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Seven Days That Will Shake The Music World

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There's a lot to love about GRAMMY Week
Crystal Larsen
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

The National Football League sponsored a great prelude to the GRAMMY Awards this year. Yeah, there was the game between the New England Patriots and New York Giants. But for us music lovers, it was all about seven-time GRAMMY winner Madonna's halftime performance with LMFAO, M.I.A. and Best New Artist GRAMMY nominee Nicki Minaj (oh, and the commercials, too). Is there a better way to warm up for the 54th GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 12?

Well, we can think of one other: warm-up following all the star-studded events in the week leading up to the GRAMMYs here at GRAMMY.com. We'll have video, photos and play-by-play after each event, and you can join the action each day and night by following @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, liking "The GRAMMYs" on Facebook, and joining the GRAMMYs' social communities on YouTube, Tumblr, Foursquare, GetGlue, and Instagram. You never know what one of your favorite music stars may say or do.

For now, we'll simply give you a taste of what's to come.

Arguably the highest-profile event this side of the GRAMMY Awards, the Pre-GRAMMY Gala is a private VIP party held in conjunction with music mogul Clive Davis. It hosts the biggest names in entertainment the night before the GRAMMYs. This red carpet rivals the GRAMMYs and the Oscars.

Next on the "how do I get a ticket to that?" list is the MusiCares Foundation's Person of the Year gala, which both raises money for MusiCares, and features a list of stars honoring a music industry giant. This year legendary Beatle Paul McCartney will be honored.

If that's not exactly the tip of the iceberg, there's still plenty of iceberg left.

The GRAMMY Foundation will host several events that will be especially noteworthy this year. The Entertainment Law Initiative Luncheon is an annual event that brings together legal professionals with aspiring law students to discuss hot-button topics in the entertainment law field. This year, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek will deliver the keynote address. You can also read our exclusive interview with Ek here.

Similarly, the Foundation's 14th Annual Music Preservation Project, "One Night Only — A Celebration Of The Live Music Experience," will bring in the star power to celebrate the impact of live music performance. Robert Cray, Jonny Lang, Bret Michaels, Mavis Staples, Tyrese and others will join co-hosts Sharon Osbourne and Steve Vai, so get your glow sticks and lighter apps eady.

The Foundation also hosts GRAMMY Camp — Basic Training, a one-day educational event that is tailored to give students and aspiring young musicians a taste of what the music industry feels like from the inside. Participants will include GRAMMY-winning producer Warryn Campbell, artists BC Jean and Sarah Darling, and radio personality DJ Skee.

The Academy will also again host the Social Media Rock Stars Summit, a panel discussion featuring some of the prime architects in the field, including Spotify artist-in-residence and Recording Academy member D.A. Wallach as well as GetGlue founder/CEO Alex Iskold, Shazam CEO Andrew Fisher and Turntable.fm CEO Seth Goldstein, among others.

As The Academy continues to focus on minimizing the ecological impact of the GRAMMY Awards, GRAMMY Week will once again feature a greening summit, The Sound Of Social Change, designed to look at how the music industry is taking similar steps.

The Producers & Engineers Wing will present "Moving The Needle," highlighting the career of music producer and entrepreneur Jimmy Iovine. Iovine co-founded Beats Electronics with Dr. Dre and has produced artists ranging from Stevie Nicks to U2.

This year, The Academy will also celebrate music's impact on style and fashion with GRAMMY Glam, which will feature a DJ set by GRAMMY winner Erykah Badu. Looking to take your glam game to the next level? Be sure to visit www.grammy.com/glam.

And The Recording Academy also honors legendary music acts and industry figures with its annual Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception, where groundbreaking artists are honored with the Lifetime Achievement, Trustees and Technical GRAMMY Awards. This year's honorees include such luminary artists as the Allman Brothers Band, Glen Campbell and Diana Ross.

It's all capped off by the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, Feb. 12. While tuning in to CBS for the telecast, be sure to log on to GRAMMY.com to follow our liveblog, your ticket to follow the show online and join the conversation. After the show, The Academy celebrates in style with its stunning after-party, the GRAMMY Celebration.

How can you experience GRAMMY Week? By checking in at GRAMMY.com. We'll provide blog coverage, photos, and video. And beginning Friday, Feb. 10, you can get an insider's view into the three days of VIP events leading up to the show with GRAMMY Live, including real-time coverage and highlights and a complete stream of the GRAMMY Pre-Telecast Ceremony.

Come back to GRAMMY.com and experience GRAMMY Week, and don't forget to tune in to the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards on the CBS Television Network from 8–11:30 p.m. ET/PT.

 

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Here Comes GRAMMY Week

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There's more to the GRAMMYs than just Sunday night
Crystal Larsen
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

What are your plans this week? Wait, don't answer yet, there's more! As in, more going on this week than you might have ever imagined. It's GRAMMY Week, and that means there's six days of high-profile public and private events in Los Angeles celebrating music, its stars and a certain gramophone-shaped statue. Is there a better way to warm up for the 55th GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 10?

So how do you get in on all the action when, well, you're in Warren, Mich., or, you there, you're in Jackson, Tenn.? Well, it's simple. We'll have video, photos and play-by-play after each event at GRAMMY.com, and you can join the action each day and night by following @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, liking "The GRAMMYs" on Facebook, and joining the GRAMMYs' social communities on YouTube, Tumblr, Foursquare, GetGlue, Google+, and Instagram. You never know what one of your favorite music stars may say or do. And tune in to GRAMMY Live starting Feb. 8 for live coverage.

For now, we'll simply give you a taste of what's to come.

Arguably the highest-profile event this side of the GRAMMY Awards, the Pre-GRAMMY Gala is a private VIP party held in conjunction with music mogul Clive Davis. It hosts the biggest names in entertainment the night before the GRAMMYs. This red carpet rivals the GRAMMYs, the Oscars, Golden Globes, SAG Awards — you name it.

Next on the "I wish I could get a ticket to that" list is the MusiCares' Person of the Year gala, which both raises money for MusiCares, and features a list of stars honoring a music industry giant. This year the Boss Bruce Springsteen will be honored.

Hold on, don't order yet, because we're going to throw in these great events as well.

The GRAMMY Foundation will host several events that will be especially noteworthy this year. The Entertainment Law Initiative Luncheon is an annual event that brings together legal professionals with aspiring law students to discuss hot-button topics in the entertainment law field. This year a keynote roundtable discussion will include NBC News correspondent Tom Brokaw.

Similarly, the Foundation's 15th Annual Music Preservation Project, "Play It Forward — A Celebration of Music's Evolution And Influencers," will bring in the star power to celebrate music's legacy. Performing artists include Yolanda Adams, Emmylou Harris, Lianne La Havas, Lupe Fiasco, LeAnn Rimes, Ed Sheeran, and George Thorogood And The Destroyers, so this will be one time everyone will agree on the theory of evolution.

The Foundation also hosts GRAMMY Camp — Basic Training, a one-day educational event that is tailored to give students and aspiring young musicians a taste of what the music industry feels like from the inside. Participants will include current GRAMMY nominees Lecrae and Elle Varner; producer and musical director for Janelle Monáe Terrence Brown; the Tonight Show Band vocalist Allison Iraheta; composer Joseph Trapanese; and KCRW DJ/entrepreneur Anthony Valadez, among others.

The Academy will also again host the Social Media Rock Stars Summit, a panel discussion featuring some of the prime architects in the field.

This year, in conjunction with Billboard magazine, Billboard's Power 100 event will rock GRAMMY Week by celebrating the 100 most influential people in the music industry as determined by Billboard's annual themed issue. If you want to know who's shaping the music world today, plug in to this event.

The Producers & Engineers Wing will present "An Evening of Jazz," honoring 27-time GRAMMY winner and multi-talented music producer Quincy Jones and 18-time GRAMMY-winning producer/engineer Al Schmitt.

And The Recording Academy also honors legendary music acts and industry figures with its annual Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception, where groundbreaking artists are honored with the Lifetime Achievement, Trustees and Technical GRAMMY Awards. This year's honorees include such luminary artists as pianist Glenn Gould, jazz bassist Charlie Haden, Carole King, and the great Motown vocal group the Temptations.

It's all capped off by the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, Feb. 10. While tuning in to CBS for the telecast, be sure to log on to GRAMMY.com to follow our liveblog, your ticket to follow the show online and join the conversation. After the show, The Academy celebrates in style with its stunning after-party, the GRAMMY Celebration.

How can you experience GRAMMY Week? By checking in at GRAMMY.com. We'll provide blog coverage, photos, and video.

And beginning Friday, Feb. 8, you can get an insider's view into the three days of VIP events leading up to the show with GRAMMY Live including real-time coverage of events and highlights such as the Social Media Rock Stars Summit and the 2013 MusiCares Person of the Year gala, and a complete stream of the GRAMMY Pre-Telecast Ceremony.

Come back to GRAMMY.com and experience GRAMMY Week, and don't forget to tune in to the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards on the CBS Television Network from 8–11:30 p.m. ET/PT.

 

News

Your Guide To Music's Biggest Week

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GRAMMY Week's lineup includes a variety of star-studded events, including tributes to Carole King and Neil Young
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

The GRAMMY Awards is just a three-and-a-half hour TV show on Jan. 26, right? Well, yes … and no.

The GRAMMY telecast itself will fill your Sunday night viewing, but GRAMMY Week fills the five days prior with private and public Los Angeles-based events that celebrate and honor music, often with performances and personalities that would feel right at home on the GRAMMY Awards.

But you're not in Los Angeles. And you're not (yet anyway) a VIP. So how do you get behind the velvet rope? We'll have video, photos and the play-by-play after each event at GRAMMY.com, and you can join the action each day and night by following @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, liking "The GRAMMYs" on Facebook, and joining the GRAMMYs' social communities on YouTube, Tumblr, Foursquare, Pinterest, Google+, and Instagram.

For now, we'll simply give you a taste of what's to come.

Arguably the highest-profile event this side of the GRAMMY Awards, Clive Davis and The Recording Academy's Pre-GRAMMY Gala on Jan. 25 is a private VIP party with a legendary history. Hosting the biggest names in entertainment the night before the GRAMMYs, this event's red carpet rivals the GRAMMYs, the Oscars, Golden Globes, SAG Awards — you name it. The gala will also feature the 2014 GRAMMY Salute To Industry Icons honoring Universal Music Group Chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge.

Next on the "I wish I could get a ticket to that" list is the MusiCares Person of the Year gala on Jan. 24, which both raises money for MusiCares and features a staggering list of stars honoring a music industry giant. Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Pink, James Taylor, and Steven Tyler, among others, are set to honor the first lady of songcraft, Carole King.

The GRAMMY Foundation will host several events that will be especially noteworthy this year. The Entertainment Law Initiative Luncheon is an annual event that brings together legal professionals with aspiring law students to discuss hot-button topics in the entertainment law field. This year’s event on Jan. 24 will be keynoted by Robert Kyncl, head of content and business operations at YouTube.

Similarly, the Foundation's Legacy Concert, "A Song Is Born," will highlight the art and craft of songwriting. Taking place on Jan. 23, performing artists include Skylar Grey, Kris Kristofferson, Goo Goo Dolls' John Rzeznik, Bonnie Raitt, Jimmy Webb, and the Civil Wars' Joy Williams.

On Jan. 22 the Foundation also will host GRAMMY Camp — Basic Training, a one-day educational event tailored to give students and aspiring young musicians a taste of the music from an insider's perspective. Also, on Jan. 22, student members of GRAMMY Camp — Jazz Session will perform at GRAMMY In The Schools Live! alongside current GRAMMY nominees Vampire Weekend and Tig Notaro.

GRAMMY Connect — Where Music & Tech Collide, a panel discussion on Jan. 22 convening some of the prime architects representing progressive entertainment platforms, will feature TED-like talks on current trends in music and technology. Talks will be presented by Revolt TV's Whitney-Gayle Benta, Songza's Eric Davich, Musaic's Scott Vener, and Next Big Sound's Alex White, and all will be available on demand here at GRAMMY.com.

For the second consecutive year, in conjunction with Billboard magazine, the Billboard Power 100 event will rock GRAMMY Week on Jan. 23 by celebrating the 100 most influential people in the music industry as determined by Billboard's annual themed issue of the same name.

On Jan. 21 the Producers & Engineers Wing will celebrate the career of Neil Young at a star-studded event attended by T Bone Burnett, Colbie Caillat, Andrew Dost of Fun., Jakob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Rick Rubin, Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, and Sheila E. among others.

And on Jan. 25, The Recording Academy will honor legendary music acts and industry figures at its annual Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception, where groundbreaking artists are feted with the Lifetime Achievement, Trustees and Technical GRAMMY Awards. This year's honorees include such legendary artists as the Beatles, Clifton Chenier, the Isley Brothers, Kraftwerk, Kristofferson, and composer Ennio Morricone.

It's all capped off by the 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, Jan. 26. While tuning in to CBS for the telecast, be sure to participate in GRAMMY.com's official live-blog and join the conversation. After the show, The Academy celebrates in style with its stunning after-party, the GRAMMY Celebration.

How else can you check out all the GRAMMY action?  

Kicking off at 9 a.m. PT on GRAMMY Sunday, all day you can get all kinds of behind-the-scenes access with GRAMMY Live. For those of you who prefer mobile-only, download the GRAMMY app (Apple, Android).

Still not enough GRAMMY for you? The official GRAMMY program book — the same book GRAMMY winners, nominees and industry VIPs receive at the show — will be available for purchase in the online GRAMMY Store. Take home a piece of history, and a good read.

Come back to GRAMMY.com and experience GRAMMY Week, and don't forget to tune in to the 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Jan. 26 the CBS Television Network from 8–11:30 p.m. ET/PT. 

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Oh What A Week

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GRAMMY Week multiplies the excitement of the GRAMMY Awards by seven
Crystal Larsen
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

(For a complete list of 53rd GRAMMY Awards nominees, click here.)

What if your Super Bowl party lasted seven days straight, with cool Super Bowl-related events happening all week long? That would be pretty okay, we're guessing. And what if Justin Bieber and Ozzy Osbourne starred in a Super Bowl commercial together? (Oh, that's really happening....)

Well, either way, with GRAMMY Week that's how it really is for the GRAMMY Awards and all the events surrounding it. A lot of your favorite music stars don't just show up in Los Angeles on GRAMMY Sunday, Feb. 13 for Music's Biggest Night. Many are in town days before, attending and participating in parties and cultural events produced by The Recording Academy.

What are all these events like? Glad you asked.

Some simply celebrate music, such as arguably the highest-profile event this side of the GRAMMY Awards, the Pre-GRAMMY Gala. This private party, held in conjunction with music mogul Clive Davis, hosts the biggest names in entertainment the night before the GRAMMYs.

Other events highlight the work of The Recording Academy and its affiliated foundations, like the MusiCares Person of the Year gala, which both raises money for MusiCares, and features a list of stars honoring a music industry giant. This year the inimitable Barbra Streisand will be honored.

Similarly, the GRAMMY Foundation's 13th Annual Music Preservation Project, "Word Revolution: A Celebration Of The Evolution Of Hip-Hop," will bring in the star power to celebrate the impact and history of hip-hop. Along the same lines, the GRAMMY Museum, located at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles, will host hip-hop and Mississippi music showcases.

The Foundation also hosts a series of educational events, including GRAMMY Career Day and GRAMMY In The Schools Live! — which are tailored to give students and aspiring young musicians a taste of what the music industry feels like from the inside.

The Academy will also host panels focusing on social media and greening initiatives as they pertain to the music business, while the Producers & Engineers Wing will highlight the career of GRAMMY winner T Bone Burnett at Shaken Rattled & Rolled.

And The Recording Academy also honors legendary music acts and industry figures with its annual Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception, where groundbreaking artists are honored with the Lifetime Achievement, Trustees and Technical GRAMMY Awards. This year's honorees include such luminary artists as Dolly Parton and the Ramones and industry giants like Bruce Lundvall, the label executive who was instrumental in the careers of such GRAMMY-winning artists as Herbie Hancock and Norah Jones.

It's all capped off by the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, Feb. 13. While tuning in to CBS for the telecast, be sure to log on to GRAMMY.com to follow our liveblog, which will provide lively real-time commentary of all the awards and performances. After the show, The Academy celebrates in style with its stunning after-party, the GRAMMY Celebration.

How can you experience GRAMMY Week? By checking in right here. We'll provide blog coverage, photos, and video. And beginning Friday, Feb. 11, you can get an insider's view into the three days of VIP events leading up to the show with GRAMMY Live including real-time coverage and highlights and a complete stream of the GRAMMY Pre-Telecast Ceremony.

Come back to GRAMMY.com and experience GRAMMY Week, and don't forget to tune in to the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards on the CBS Television Network from 8–11:30 p.m. ET/PT. For GRAMMY coverage, updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy's social networks on Facebook and Twitter.
 

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53rd GRAMMY Awards Season Hits High Notes

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GRAMMY telecast draws largest audience in more than a decade, "GRAMMY Effect" increases album sales and GRAMMY Week features diverse slate of programs
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

The 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 13 showcased an eclectic mix of musical performances and special segments that once again gave CBS and GRAMMY Sunday increased ratings with 26.7 million viewers (up from 25.8 million last year), and delivered the largest audience in more than a decade, as well as topping all shows for the entire week. The 16 signature GRAMMY Moments showcased legends and newcomers throughout the three-and-a-half-hour show. Music's Biggest Night was up in adults 18–49, adults 18–34 and adults 25–54 from last year (the best demos since 2004).

GRAMMY Week events — including the annual MusiCares Person of the Year gala, GRAMMY Career Day, Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception, Clive Davis and The Recording Academy's Pre-GRAMMY Gala, Social Media Rock Stars Summit, and more — highlighted education, philanthropy, advocacy, diverse artists, and musical genres, and set records with increased guests and media attendance. Aggressive social networking and marketing and a user-friendly redesign helped increase traffic to GRAMMY.com, and the "GRAMMY Effect" the week following the show resulted in significantly increased album sales and digital song downloads for performers and GRAMMY-winning artists. Additionally, The Recording Academy furthered its efforts to present a greener GRAMMY Awards by once again reducing the environmental impact of the telecast and associated GRAMMY Week events.

"From our extraordinary GRAMMY nominees and recipients to the unique, special and historic performances, everyone can agree that one basic premise was clearly evident: the 53rd GRAMMY Awards was about the music. This is precisely what the GRAMMY Awards and The Recording Academy represent — excellence in recorded music," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "We are exceptionally proud to continue to offer unparalleled events throughout GRAMMY Week, which spotlight the best in music as well as highlight education, preservation and human services. It's also gratifying to see consumers and fans continue to engage with the GRAMMYs through our social networking sites and GRAMMY.com, demonstrating the power of Music's Biggest Night."

GRAMMY Awards Performers And Presenters
Building on the stunning opening tribute to Aretha Franklin featuring Yolanda Adams, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Martina McBride, and Florence Welch, many other great GRAMMY Moments followed on this year's telecast, including Arcade Fire; Justin Bieber and Usher with Jaden Smith; B.o.B, Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe; Drake and Rihanna; Eminem with Dr. Dre, Skylar Grey, Adam Levine, and Rihanna; Mick Jagger with Raphael Saadiq; Lady Antebellum; Cee Lo Green with Gwyneth Paltrow and the Jim Henson Company Puppets; Lady Gaga; Miranda Lambert; Muse; Katy Perry; Barbra Streisand; and Esperanza Spalding in a special segment with members of the GRAMMY Jazz Ensembles and GRAMMY Camp. Presenters included Marc Anthony, Dierks Bentley, Zac Brown, Miley Cyrus, Jamie Foxx, Selena Gomez, Neil Patrick Harris, Jewel, Norah Jones, Kris Kristofferson, John Legend, LL Cool J, Eva Longoria, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Clay Matthews, John Mayer, Nicki Minaj, Matthew Morrison, Paramore, Pauley Perrette, Seth Rogen, Ryan Seacrest, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Donnie Wahlberg, and will.i.am.

GRAMMY Nominees Album And The "GRAMMY Effect"
The 2011 GRAMMY Nominees album made its debut at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 album chart (tying the series' highest debut) and continued its success after the telecast by remaining in the Top 10. This year, The Recording Academy and Jive Records teamed to release the 17th edition of the best-selling series, which highlighted artists and songs nominated for the current GRAMMY year. A portion of proceeds from the sale of the CD benefits MusiCares and the GRAMMY Foundation. Additionally, post-GRAMMY telecast, numerous artists enjoyed the "GRAMMY Effect" with significant sales increases, including Esperanza Spalding (up 476 percent), Arcade Fire (238 percent), Lady Antebellum (205 percent), Mumford & Sons (169 percent), Cee Lo Green (96 percent), Eminem (60 percent), and Bruno Mars (55 percent), among others. Increases on the Digital Songs chart included Mumford & Sons' "The Cave" (205 percent), Cee Lo Green's "F*** You/Forget You" (178 percent), Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" (77 percent), and Justin Bieber featuring Jaden Smith's "Never Say Never" (67 percent), among others. The Academy was once again able to offer a number of this year's once-in-a-lifetime performances as video downloads on iTunes.

TBWA\Chiat\Day Marketing Campaign
The 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards marketing campaign MusicIsLifeIsMusic — which featured print, outdoor, digital, TV, an interactive microsite, and the MusicMapper app, available on iPhone and Android devices — celebrated the songs that have significance in one's life and the places connected to those songs. Utilizing social networking and geolocation, music fans were able to map out their musical journeys and share them with others. The fully integrated campaign highlighted music fans' unprecedented impact in the current digital age. MusicIsLifeIsMusic told the stories of both nominees and music fans, and not only allowed users the opportunity to map their own respective musical journeys, they explored other MusicMapper tags through an augmented reality view that provided an innovative, real-life glimpse at how "music is life is music." By using a mobile device camera, users could see others' tags, Flickr photos and Foursquare check-ins associated with the space they enter. Additionally, fans had the ability to unlock exclusive GRAMMY content based on their physical location as determined by SimpleGeo. Via a QR Code Reader on all print material and outdoor advertisements, users accessed eight full-length GRAMMY performances from past shows. The microsite and iPhone and Android apps continue to live on beyond the telecast.

GRAMMY Live
For the second consecutive year, music fans worldwide had the opportunity to experience and participate in the color and excitement leading up to GRAMMY Sunday through GRAMMY Live — a real-time, innovative, three-day online broadcast of the VIP events leading up to the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards. The GRAMMY Live stream of the road to Music's Biggest Night began on Friday, Feb. 11, at 2 p.m. PT and ran through Sunday, Feb. 13, and received 20 million views collectively between GRAMMY.com and YouTube.com/thegrammys. GRAMMY Live featured video, photos, blogs, tweets and retweets, as well as official news reports and personalized updates from hosts actor/comedian Ben Gleib, TV/Web personality Shira Lazar and veteran broadcast music journalist John Norris. Exclusive behind-the-scenes GRAMMY cams gave the audience an insider's view into GRAMMY Week events including the Social Media Rock Stars Summit; MusiCares Person of the Year tribute; Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception; Pre-GRAMMY Gala featuring the 2011 GRAMMY Salute To Industry Icons; and all the action on GRAMMY Sunday, including red-carpet arrivals, the Pre-Telecast Ceremony, and the official GRAMMY Celebration after-party. Additional behind-the-scenes footage offered viewers a "dual-screen" experience, complementing the GRAMMY telecast with red-carpet coverage, backstage interviews, exclusive photo sessions with winners (with renowned photographer Danny Clinch), press room sessions, and past GRAMMY moments.

GRAMMY Pre-Telecast Ceremony
The GRAMMY Pre-Telecast Ceremony — during which awards for a majority of the 108 categories were presented — took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center prior to the telecast and enjoyed its largest attendance to date. Once again, the ceremony was streamed live on GRAMMY.com and the stream was available for 30 days following the event. The Pre-Telecast live stream was viewed by more than 460,000 visitors, a 130 percent increase over last year. The ceremony was co-hosted by Bobby McFerrin and Esperanza Spalding and featured live performances by ChocQuibTown, Buddy Guy, Cyndi Lauper, Maria Muldaur, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Mavis Staples, Trombone Shorty, Kirk Whalum, and Betty Wright. GRAMMY Awards were presented by Laurie Anderson, Sara Bareilles, BT, Kathy Griffin, and Wayne Wallace. Overall, GRAMMYs in 46 out of 108 categories this year were awarded to independent artists and/or music released on an independent label.

GRAMMY Week Events
Official GRAMMY Week events presented a diversity of celebrations leading up to Music's Biggest Night. For the fourth year, The Producers & Engineers Wing presented an event that paid tribute to those "behind the glass," honoring legendary producer and 12-time GRAMMY winner T Bone Burnett. Titled Shaken Rattled & Rolled, the event was held at the Village recording studio in Los Angeles and celebrated the P&E Wing's 10th anniversary. With record-breaking attendance numbers, the Special Merit Awards Ceremony, held at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre, presented Lifetime Achievement Awards to Julie Andrews, Roy Haynes, Juilliard String Quartet, the Kingston Trio, Dolly Parton, the Ramones, and George Beverly Shea; Al Bell, Wilma Cozart Fine and Bruce Lundvall received the Trustees Award; and Roger Linn and Waves Audio Ltd. were Technical GRAMMY Award honorees.

Pre-GRAMMY Gala And GRAMMY Salute To Industry Icons
The Recording Academy once again partnered with Clive Davis to present the exclusive, star-studded Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute To Industry Icons event at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Entertainment entrepreneur David Geffen was honored with the President's Merit Award for his indelible contributions to the music industry. The event featured performances by Mary J. Blige, Cee Lo Green, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Hudson, R. Kelly, Janelle Monáe, Matthew Morrison, Mumford & Sons, and Dionne Warwick. Attendees included Warren Beatty, the Black Eyed Peas, Jackson Browne, Cher, Diddy, Foo Fighters, David Foster, Quincy Jones, Chaka Khan, Adam Lambert, Ray LaMontagne, Barry Manilow, Bruno Mars, John Mayer, Martina McBride, Katy Perry, Usher, and Neil Young, among many others.

GRAMMY Celebration
The party continued immediately following the live GRAMMY telecast at the Los Angeles Convention Center with the largest-ever guest attendance at the 2011 GRAMMY Celebration, The Academy's official after-party. Live performances included Keri Hilson, the Roots, DJ Wayne, and members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the GRAMMY Jazz Ensembles. Chef extraordinaire Wolfgang Puck once again treated guests to gourmet dishes and sweet delights throughout the three-and-a-half-hour party. Produced by Along Came Mary Productions, the exclusive invitation-only soiree took guests back to the '70s with a journey through a Night at Studio 54 and was one of the night's most sought-after parties.

GRAMMYs Get Greener
In an ongoing effort to reduce the environmental impact of the GRAMMY Awards, The Academy continued its greening initiative and found additional ways to utilize alternative energy resources to power the telecast and promote recycling and waste reduction. For the fourth consecutive year, the GRAMMY telecast was produced with renewable energy, which was purchased by The Recording Academy. Additionally, The Academy collaborated with Bonneville Environmental Foundation to balance the energy consumption over the course of the seven-day period of setup and tear down by investing in existing clean energy projects. The Academy continued its partnership with Waste Management to recycle waste from the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Other greening achievements included: a red-carpet made from 100 percent recycled materials (which were used at the 51st and 52nd GRAMMY Awards); for the second year in a row, all incoming GRAMMY ticket requests were processed electronically; recycled content paper was used for nearly all paper products (including 100 percent recycled content tickets, with 30 percent post-consumer content, and program books printed on recycled paper with 10 percent post-consumer content); recycling bins for aluminum, glass and plastic containers provided at both Staples Center and LACC, in addition to a number of other GRAMMY Week events; most set pieces and furniture were either rentals or stored for reuse; unused food from staff box lunches and the GRAMMY Celebration after-party were donated to local food banks; the Wolfgang Puck after-party menu incorporated locally grown and organic options.

For the first time this year, The Academy teamed with 100% Cork and ReCORK to recycle corks from wine bottles used at the GRAMMY Celebration. More than 1,000 corks were diverted from landfills and repurposed for various industrial, household and fashion goods. Also a first-year collaboration, The Academy teamed with ridesharing company Ride Amigos, allowing guests attending the 53rd GRAMMY Awards to connect with each other online and organize carpools to Staples Center.

GRAMMY Foundation
This year's GRAMMY Foundation GRAMMY Week events took guests and GRAMMY nominees through unique educational and cultural experiences. For the second year, the GRAMMY Foundation presented GRAMMY In The Schools Live! — which featured the GRAMMY Jazz Ensembles, student alumni from GRAMMY Camp and GRAMMY Signature Schools, with a special guest performance by Sara Bareilles. The Ensembles also performed at Spaghettini Italian Grill & Lounge in Seal Beach, Calif., with special guest artist Esperanza Spalding; the MusiCares Person of the Year tribute; and the GRAMMY Celebration after-party. Legendary Capitol Studios & Mastering was again provided by the EMI Music Group for the Ensembles to record an album that will join the lineup of previous Ensembles recordings available for purchase at online music outlets such as iTunes and Amazon.

GRAMMY Career Day hosted 750 Los Angeles-area students at the USC campus where high school students were given insight into music business careers from artists including GRAMMY-winning producer Warryn Campbell; GRAMMY-winning songwriting team Angela Hunte and Jane't "Jnay" Sewell-Ulepic; artist JoiStarr; songwriter/producer Claude Kelly; rapper Lecrae; GRAMMY-winning engineer Manny Marroquin; artists Mohombi and Kelly Price; multi-platinum producer RedOne; singer/songwriter Eric Roberson; and recording artist Jordin Sparks. Participating industry professionals included "Glee" music producer Adam Anders; Recording Academy Chair Emeritus, GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares Board member and five-time GRAMMY winner Jimmy Jam; "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" musical director Rickey Minor; Chair of the GRAMMY Foundation Board and Chief Marketing Officer of Coca-Cola North America Bea Perez; and MusiCares Board member and Head of Urban Music for EMI Music Publishing Jon Platt. A special highlight of GRAMMY Career Day was Best Buy's presentation of a check for $1.24 million to the GRAMMY Foundation in support of music education activities.

The Foundation's 13th Annual Music Preservation Project, Word Revolution: A Celebration Of The Evolution Of Hip-Hop, featured live musical performances and historical footage from preservation archives. Kevin Frazier of "Entertainment Tonight" and "Insider" was the evening's host and performers included Marsha Ambrosius; GRAMMY winners Arrested Development and Chrisette Michele; Beat Freaks from "America's Best Dance Crew"; DJ Beverly Bond; Brave New Voices; Everlast; DJ Jazzy Jeff; Kid Capri; Lil Mama; MC Lyte; Musiq Soulchild; Naughty By Nature; Phife from A Tribe Called Quest; DJ Skee; Paul Wall; and Young Chris, among others.

The annual Entertainment Law Initiative & Scholarship Presentation featured seven-time GRAMMY winner and GRAMMY Foundation Board member will.i.am as keynote speaker. The luncheon also honored John T. Frankenheimer, distinguished entertainment attorney, partner and co-chairman of Loeb & Loeb LLP, and chair of the firm's music industry practice group, as the recipient of the 2011 Service Award.

MusiCares Person Of The Year
Eight-time GRAMMY winner, Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award and GRAMMY Legend Award recipient Barbra Streisand was honored as the 2011 MusiCares Person of the Year with a tribute that raised a record-breaking $4.75 million to support MusiCares' programs and services for music people in need. The 21st anniversary of the gala, which was attended by a record audience of more than 2,400 guests, included a special reception, silent auction, dinner, award presentation, and a star-studded tribute concert that featured performances by Jeff Beck; Tony Bennett; Kristin Chenoweth; "Glee" cast members Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison and Darren Criss; Herbie Hancock; Faith Hill; Diana Krall; Leona Lewis; Barry Manilow; LeAnn Rimes; Seal; BeBe Winans; Stevie Wonder; and Nikki Yanofsky. Streisand closed the evening with her own special performance. Fran Drescher, Bill Maher and multi-GRAMMY-winning artists Prince and will.i.am were presenters at the tribute.

GRAMMY Charity Online Auctions
In celebration of the GRAMMY Awards, GRAMMY Charity Online Auctions offered approximately 100 exclusive items, including once-in-a-lifetime VIP experiences, memorabilia from world-renowned celebrities, and official GRAMMY merchandise signed by participating stars backstage during telecast rehearsals and show day. All proceeds benefited MusiCares and the GRAMMY Foundation.