Grammys 2024: Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, SZA and Joni Mitchell to star at ceremony

Blogosphere 4 February, 2024 13:05

Whisper it quietly... but could the Grammy Awards get it right this year?

The ceremony, which takes place in Los Angeles on Sunday, is notorious for scoring own goals, often rewarding middle-of-the-road heritage acts over cutting-edge, contemporary pop.

But this year's nominees are straight-down-the-line populist picks, with R&B star SZA leading the field on nine.

There will also be performances from big names ranging from Dua Lipa and Billie Eilish to Joni Mitchell and U2.

Comedian Trevor Noah will host for the fourth year running, overseeing a staggering 94 categories, from best contemporary Christian album to best audiobook, where Michelle Obama will square off against Meryl Streep.

Elsewhere, Phoebe Bridgers' indie-rock supergroup Boygenius, and pop star Victoria Monét have seven nominations each.

Chart stars Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Miley Cyrus, Lana Del Rey and Ice Spice also have multiple nominations in a female-led field.

First of all, brew a strong pot of coffee.

The Grammys are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States for outstanding achievement in music.

More than 80 will be handed out in what's called the "premiere ceremony" at 20:30 GMT on Sunday (12:30 in Los Angeles).

It's often worth tuning in. The winners in the more obscure categories are less polished and more excited about winning, and the performances are looser and, dare I say it, more musical than the Hollywood-scale set pieces you'll see later.

You can watch the whole thing on the Recording Academy's YouTube channel and on live.grammy.com.

The main show, which will start at 01:00 Monday GMT, will be broadcast live in the US on CBS and streamed on Paramount Plus. Speeches and select performances are usually uploaded to YouTube the following day.