The Grammys hope to return to a “normal†ceremony after the previous two were thrown off by the pandemic — both were rescheduled to the spring due to COVID surges, and in last year’s case, moved to Las Vegas because of venue booking. The 2023 Grammys are set to return to Los Angeles, taking place February 5 at the Crypto.com Arena. (Can’t wait to see how many jokes the host makes about that.) They’ll also air on their usual home, CBS, along with streaming partner Paramount+. Beyoncé leads the nominations with nine, looking to break the record for the most Grammy wins in history after tying her husband Jay-Z’s record for the most nominations. Kendrick Lamar is close behind Beyoncé with eight nods, followed by Adele and Brandi Carlile with seven each. Yes, there’s still time for a prayer circle for a Renaissance set. Below, everything you need to know about the show.
Who’s performing at the Grammys?
Complaints about the Academy’s treatment of hip-hop have dogged the Grammys for years — most recently last year, when Nas was the only rapper to perform. The Academy is making that right this year, booking more than two dozen rap icons to perform a tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Here’s the full list of performers in alphabetical order: Big Boi, Busta Rhymes with Spliff Star, De La Soul, DJ Drama, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Missy Elliott, Future, GloRilla, Grandmaster Flash, Grandmaster Melle Mel & Scorpio/Ethiopian King, Ice-T, Lil Baby, Lil Wayne, the Lox, Method Man, Nelly, Public Enemy, Queen Latifah, Rahiem, Rakim, Run-DMC, Salt-N-Pepa and Spinderella, Scarface, Swizz Beatz, and Too $hort. Former Grammys host LL Cool J will introduce the set and perform, while the Roots will accompany and Black Thought will “narrate,†whatever that means. We might have Questlove to thank for such a stacked lineup as he’s serving as music director and producer.
Entertainment is still being announced as of February 3. Jay-Z and DJ Khaled are confirmed for a performance of “God Did,†alongside Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, John Legend, and Fridayy. God must’ve did something. The Grammys announced the first round of performers eleven days ahead of the big night. Call them the B-team, because this list includes Bad Bunny, Mary J. Blige, and Brandi Carlile, all top nominees at this year’s ceremony. (Not that they’re B-list performers, though — Benito is a live juggernaut, Blige was the highlight of last year’s Super Bowl halftime show, and Brandi is a perennial Grammys showstopper.) Top nominees Steve Lacy and Lizzo are also on the List (get it?), along with country favorite Luke Combs. Sam Smith and Kim Petras round out the lineup, sure to bring something unholy to the stage in one way or another. Harry Styles has also joined the list of performers. CBS made the announcement during the Chiefs-Bengals game, per Deadline. Styles is nominated for six Grammys this year, none of them for the song he hums in Don’t Worry Darling. Weird!
The Academy set plans for the “In Memoriam†segment on February 1. Kacey Musgraves will pay tribute to one of her major influences, Loretta Lynn. Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie will be honored by Sheryl Crow and Bonnie Raitt, along with her bandmate, Mick Fleetwood. And Quavo will remember his nephew and Migos collaborator Takeoff, alongside Maverick City Music.
And while nearly everyone’s fave is accounted for, the performers still aren’t finalized. Variety reported on February 1 that the Academy was in talks with Taylor Swift but, as of February 2, updated its report to say Swift will not perform. Variety also poured cold water on the possibility of a performance by Doja Cat, reporting that the nominee would attend but not perform. Meanwhile, Hits Daily Double reported on January 27 that the Academy was negotiating with “a female superstar†to perform, raising Beyoncé as a possibility. In an interview with Grammys producer Ben Winston, Hits teased “a multi-genre pairing of artists†onstage, which Winston said came at one artist’s request.
And who’s hosting the Grammys?
Even though Trevor Noah left his gig at The Daily Show earlier this month, the comedian will return to the Grammys, he told Billboard in a cover story. He’ll host for the third year in a row, putting him in the company of just three other longtime hosts: LL Cool J, John Denver, and Andy Williams. “For me, it’s a cheat code because I’m a fan of almost all the people who are there,†Noah said of the gig, going on to fawn over nominees and performers like Beyoncé, Brandi Carlile, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, and Black Pumas. So maybe this show is less work, more play.
Have the presenters been announced?
The Recording Academy shared the list of presenters on February 1, just in time for the news to be buried by Beyoncé’s Renaissance world-tour announcement and the ensuing fervor. The Woman King star Viola Davis is a confirmed presenter, along with First Lady Jill Biden and the Rock. The first round of presenters also includes Cardi B, Billy Crystal, Olivia Rodrigo, and Shania Twain. James Corden has been announced as well (and will probably force us to suffer through do a “Carpool Karaoke†skit).
This is a developing story.