The shell-shocked entertainment capital is still reeling after the deadly blazes razed entire neighborhoods, leaving the music and film industries – vital to the city’s economy – grappling with how to navigate the coming awards season.
But Harvey Mason Jr, the head of the Recording Academy behind the Grammys, said the gala would go on as planned at Crypto.com Arena “in close coordination with local authorities” – and with an eye towards raising money for wildfire relief.
On Friday, MusiCares hosted its annual pre-Grammy gala – this year honoring psychedelic jam band rockers The Grateful Dead – bringing together top industry figures where relief efforts and honoring firefighters is set to take precedence.
The Recording Academy is “thrilled that so many artists in our community are banding together at this time to show support for their fellow music makers and others impacted by the recent wildfires,“ said Mason.
Beyonce and her groundbreaking Cowboy Carter album that vaunted Black cowboy culture lead this year’s Grammy hopefuls, with 11 chances at a prize.
Cowboy Carter is her fifth studio album vying for the top prize (she also was shortlisted as a featured artist on Lady Gaga’s The Fame Monster), with Swift – who has won it a record four times – among her rivals.
Eilish, another perennial contender, has seven nominations, while a buzzy group of artists including pop sensations Charli XCX (eight nods), Sabrina Carpenter (six) and Chappell Roan (six) are all in the running for major prizes.
The paradox of Beyonce never winning the big prizes has revived frequent criticism that the Recording Academy sidelines the work of Black artists.
Beyonce’s at-times tense relationship with the Grammys “has really illustrated the fault lines in how organizations think about style and think about genre, especially around race and gender lines,“ said musicologist Lauron Kehrer.
The Recording Academy has made moves to expand and diversify its voter pool in recent years, developments Kehrer said hopefully means “we have more perspectives weighing in.”
The closely watched Best New Artist contest features favorites Carpenter and Roan, who both skyrocketed into the mainstream over the past year.
Shaboozey is also vying for the melodic rap award with Beyonce – whom he will also compete against in the country categories, in a sign that the Academy might be reading the room when it comes to songs and artists that defy categorisation.
Artists including Eilish, Roan, Charli XCX and Carpenter are due to take the stage, along with several more Best New Artist contenders like Doechii, Raye, Teddy Swims and Benson Boone.
Legends Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock and John Legend will also appear during the gala, which will pay tribute to legendary late producer Quincy Jones. – AFP
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