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The Oscars have given the Grammys quite the opening act to follow.
While Hollywood is still reeling from Will Smith assaulting Chris Rock on live TV during the Academy Awards last weekend, music’s biggest night is set to rock Las Vegas on Sunday.
So here’s everything you need to know about how to watch, who’s up for the most awards, and in what ways the pandemic-postponed ceremony will run differently this year.
When are the 2022 Grammy Awards?
The 64th Grammy Awards will begin broadcasting live from the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 3. The show usually takes place well before the Oscars in January or February, and was originally scheduled for Jan. 31. But concerns over the “many risks” associated with the highly contagious omicron variant of COVID-19 spreading earlier this year led organizers to push the ceremony back until early April.
Where can I watch the Grammys on TV, or stream the awards online?
The Grammys will be televised exclusively on CBS. Cable subscribers can also catch the show streaming live on CBS.com and the CBS app, or those with an HDTV antenna can check their local listings.
Cord-cutters can watch the Grammys on the Paramount+ streaming service. Those without a subscription can sign up and get their first seven days free; the subscription will then cost $9.99 a month afterward. But you could take advantage of the free trial just to watch the show, and then cancel anytime afterward.
The CBS and Paramount+ apps are also available on Roku and Google Chromecast.
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Live TV streaming services such as FuboTV and Hulu + Live TV, which both run $69.99 a month, also include CBS in their channel packages, so subscribers can catch the Grammys action there.
Sling TV doesn’t carry CBS, but these subscribers can still watch local channels like CBS with an AirTV Antenna, which starts at $79.99.
So what’s different about this year’s show?
Last year, the pandemic pushed the Grammys to be held outdoors in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center (as opposed to its traditional home at the Staples Center — now Crypto.com Arena) in a more intimate, in-person setting that mixed music artists with pre-taped performances. This year, the show is attempting to return to a “normal” Grammys show with a live audience and live performances. And it has moved the ceremony to Las Vegas for the first time in its over 60-year history.
But Ben Winston, who is producing the show, wants to keep some of last year’s more “intimate” vibes going. So this year’s program will highlight the concert industry workers who sweat behind the scenes to put on concerts, for example. And nominees from dozens of Grammy categories not usually shown on TV will perform from the roof of the MGM Grand on the Vegas Strip. “I hope that the lessons we learned last year, of trying to construct a TV show that touched on themes and wasn’t just a concert of one song followed by another, will stay for this year as well,” Winston told the New York Times.
Who is hosting the Grammys?
“The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah will emcee the event. The comedian has kept pretty quiet since Smith’s Oscar slap this week, apart from tweeting “That wasn’t scripted?” at the time.
It’s a pretty safe bet that the incident will come up during Noah’s opening monologue on Sunday.
Who are the performers? Is BTS still performing at the Grammys?
The set list isn’t set in stone due to a number of unforeseen circumstances. This includes Kanye West, aka Ye, being banned from performing over his “concerning online behavior” toward Grammys host Noah, as well as his recent behavior toward estranged ex-wife Kim Kardashian. (He’s also up for 5 awards, himself, so it remains to be seen if he shows up anyway.) The Foo Fighters have pulled out of performing, following the recent death of the band’s drummer, Taylor Hawkins. And two members of K-Pop sensation BTS have recently tested positive for COVID-19, raising questions about whether they will still be cleared to take the stage. They’re still on the list, though.
But the show is still billing performances by: Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, Brandi Carlile & Brothers Osborne, J. Balvin with Maria Bacerra, Jack Harlow, Jon Batiste, H.E.R., Nas, Chris Stapleton, Cynthia Erivo, Carrie Underwood, Maverick City Music, Aymée Nuviola, Billy Strings, Leslie Odom Jr., John Legend, Ben Platt and Rachel Zegler.
And Lady Gaga is a new addition to the lineup. She’s up for five awards this year with Tony Bennett over their second collaborative album. Speaking of nominees…
Who are this year’s Grammy nominees?
“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” bandleader Jon Batiste leads this year’s Grammy nominees with 11 nods, including album of the year for “We Are” and record of the year with “Freedom,” which is a feel-good ode to the city of New Orleans.
Justin Bieber, Doja Cat and H.E.R. are the second-most nominated with eight apiece, while Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo are both up for seven awards. Check out the complete Grammy nominations list here.
What does a Grammy win mean for an artist?
Giving a show-stopping performance during the awards show broadcast and/or winning a Grammy Award (or several) often translates into a boost in record sales and streams. Billboard notes that when Adele won big at the 2017 Grammys, including Album of the Year, sales for her album “25” went up 137%. When Taylor Swift’s “Folklore” scored big at last year’s Grammys, earnings from her album didn’t just jump 53% — she also saw a 12% bump in revenue across her entire music catalog for an estimated earnings bonus of $184K to $1.7 million.
What’s more, the winners, nominees and performers, alike, can often benefit from the exposure by getting more concert bookings, pulling in more sponsorship offers and being in a better position to leverage a better deal with their label.
And social media engagement can also surge for an artist featured on the Grammys. Kendrick Lamar performed at the 2018 Grammys and took home five awards. Afterward, he enjoyed an estimated 260% increase in average daily Twitter followers, Billboard reports, as well as a 349% jump in new Instagram followers.
