvaldo Fattoruso

Leonardo Favio

Martin Fay

Irving Fein

Ruth Fernández

Montserrat Figueras

Clare Fischer

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

Betty Fisher

Charles Flores

Peter Fornatale

Robbie France

Dave Franer

Damon Freeman

Earle Lavon "Von" Freeman Sr.

Isaac "Dickie" Freeman

Robert French

Gil Friesen

Bertha Woodruff Garcia

Tim Garcia

Érick Garza

Victor Gaskin

Connie Gately

Robin Gibb

Kathi Kamen Goldmark

Junior Gonzalez

Geoffrey Gordon

Eric Gorodetzky

Michael Grant

Don Grady

Jerry Gray

R.B. Greaves

Andy Griffith

Brent Grulke

George Gruntz

Jackie Guthrie

David Hall

Greg Ham

Joslyn Hamilton aka Captain Barkey

Marvin Hamlisch

Derek Hammond-Stroud

Major Harris

Pat Harris

Garry Harrison

John Harrison

Jonathan Harvey

Paquito Hechavarría

Haim Hefer

Levon Helm

Bugs Henderson

Robert F. Hendrix

Bob Henry

Hans Werner Henze

Brian Hibbard

Stephen Hill

Donna Hilley

Omus Hirshbein

Doc Holliday

James Wesley “Red” Holloway

Larry Hoppen

Michael Hossack

Whitney Houston

Steeve Hurdle

Margie Hyams

Brian Jack

Hal Jackson

Phoebe Jacobs

Amber Jacobson

Etta James

Mikel (Mike) Japp

Frank Javorsek

Sammy Johns

Tim Johnson

William David "Billy Johnson"

Jeffrey Jolson-Colburn

Davy Jones

Jimmy Jones

Michael "Mighty Mike" Jones

Peter Jones

Pierre Juneau

Paul Justice

Norberto Kaminsky

Andrew Kazdin

Gerry Kearby

Erica Kennedy

Eduard Khil

Benjy King

Mary Frances Garner "Sis" King

Dick Kniss

Stefan Kudelski

Charlie Lamb

Jack Lameier

Byard Lancaster

Bernard Lansky

Barbara Lea

Evelyn Lear

Bev LeCroy

"Miss Rita" Lee

Jeni LeGon

Gustav Leonhardt

Lorin Levee

John Levy

Chris Lighty

Everett Lilly

George Lindsey

Mort Lindsey

Jimmy Little

Huw Lloyd Langton

Joey "Fingers" Lombard

Jon Lord

Andrew Love

Vince Lovegrove

Eric Lowen

Mitch Lucker

Gary Lumpkin

Andrew MacNaughtan

George Marino

Calvin Marsh

Jim Marshall

Paul Marshall

Thomas Marth

Tony Martin

Edna Mattox

Bud McCain

Jerry "Boogie" McCain

Mark "Bam Bam" McConnell

Michael G. McCormack

Jimmy  McCracklin

Jim McCrary

Kathi McDonald

Velma Lee McEnery

Dorothy McGuire

James Walter McKell

Barney McKenna

Scott McKenzie

Hal McKusick

Mike Melvoin

Nan Merriman

George Mesterhazy

Sergio Mihanovich

Fred Milano

Norman Miller

Ilhan Mimaroğlu

Iverson "Louisiana Red" Minter

Alan Mintz

Elliott Mitchell

Ronnie Montrose

Rick Moore

Roland Mortiz

Farrell Morris

Lawrence D. "Butch" Morris

William "Danny" Morrison

Carlos Moseley

Ed "Goat" Motta

Joe Muranyi

Chris Nadler

Anthony Natividad

Chris Neal

Trondr Nefas

Judith Nelson

Patricia Neway

Jeff “Critter” Newell

Terry Newell

Jason Noble

Claude Nobs

David Nye

Jimmy O'Neill

Adrian Otero

Johnny Otis

Frank Page

Patti Page

Ramona "Ms. Melodie" Parker

Nilesh Patel

Homero Patrón

Ray Patterson

Steve Paul

Michael Douglas Pearson

David Peaston

Frank Peppiatt

Austin Peralta

Richard "Pete" Peters

Ken Phebus

Marguerite Piazza

Deborah Lyn Pierce

Frank Pierson

Kroum Pindoff

Charles "Skip" Pitts

Floyd Monroe Points

Steve Pokorny

Frank Pooler

Nic Potter

Reg Presley

Frances Preston

Dory Previn

Dolores Prida

Lou Pride

Duy Quang

Ann Rabson

Deborah Raffin

Raylene Rankin

Sluggy Ranks

Estela Raval

Mark Reale

Herb Reed

Natina Reed

Tom "Cat" Reeder

Ken Regan

Christopher Reimer

Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt

Pery Ribeiro

Ruggiero Ricci

Martin Richards

Paul Richey

Howie Richmond

Winston Riley

Jenni Rivera

Sam Rivers

Richard Robbins

Kenny Roberts

Buddy Rogers

Jayne Rogovin

Ed Roman

Charles Rosen

Crystal Rosen

Joseph E. Ross

Gabrielle Roth

"Sweet Joe" Russell

Mike Scaccia

Hal Schaefer

Michael K. Schlesinger

Nelson Schwenke

Billy Scott

David Scott

Howard Hillison Scott

Earl Scruggs

Ivan Sekyra

Joe Sell

Khalil Shaheed

Ravi Shankar

Bobby Sharp

Isaiah Sheffer

Robert B. Sherman

Jim Sherwood

Todd Simko

Stephen Simon

Ozell Simpkins

Danny Sims

Pete La Roca Sims

Joe Siracuse

Tony Sly

Rod Smarr

Carrie Smith

Snuffy Smith

Sam "The Record Man" Sniderman

Joe South

Luis Alberto Spinetta

Mark Spiwak

Dennis St. John

Chris Stamp

Kaye Stevens

Bob Sticht

King Stitt

Ronnie "Angel" Stoots

Billy Strange

Ed Stratton

John Stronach

Big Jim Sullivan

Rollin Sullivan

Donna Summer

Stuart Swanlund

John Tchicai

Richard Teeter

Gene Thomas

Joe Thompson

Yomo Toro

Roman Totenberg

Ranking Trevor

Tom Tucker

Mihaela Ursuleasa

Maria Elena Valdelamar

Jairo Varela

Chavela Vargas

Valentin Velasco

Horacio "Gamexane" Villafañe

José Luis Villarreal

Galina Vishnevskaya

Paul van Wageningen

Bernie  Waldon

Rusty Walker

Herby Wallace

Gareth Walters

Willa Ward

David S. Ware

Doc Watson

Bert Weedon

Alexis Weissenberg

Bob Welch

Kitty Wells

Alvy West

Bob Weston

Eric White

Marva Whitney

Frederick "Fred" Wilhelms III

John Wilkinson

Will (Mastic Scum)

Andy Williams

Camilla Williams

Jimmie Williams

Robbie Williams

Abram Wilson

Frank Wilson

Yaffa Yarkoni

Adam Yauch

James Martin "Marty" Yonts

Philip Wylie York

Zvi Zeitlin

Dennis "Dino" Zimmerman

2024 GRAMMYs In Memoriam: Stevie Wonder, Lenny Kravitz & More Pay Tribute To Late Icons
Tribute to Tina Turner during the In Memoriam segment at the 2024 GRAMMYs.

Photo: JC Olivera/WireImage

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2024 GRAMMYs In Memoriam: Stevie Wonder, Lenny Kravitz & More Pay Tribute To Late Icons

A star-studded tribute honored the late leading lights of the music industry. In a heartfelt and exciting segment, Tina Turner was remembered with a spirited cover of "Proud Mary" and while Stevie Wonder did a tender posthumous duet with Tony Bennett.

GRAMMYs/Feb 5, 2024 - 03:24 am

Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder and more graced the GRAMMYs stage for a star-studded tribute to Tina Turner, Tony Bennett and other stars we lost in 2023. 

The In Memoriam segment of the 2024 GRAMMYs began with Wonder honoring the "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" crooner, who passed away in July after a long battle with Alzheimer's. With Wonder on piano and an ethereal, archival video of Bennett singing, the two created a tearjerker posthumous duet of "For Once in My Life" before transitioning into "The Best is Yet to Come."

Read More: Remembering Tony Bennett's Monumental Musical Legacy: "The Classiest Singer, Man, And Performer You Will Ever See

Next, a video memorialized Jimmy Buffett before a visibly emotional Annie Lennox appeared on stage with Wendy and Lisa to remember Sinead O'Connor with a tender cover of the late Irish alt pioneer's classic single "Nothing Compares 2 U." "Artists for ceasefire! Peace in the world!" the Eurythmics icon shouted with raised fist at the end of her performance.

Elsewhere during the In Memoriam package, Burt Bacharach was celebrated for his unmistakable impact on popular music throughout the 20th century. Then, Lenny Kravitz paid respect to Clarence Avant as the "Godfather of Black Music" with a tribute that included a performance of "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Lean on Me" by Jon Batiste. Ann Nesby, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and others joined later to perform "Optimistic."

Read more: Remembering The Artistry Of Tina Turner, "The Epitome Of Power And Passion"

Last but certainly not least, Oprah Winfrey ushered in a tribute to Turner, saying "Tina Turner was always a towering figure. She is our forever goddess of rock and roll who inspired millions, a moving symbol of grace and grit, soul and power…And as those big wheels of time keep on turnin’, Tina’s voice continues to speak to all of us." 

Following her remarks lionizing the Queen of Rock 'n Roll and nine-time GRAMMY winner, Oprah ceded the stage to Fantasia Barrino for a transcendent, celebratory performance (with much dancing, as Turner would have wanted) of "Proud Mary" that went from the stage to the audience and back.

2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Winners & Nominees List

GRAMMY Rewind: Kendrick Lamar Honors Hip-Hop's Greats While Accepting Best Rap Album GRAMMY For 'To Pimp a Butterfly' In 2016
Kendrick Lamar

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

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GRAMMY Rewind: Kendrick Lamar Honors Hip-Hop's Greats While Accepting Best Rap Album GRAMMY For 'To Pimp a Butterfly' In 2016

Upon winning the GRAMMY for Best Rap Album for 'To Pimp a Butterfly,' Kendrick Lamar thanked those that helped him get to the stage, and the artists that blazed the trail for him.

GRAMMYs/Oct 13, 2023 - 06:01 pm

Updated Friday Oct. 13, 2023 to include info about Kendrick Lamar's most recent GRAMMY wins, as of the 2023 GRAMMYs.

A GRAMMY veteran these days, Kendrick Lamar has won 17 GRAMMYs and has received 47 GRAMMY nominations overall. A sizable chunk of his trophies came from the 58th annual GRAMMY Awards in 2016, when he walked away with five — including his first-ever win in the Best Rap Album category.

This installment of GRAMMY Rewind turns back the clock to 2016, revisiting Lamar's acceptance speech upon winning Best Rap Album for To Pimp A Butterfly. Though Lamar was alone on stage, he made it clear that he wouldn't be at the top of his game without the help of a broad support system. 

"First off, all glory to God, that's for sure," he said, kicking off a speech that went on to thank his parents, who he described as his "those who gave me the responsibility of knowing, of accepting the good with the bad."

Looking for more GRAMMYs news? The 2024 GRAMMY nominations are here!

He also extended his love and gratitude to his fiancée, Whitney Alford, and shouted out his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates. Lamar specifically praised Top Dawg's CEO, Anthony Tiffith, for finding and developing raw talent that might not otherwise get the chance to pursue their musical dreams.

"We'd never forget that: Taking these kids out of the projects, out of Compton, and putting them right here on this stage, to be the best that they can be," Lamar — a Compton native himself — continued, leading into an impassioned conclusion spotlighting some of the cornerstone rap albums that came before To Pimp a Butterfly.

"Hip-hop. Ice Cube. This is for hip-hop," he said. "This is for Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle. This is for Illmatic, this is for Nas. We will live forever. Believe that."

To Pimp a Butterfly singles "Alright" and "These Walls" earned Lamar three more GRAMMYs that night, the former winning Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song and the latter taking Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (the song features Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat). He also won Best Music Video for the remix of Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood." 

Lamar has since won Best Rap Album two more times, taking home the golden gramophone in 2018 for his blockbuster LP DAMN., and in 2023 for his bold fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.

Watch Lamar's full acceptance speech above, and check back at GRAMMY.com every Friday for more GRAMMY Rewind episodes. 

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Remembering Clarence Avant: The Black Godfather, Renowned Entertainment Mentor & Recording Academy Honoree
Clarence Avant accepts the Industry Icons Award onstage during the Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Clarence Avant at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 9, 2019, in Beverly Hills, California

Photo: Michael Kovac/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

news

Remembering Clarence Avant: The Black Godfather, Renowned Entertainment Mentor & Recording Academy Honoree

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, L.A. Reid and Babyface, and Jimmy Iovine counted the entertainment pioneer as an essential piece of their success. The manager, label and broadcast media owner, and mentor died on Aug. 13 at age 92.

GRAMMYs/Aug 15, 2023 - 12:56 am

Known variously as the Black Godfather, the Godfather of Black Music and the Godfather of Black Entertainment, industry legend Clarence Avant was a pioneer over some seven decades in entertainment. The manager, label and broadcast media owner, and mentor died on Aug. 13 at age 92.

The breadth of Avant’s impact cannot be overstated. For his myriad accomplishments — many of which were historic and groundbreaking — he received the Recording Academy's Trustees Award in 2008. In 2019, Avant received the GRAMMY Salute To Industry Icons Award.

"Clarence Avant will forever be remembered as a trailblazer and changemaker whose commitment to music and the community paved the way for opportunity and greater inclusion within our industry," said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. "He fundamentally transformed the musical landscape for the better. The depth of Clarence’s legacy will last for generations."

A lengthy list of luminaries in the worlds of entertainment, music, politics and more paid tribute to Avant on social media.

Photo of (L-R) Jay-Z, Clarence Avant and Sean Combs attend 2020 Roc Nation THE BRUNCH on January 25, 2020, in Los Angeles, California

(L-R) Jay-Z, Clarence Avant and Sean Combs attend 2020 Roc Nation THE BRUNCH on January 25, 2020, in Los Angeles, California | Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation

Bill Clinton tweeted, "It was impossible to spend time with Clarence Avant and not come away feeling more positive and wanting to follow his example."

The Rev. Al Sharpton called Avant "a revolutionary," adding that "When people in the entertainment world were delegated to a near master/slave relationship, he broke through that wall of exploitation and made us respected business people.

"This man was singularly responsible for helping so many Black artists get paid their worth," civil rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill tweeted.

Magic Johnson tweeted, "He knew how to touch every individual he met and meet them where they were in order to get them where they needed to be."

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation reflected on Avant's legacy:

Born Feb. 25, 1931, in North Carolina, Avant began his career under the tutelage of Louis Armstrong manager Joe Glaser. He would soon branch out on his own to manage artists including Sarah Vaughan, Freddie Hubbard and pioneering Black record producer Tom Wilson. Avant opened a Los Angeles office in 1964.

In 1967, Avant helped negotiate what is said to be the first joint venture between a Black artist and a major label when he mediated a deal for Motown writer-producer William "Mickey" Stevenson with MGM for the soul subsidiary Venture Records.

In 1969, Avant founded his own label, Sussex. The label’s first release was Cold Fact, the unsuccessful debut from the late Sixto Rodriguez, who would years later become the subject of the Oscar-winning doc Searching for Sugar Man. While it took 50 years for Rodriguez to get his due, such was not the case for other Sussex releases such as Dennis Coffey’s smash funky instrumental "Scorpio" and certainly not for Bill Withers, who from 1971 to 1972 had three singles go platinum or gold.

During this time, Avant also bought what became one of the first Black-owned U.S. radio stations, Los Angeles R&B outlet KTYM. Both this venture and Sussex would wind down by 1975, which led to Avant’s founding of Tabu Records.

It was at Tabu that Avant discovered the songwriting and production talents of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who had both been members of the Prince-owned band the Time. Jam and Lewis would create one of the most gravity-defying sounds of the ’80s, and Avant would eventually introduce them to Janet Jackson.

That kind of behind-the-scenes dot-connecting was the norm for Avant. He was considered an important mentor by Jam and Lewis, L.A. Reid and Babyface, industry titans Sylvia Rhone, Jheryl Busby, Jon Platt and Jimmy Iovine, and many others — including football great Jim Brown, whom Avant reportedly convinced to take up acting.

He was a political activist, especially for Black causes, and was an unofficial advisor to Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Barack Obama.

He would also serve as Chairman of Motown Records and would become the first Black person to serve on the international management board for PolyGram. He was the subject of the 2019 documentary The Black Godfather.

In addition to his Recording Academy Trustees Award, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 and is due to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Oct. 7.

There was no blueprint for Avant’s storied career. "I kept hearing about this guy Clarence Avant, but no one seemed to know what his actual official title was," Jim Brown recalled.

"My whole career has been like this," Avant once told Variety. "People ask me, ‘how did you do all this?’ How the f— do I know? I just do things. I just like to take shots."

Mogul Moment: How Quincy Jones Became An Architect Of Black Music

Watch The 2023 GRAMMYs Star-Studded Tribute To Lost Legends Loretta Lynn, Christine McVie & Takeoff | 2023 GRAMMYs
Kacey Musgraves paying tribute to Loretta Lynn during the 2023 GRAMMYs

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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Watch The 2023 GRAMMYs Star-Studded Tribute To Lost Legends Loretta Lynn, Christine McVie & Takeoff | 2023 GRAMMYs

The moving GRAMMY Awards segment featured friends, family and bandmates honoring their departed loved ones in song — including tributes from Kacey Musgraves, Quavo, and Sheryl Crow, Mick Fleetwood, and Bonnie Raitt.

GRAMMYs/Feb 6, 2023 - 03:38 am

A moving 2023 GRAMMYs segment featured friends, family and bandmates honoring their departed loved ones in song — including tributes from Kacey Musgraves, Quavo, and Sheryl Crow, Mick Fleetwood, and Bonnie Raitt.

The GRAMMY Awards' annual tribute to music industry icons who passed in the preceding year is always a bittersweet highlight of the ceremony — and this year's moving edition was certainly no exception.

In addition to honoring the many artists, producers, executives, and more who we lost, three legendary musicians received individual recognition from their close friends, collaborators, and loved ones.

A longtime admirer of Loretta Lynn, Kacey Musgraves became friends with the late country legend after opening for Lynn's 2012 tour — and thus was the perfect person to honor the four-time GRAMMY-winner.

Surrounded by a spray of red flowers and wearing a red dress that would've suited the Songwriter Hall of Fame honoree, Musgraves delivered a sterling rendition of Lynn's autobiographical "Coal Miner's Daughter."

With each strum of her guitar — with Lynn’s name inlaid on the neck in enamel — Musgraves brought more of her hero's trademark warmth and country legacy into fuller bloom, the names and images of other lost legends materializing behind her.

The rap world was stunned when it lost Migos member Takeoff in a tragic shooting in November, and his uncle and bandmate Quavo paid tribute with the elegiac "Without You." The rapper's soulful delivery was rounded out by the rich harmonies of gospel group Maverick City Music, the pain evident in his face as he sat next to an empty stool, his nephew’s chain hanging from a tragically unused mic stand.

As the song concluded, Quavo rose, holding that chain up to the heavens, his hope to see Takeoff again ringing out.

While clips of heroes like Jeff Beck and David Crosby surely brought tears to many an eye, the heartfelt tributes were rounded out by the trio of Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt, and Fleetwood Mac's Mick Fleetwood. Together, they honored Christine McVie with a poignant rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "Songbird."

While Fleetwood stood with a resonant hand drum, Crow took to the piano with Raitt seated at her side. "And the songbirds are singing/ Like they know the score," they sang: "And I love you, I love you, I love you/ Like never before."

The crystalline performance immaculately suited the songwriter's immense spirit and unparalleled writing, with Fleetwood’s somber hand drum lending a beautiful final note.

Check out the complete list of winners and nominees at the 2023 GRAMMYs.

Head to live.GRAMMY.com all year long to watch all the GRAMMY performances, acceptance speeches, the GRAMMY Live From The Red Carpet livestream special, the full Premiere Ceremony livestream, and even more exclusive, never-before-seen content from the 2023 GRAMMYs.