(Los Angeles) The Grammys may not be able to count on stars like Drake, The Weeknd or Kanye West on stage on Sunday, but America’s musical high mass could still shine, this time on the Las Vegas “Strip”. Vegas.
Posted at 5:14 p.m.
For the first time in its history, the ceremony is indeed moving to Las Vegas, where several artists could experience an epic evening, including Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo and Jon Batiste. The gala left Los Angeles due to rising cases of COVID-19 and the Omicron variant last January.
Sunday’s gala will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Amphitheater beginning at 8 p.m. on CBS and online streaming service Paramount+.
For host Trevor Noah, Las Vegas is the “perfect place to party” with music lovers gathered in an amphitheater. Last year, the Grammys had a festival vibe, with portions of the show taking place outdoors in a more intimate, “in-person” setting mixed with pre-recorded performances.
Trevor Noah is expecting a very entertaining show with many performers on stage including Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow, Brandi Carlile, Jon Batiste, Silk Sonic, HER, Chris Stapleton, Leslie Odom Jr. and Brothers Osborne.
The Foo Fighters
It remains unclear whether the Foo Fighters will take the stage, following the recent death of their drummer, Taylor Hawkins. The rock band—a three-time Grammy finalist—was scheduled to perform at the gala, but recently canceled all of its upcoming shows.
The Grammys are set to do without Kanye West anyway, after news surfaced earlier this month that “Ye” would not be performing at the gala due to his “concerning online behavior”. The Weeknd is still boycotting the Grammys, and Drake has said he doesn’t want to be in that race — he’s withdrawn both of his nominations.
Jon Batiste is the artist with the most nominations this year, with 11, in a variety of genres, including R&B, jazz, American trad music, music video and even classical. Justin Bieber, Doja Cat and HER are then tied at eight nominations.
For the first time this year, there will be 10 finalists in the three top Grammy categories: Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Songwriter of the Year.
Before Sunday’s gala, the Academy will organize a few events, including a tribute to Joni Mitchell on Friday evening. Chaka Khan, Cyndi Lauper, Billy Porter and Beck should perform at this evening.
On Saturday, John Legend will be honored at the Academy’s Black Music Collective. The singer will receive a special award for his personal and professional achievements in the music industry.