The 2018 award season is almost over, but not before a few more big shows hit the main screens and the Hollywood streets. Buckle up your seatbelts music lovers, music’s biggest night of the year comes to you this weekend, the Grammy Awards.
This year’s 61st installment of the famous awards show is being hosted by 15-time Grammy award winner Alicia Keys. Known for her numerous number one hit singles, including “If I Ain’t Got You” and “Girl on Fire,” and her brief stunt on the judging panel of NBC’s “The Voice,” the expectations for Keys are set pretty high, but there aren’t any music fans doubting her abilities as a host.
Coming in at the top of the nominations count are Kendrick Lamar and Drake, with eight and seven nominations, respectively. The two rap stars share a few of the same categories, including Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Rap Performance and more.
The nominees include some familiar faces to the Grammys platform. Cardi B will be back for her second year at the show with five nominations, including some of the biggest award categories of the evening. Cardi is on the hunt for her first award. Six-time award winner Lady Gaga returns with five nominations this year. Alongside her, she brings Academy Award-winning actor Bradley Cooper, known together for their musical performance in “A Star is Born.” Cooper holds two nominations for his first night at the Grammys. It would not be a proper Grammys night without Beyoncé and Jay-Z, each nominated for three awards from their collaborative album “Everything Is Love” by the Carters.
Also up for awards are popular artists such as Brandi Carlile, Post Malone, Toni Braxton, Travis Scott, Christina Aguilera, Camila Cabello, Future, and many more.
London-based artist Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, known by his stage name 21 Savage, has two nominations this year for Record of the Year and Best Rap Performance. Abraham-Joseph made national headlines on Super Bowl Sunday last weekend when he was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to ICE, Abraham-Joseph came to America as a teen in July 2005 on a visa, which expired in July 2006. He has been in America for over 12 years on an expired visa. It does not appear that he will make it to the West Coast for this year’s award show.
New artists are always thrilled to accept their invitation to the big show. A few of the well-known new artists up for awards are Dua Lipa, Bebe Rexha, and Chloe x Halle, who recently sang “America the Beautiful” at Super Bowl LIII last weekend.
Dolly Parton will accept the MusiCares Person of the Year award this Friday before the award show. This award is distributed each year to an artist who demonstrates musical and artistic achievement, as well as a strong dedication to philanthropy.
The awards show will be enhanced with 15 live performances as well. Some of them will star Shawn Mendes, Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Little Big Town, Ricky Martin and the legendary Diana Ross.
The awards will be aired on CBS live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.