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Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
Entertainment
Nardine Saad

Everything you need to know about the 2022 Grammy Awards

After that drama at last Sunday's Oscars, the Grammy Awards have a big show to fill.

It's a rare year in which the Recording Academy's marquee ceremony honoring the best in music follows the globally televised Academy Awards, which honor film achievements. It's a rarer thing still to have the Oscars dominate headlines for days leading up to the Grammys because a winner slapped a presenter during the live ceremony.

Putting Will Smith and Chris Rock's still-brewing feud aside, the 64th Grammy Awards take place Sunday. Here's everything you need to know.

What time is the show? What channel?

The Grammys will take place at the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. The ceremony will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

The show was previously scheduled to take place in Los Angeles on Jan. 31 but was postponed and later moved to Las Vegas over concerns about the omicron variant of COVID-19. That's also why it's taking place after the Oscars this year.

Who's hosting?

"The Daily Show" host Trevor Noah is returning to emcee the ceremony for the second year in a row and hasn't yet commented on how the gig could go differently.

Noah has been pretty quiet on social media in the run-up to the Grammys, and his late-night show has been off the air all week since the slap heard 'round the world. But the comedian resurfaced Wednesday on Twitter to razz CBS for razzing his singing.

But aren't there two ceremonies?

Indeed, there are. There are dozens of Grammy categories — 86 this year, not including special awards — and simply not enough time to fit them all into a roughly three-hour telecast.

So the main show — which includes the four general-field categories of album, record and song of the year and best new artist — focuses on putting together unlikely performance pairings and a few other awards and speeches sprinkled throughout.

The bulk of the Grammy Awards are doled out during a preshow known as the academy's Premiere Ceremony. That show recognizes everything from global music to spoken word to children's album and takes place a few hours before the televised program.

Grammy winner and current nominee LeVar Burton will be hosting the Premiere Ceremony at the MGM Grand Conference Marquee Ballroom. Madison Cunningham, Falu, Nnenna Freelon, Kalani Pe'a, John Popper and the Isaacs will open the show. Others scheduled to perform include current nominees Jimmie Allen, Ledisi, Mon Laferte, Allison Russell and Curtis Stewart.

That ceremony will stream live Sunday from Las Vegas at 3:30 p.m. on the Recording Academy's YouTube channel and on live.grammy.com.

Who's nominated?

"The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" bandleader Jon Batiste leads the field with 11 nominations, and other acts with multiple nominations include Justin Bieber, Doja Cat and H.E.R. (each with eight) and Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo (each with seven).

Here's who's nominated in the top four categories:

RECORD OF THE YEAR

"I Still Have Faith in You" — ABBA

"Freedom" — Jon Batiste

"I Get a Kick Out of You" — Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga

"Peaches" — Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon

"Right on Time" — Brandi Carlile

"Kiss Me More" — Doja Cat featuring SZA

"Happier Than Ever" — Billie Eilish

"Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" — Lil Nas X

"Drivers License" — Olivia Rodrigo

"Leave the Door Open" — Silk Sonic

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

"We Are" — Jon Batiste

"Love for Sale" — Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga

"Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe)" — Justin Bieber

"Planet Her (Deluxe)" — Doja Cat

"Happier Than Ever" — Billie Eilish

"Back of My Mind" — H.E.R.

"Montero" — Lil Nas X

"Sour" — Olivia Rodrigo

"Evermore" — Taylor Swift

"Donda" — Kanye West

SONG OF THE YEAR

"Bad Habits"

"A Beautiful Noise"

"Drivers License"

"Fight for You"

"Happier Than Ever"

"Kiss Me More"

"Leave the Door Open"

"Montero (Call Me by Your Name)"

"Peaches"

"Right on Time"

NEW ARTIST

Arooj Aftab

Jimmie Allen

Baby Keem

Finneas

Glass Animals

Japanese Breakfast

The Kid Laroi

Arlo Parks

Olivia Rodrigo

Saweetie

What's the difference between album, record and song of the year?

An excellent question, if we do say so ourselves. The record of the year goes to the performer and recognizes the artists, producers and engineers who contribute to that recording. The album of the year prize is awarded for a whole album. And the song of the year is given to the songwriter(s) and doesn't include the performer, unless they also co-wrote the song.

Who's performing?

Not Kanye West. And probably not the Foo Fighters.

Ye, a 22-time Grammy winner, said in March that he was pulled from the performance slate because of his "concerning online behavior," which stemmed from what he's written about his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, her boyfriend, Pete Davidson, and even Grammys host Noah. The "Donda" rapper is nominated for album of the year, melodic rap performance, rap album and rap song. It is unclear if he'll attend either ceremony.

Meanwhile, rock band the Foo Fighters, who had been scheduled to perform at the Grammys have canceled all upcoming concert dates following the death of the band's drummer, Taylor Hawkins last week.

So far, the Recording Academy has tapped this year's top nominee Batiste, Brothers Osbourne, BTS, Brandi Carlile, Eilish, H.E.R., J Balvin with Maria Becerra, Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow, John Legend, Nas, Silk Sonic, Rodrigo and Carrie Underwood to perform.

Other acts such as Maverick City Music, Aymée Nuviola and Billy Strings will perform "in special segments that will showcase Las Vegas and spotlight genres not historically represented on the Grammys Awards telecast," the academy said.

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