The 61st Grammy Awards will be aired on Sunday, February 10, 2019 on CBS. An event always packed with celebrities and plenty of great as well as questionable performers, it should be an interesting night. The booking process is still reportedly going on so there may be some additions but here’s who you can expect to show up on the broadcast.
Alicia Keys will host the show, her first time doing so, and the first time The Grammys have been hosted by a woman since a jaw-dropping 2005. Yes, Cardi B and Taylor Swift and all of these other ladies have been burning up the charts, but it’s been 14 years since a woman hosted the show. James Corden hosted the 2017 and 2018 editions of The Grammys because CBS is all about #corporatesynergy. Now it’s Keys’ time to shine. She’s already done the TV host bit a little having been on The Voice, so she should be just fine.
A Little Bit Country, Little Bit Rock N’Roll, Little Bit of Everything Else
Expect to hear plenty of performances in a variety of genres during the show. Let’s just get the “everything else” out of the way. The Red Hot Chili Peppers will be teaming up with Post Malone for what they call an “unforgettable Grammy moment.” What it is is anyone’s guess! As for the other artists, expect to see Camila Cabello, Janelle Monae, Shawn Mendes, Dan + Shay, Cardi B, and Kacey Musgraves. Miley Cyrus, H.E.R, and Brandi Carlile have also been announced. Carlile is doing her first Grammy performance and is nominated for 6 awards. Cabello is also making her Grammy performance debut.
We Love Dolly!
On February 8, the Musicares Person of the Year tribute will happen at the Staples Center and it promises to be a star-packed celebration of this year’s choice: Dolly Parton. Vince Gill, Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, Pink, Mavis Staples, Linda Perry, Chris Stapleton, Mark Ronson, Norah Jones, Leon Bridges, Don Henley, and Lauren Daigle have been named as performers. They’ll each be performing a song from Dolly’s repertoire.
Hall of Fame Introductions
The Grammy Hall of Fame Introductions were also announced recently with 25 recordings nominated by the Recording Academy. Works had to be at least 25 years old to be considered. They also had to “exhibit qualitative or historical significance.” “Hallelujah,” easily one of the most popular cover songs finally made the list, having been eligible for several years as it was released in 1984.
Here’s the songs that made the cut:
Dolly Parton -“Coat of Many Colors”
Leonard Cohen – “Hallelujah”
The Troggs- “Wild Thing”
Curtis Mayfield – “Move on Up”
The Platters – “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”
Nina Simone – “To Be Young, Gifted and Black”
Brenda Lee – “Rockin Around the Christmas Tree”
Fats Domino – “I’m Walkin”
Aerosmith – ”Walk This Way”
Link Wray & His Ray Men – “Rumble”
Edward Meeker – “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”
A few full albums made the cut as well. Those included Ella Fitzgerald Sings The George And Ira Gershwin Song Book, Jackson Browne’s self-titled album, and Tom Petty’s Full Moon Fever.
If you want to learn more or see the full list of nominees, then visit the Grammy website for the complete list.