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Just as Bon Jovi has done for 40 years, musicians came to rock at the Los Angeles Convention Center Friday night (Feb. 2) as the band’s namesake, Jon Bon Jovi, was honored at MusiCares 33rd Person of the Year annual gala.
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The honoree himself set the tone for the night, opening the evening with “Legendary,” the propulsive first single from the band’s forthcoming album that sounds like a classic Bon Jovi track. “As I look out here at all you tuxedoed executives, I remind you this is a Bon Jovi concert,” Jon Bon Jovi said. “We don’t sit down.”
And there was certainly no sitting as Bon Jovi then introduced Bruce Springsteen, calling him “my mentor, my hero, my brother, my friend,” as the audience of more than 2,000 began chanting the requisite “BRUUUUUUCE.” Springsteen’s participation had been in doubt after his 98-year old mother, Adele, died on Wednesday (Jan. 31).
As Bon Jovi later explained, when Springsteen — MusiCares Person of the Year in 2013 — first got the news about his mother, he was already on a plane to Los Angeles. “I certainly would have understood if he’d said that he couldn’t make it,” Bon Jovi said, “but he wanted to be here tonight for MusiCares. And he wanted to be here tonight for me. And I’m forever grateful to you.
The two most famous musicians from New Jersey (perhaps other than Frank Sinatra) ripped into spirited renditions of Bon Jovi’s 2006 hit “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” which boasts Springsteenean “Alrights” in the chorus, and Springsteen’s “Promised Land,” with Bon Jovi playing Springsteen’s trademark harmonica parts before the Boss joined in for a little harmonica duet at the end.
Among those singing along in the audience were Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen, MSNBC host Ari Melber, frequent Bon Jovi collaborator Desmond Child, Rita Wilson, Carly Pearce, Gayle King, Nile Rodgers and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and her husband, Paul. The latter pair made the rounds earlier in the evening, schmoozing with Bon Jovi, 2012 MusiCares honoree Paul McCartney and Springsteen.
Bon Jovi then sat down, flanked for much of the evening by Springsteen and McCartney, as a constellation of artists took the stage to deliver some of the most beloved anthems in the arena rock canon from the past 40 years. With more than 150 million albums sold, including 12 times platinum rock juggernaut Slippery When Wet, and nearly 20 top 40 hits, there was no shortage of familiar material to draw from.
Melissa Etheridge, joined by Larkin Poe had the tough task of following Bon Jovi and Springsteen, but proved more than up to the challenge with a sizzling version of Jon Bon Jovi’s No. 1 solo hit, “Blaze of Glory,” from the 1990 film Young Guns ll. Train’s Pat Monahan delivered a stylish take on 2000’s driving hit, “It’s My Life”; Shania Twain turned in a dramatic reading of ballad “Bed of Roses”; Sammy Hagar was joined by guitar slinger Orianthi for Bon Jovi’s first No. 1, 1986’s “You Give Love A Bad Name”; and Jason Isbell pulled out a double neck guitar, similar to the one sported by former band member Richie Sambora, on the iconic “Wanted Dead or Alive.” While many acts pulled from the multi-platinum group’s ’80s and ’90s era, the Goo Goo Dolls dipped into more recent fare, taking on the title track from 2016’s This House is Not for Sale.
Comedian Jim Gaffigan served as a nimble and often hilarious host, good naturedly roasting Jon Bon Jovi for his ’80s fashion and even more so for his ’80s big hair, and even taking to the stage in a replica of a trademark beefcake poster of Jon Bon Jovi from the ’80s in a cut-off Jack Daniels T-shirt, obscenely short denim shorts and a wig with a shocking amount of teased, flowing blond locks. As he sarcastically noted of the ridiculously photogenic Bon Jovi, “You have to wonder where he would have gotten if he was good looking.”
Later, he suggested that Bon Jovi, McCartney and Springsteen, as well as table mate, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, could form a new iteration of The Traveling Wilburys, with Kraft on lead vocals.
Additionally, a new generation of artists equipped themselves well taking on songs that they had likely grown up with or heard their parents play. Best new artist nominee Jelly Roll delivered a growly, rollicking “Bad Medicine,” while taking advantage of the playing before a room full of powerful music industry executives to spread a message about an issue close to his heart, drug addiction. The country artist, who spoke at a congressional hearing in support of an anti-fentanyl bill in January, sported a jacket with facts about drug addiction, including one across his back that read “190 people a day overdose and die in the United States of America.”
A pigtailed Lainey Wilson followed with a spirited “We Weren’t Born to Follow,” while Måneskin’s charismatic frontman Damiano David performed a propulsive “Keep the Faith.” Wolfgang Van Halen’s Mammoth WVH delivered a pounding “Have A Nice Day,” and guitar wiz Marcus King showed off his blazing fret work on “Born to Be My Baby.”
Playing on the round, revolving B-stage in the middle of the audience, best new artist nominees The War and Treaty gave one of the evening’s most inspired performances at times singing directly to each other with an elevated, emotional take of “I’ll Be There For You,” Bon Jovi’s 1989 tale of devotion that husband and wife team Michael and Tonya Trotter should definitely consider cutting for their next album. Also utilizing the smaller space to great effect was 17-time Grammy nominee Brandy Clark with a beautiful rendition of 2007’s “(You Want to) Make a Memory.”
The evening also included video tributes from Matthew McConaughey, John Mayer, P!nk, Ed Sheeran and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, who praised Bon Jovi for “his everyday commitment to [help] other people.” Bon Jovi’s myriad philanthropic efforts include the JBJ Soul Foundation, which has built close to 1,000 units of affordable housing, and JBJ Soul Kitchens, which operate on a pay-it-forward model where those in need volunteer for their meals at the kitchen while paying customers are asked to make a donation that will cover their meal as well as the meal of someone in need.
Kraft, who first met Bon Jovi on the sidelines at the 1997 Super Bowl (“In a game we lost,” he noted), presented Bon Jovi with his award, praising the honoree for his business acumen and social consciousness.
“Unlike the majority of artists and performers, who understandably, are insular, Jon’s always had an empathy for the world at large,” Kraft said. “And he’s shown that impact as a philanthropist. He has used his platform as a global rock star and paired it with his own money and operating skill and created the Soul Foundation… building a model program for solving the vicious cycle of hunger, poverty and homelessness that has now been copied by many others.” He also praised the son of two Marines for his long-lasting marriage to his high school sweetheart, Dorothea.
After thanking Springsteen and McCartney (saying to the Beatle, “I think it’s fair to say that the reason most, if not all, of us are in the room tonight, is because of you.”), Bon Jovi quickly noted that this award wouldn’t have been possible without those around him. “Everything that I’ve accomplished with or without the band or in my philanthropic life has had the support of my family, my friends, bandmates, collaborators and an army of the willing, who’ve been ready to take my dreams and make them a reality,” he said.
He also praised the ability of music as the “common thread” that “moves us when we’re happy and it comforts us when we’re sad and brings us together.” He then spoke of recently buying back his first electric guitar that he sold in 1979 for $100. With his newly reclaimed guitar back in his hands, “the first thing I did was held it, cradled it, really, and then wrote a song… another thing I’ve come to know is that every time that I strum my guitar, I’m reminded that I have a best friend for life. That instrument will never let you down.”
Bon Jovi then thanked MusiCares for providing assistance to those musicians not as fortunate as himself, who have needed a helping hand. Since 1991, MusiCares has handed out more than $110 million to provide essential support for programs and services assisting the music community, including physical and mental health, addiction recovery, preventive clinics, unforeseen personal emergencies, and disaster relief.
(L-R) Michael Trotter Jr., Hugh McDonald, Jon Bon Jovi, Sammy Hagar and Jelly Roll attend the 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year Honoring Jon Bon Jovi during the 66th Grammy Awards on Feb. 02, 2024 in Los Angeles
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Ending by saying, “the 18-year-old in me wants to sing with everybody else,” Bon Jovi called his band back to the stage, including keyboardist David Bryan and drummer Tico Torres, as well all the evening’s participating artists (minus Springsteen) to perform the group’s beloved anthem and 1986 Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “Living on a Prayer.” Jon Bon Jovi roamed the stage, hugging and trading lyrics with many of the performers to close the evening.
See the MusiCares Salute to Jon Bon Jovi set list below:
“Legendary,” Bon Jovi“Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen“The Promised Land,” Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen“Blaze of Glory,” Melissa Etheridge and Larkin Poe“Bad Medicine,” Jelly Roll“We Weren’t Born to Follow,” Lainey Wilson“It’s My Life,” Pat Monahan“Bed of Roses,” Shania Twain“Wanted Dead or Alive,” Jason Isbell“Keep the Faith,” Damiano David“This House is Not for Sale,” Goo Goo Dolls“I’ll Be There for You,” The War and Treaty“Have a Nice Day,” Mammoth WVH“(You Want To) Make a Memory,” Brandy Clark“Living on a Prayer,” Bon Jovi and guests
Record of the year is one of the most superstar-packed categories at Sunday’s (Feb. 4) 2024 Grammy Awards — but who do you think should win? We have five previous Grammy winners in the mix: 12-time winner Taylor Swift with “Anti-Hero”; seven-time winner Billie Eilish with her Barbie soundtrack contribution “What Was I Made For?”; […]
Miley Cyrus is set to perform her smash “Flowers” at the 2024 Grammy Awards on Sunday (Feb. 4) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Billboard has confirmed. Variety was first to report the news. The ceremony will air live on CBS and Paramount+. Surprisingly, this will be the first time Cyrus has performed the song on TV since its release in January 2023.
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Sixteen years into her post-Hannah Montana pop career, Cyrus received her first Grammy nominations in “Big Three” categories – album, record and song of the year. Cyrus’ father, Billy Cyrus, has landed two record of the year nominations – for “Achy Breaky Heart” (1992) and as a featured artist on Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” (2019). The Cyruses are just the third parent-child pair to each receive record of the year nominations, following Frank Sinatra & Nancy Sinatra and Nat “King” & Natalie Cole.
“Flowers,” which entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 1 and remained there for eight consecutive weeks, is also nominated for best pop solo performance.
Cyrus co-wrote “Flowers” with Gregory Aldae Hein and Michael Pollack. It appears on Cyrus’ album Endless Summer Vacation, which is also nominated for best pop vocal album.
Also set to perform on the show are Burna Boy, Luke Combs (with Tracy Chapman), Billie Eilish, Billy Joel, Dua Lipa, Joni Mitchell (in her first Grammy performance), Olivia Rodrigo, Travis Scott, SZA and U2. Burna Boy is expected to be joined by 21 Savage and Brandy. Mitchell is expected to be joined by Brandi Carlile.
In addition, Stevie Wonder, Fantasia Barrino, Annie Lennox and Jon Batiste will perform in the In Memoriam segment, in which they will honor Tony Bennett, Tina Turner, Sinéad O’Connor and Clarence Avant, respectively.
Stevie Wonder, Fantasia Barrino, Annie Lennox and Jon Batiste are set to honor recently departed music icons at the 2024 Grammy Awards, set for Sunday (Feb. 4) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Most have deep personal connections to the honorees. Wonder will pay tribute to Tony Bennett, with whom he teamed to perform “For […]
Barack and Michelle Obama, if you don’t already have plans for Saturday night, Clive Davis would like a word. When asked whom he’d like most to attend his and the Recording Academy’s Pre-Grammy gala who never has, the legendary executive and chief creative officer of Sony Music says the 44th president and his wife. “They should come this year, they’d love it!” he adds with a laugh. No sitting or past president has ever attended the event, though former Vice President Al Gore attended in 2007 with his then wife Tipper.
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Obamas in attendance or not, Davis will preside over the Feb. 3 event — as he has since the first gala in 1976 — at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, which promises to bring together the usual constellation of stars from the worlds of music, sports, film and politics. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is expected to attend for the 24th or 25th time (Davis can’t remember exactly), as are athletic greats Scottie Pippen, Serena Williams and Martina Navratilova. SZA, this year’s top Grammy nominee (whom Davis met Wednesday at Billboard’s Power 100 party), will be there, as will best new artist nominees Noah Kahan, Ice Spice and Jelly Roll, as well as icons like Gladys Knight, Diana Ross and Berry Gordy.
Not in attendance this year (though certainly invited) will be Taylor Swift, whose touring rehearsals didn’t permit for her to come, Davis says — before he launches into a touching story of how his respect for Swift grew even greater when she sang every word to “Chances Are” in 2015 as the renowned crooner Johnny Mathis performed a greatest hits set.
Davis, clad in a resplendent purple blazer and purple pullover — with his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Charlie, by his side at the Beverly Hilton — talked with Billboard about this year’s gala on Thursday (Feb. 1), as well as some memories of past years. As always, the list of performers remains secret until the evening, though attendees can expect the usual mix of hot newcomers, superstars and at least one classic artist among the 10 or 11 performances. The most Davis will reveal is to tease a possible duet between two artists who have never met.
See our conversation below.
When you started the party in 1976 to honor Barry Manilow and his Grammy nominations, did you imagine it would still be going 48 years later?
It never occurred to me. What I did know was Barry had come to me — he said, “Every label has a party, where’s our party?” And I said, “Barry, we just started, we’ll have two tables at Chasen’s. We can have the party the night before. We just started Arista; people will want to wish us well.” We ended up having it at the Bel Air Hotel. Stevie Wonder came, John Denver came, Elton John came. That is why that tradition has continued, and it is unceasingly touching that every company’s top players [attend].
Are you already thinking about the 50th?
No. I take it one year at a time.
When do people start asking you for an invite?
I would say months in advance, because it’s not based on any one factor, [like] who’s performing. They know the tradition; they know the history. What they usually ask if they have come before is for a plus-one, which is usually out of the question.
And then the most painful thing, as we welcome the new players from Spotify, from the streaming world, from the new organizations and those who have become president of labels that have never been there, we have a finite number of people we can invite. For every new member, we really have to cancel either a plus-one or say, “I’m sorry.” It’s not just they want to be there, they feel if they’re professionally in the music business, somewhat diminished [if they don’t receive an invitation]. And that is painful. And I don’t want to talk about that lightly or matter of factly. It’s painful especially to me, who’s been in the business as long as I have. And we have no other choice because they’re not really still active.
You could move it to a bigger location.
We don’t want to do it any place bigger. I mean, you can taste the performances; you can see them interact, artists asking John Legend to help on this song, Melissa Etheridge to help on that song. That framework’s a part of the evening.
What can you say about the documentary that’s in the works about the gala?
The documentary is pure and simple the history of the party. The team is going over the history of the entire party and gasping at the incredible history of legendary performances. I mean, Whitney [Houston] played the party six times. The year [2000] that I started J Records and she knew that we were not going to work together, we never knew we’d be reunited as quickly as we were. But that year, the party had only two performers out of choice. That was Santana, because of the hugeness of their success, and Whitney. And the coverage of Whitney performing, and coming over to me and singing to me, “I Believe in You and Me” and “I Will Always Love You” — oh, I mean, it will tear your heart out. So, they’ve got all that, they’re thrilled with what’s there.
Has every party been filmed?
They’re going through it. We have a lot of parties that have been filmed. Certainly, they’ve been filmed the last few years, but we have coverage of [past parties.]
You mentioned the Obamas as people you’d like to attend. Who is someone you wish had performed, living or dead?
Prince. He attended, but he never performed. He’s been in the audience.
We lost so many amazing artists this past year, including Jimmy Buffett and Tina Turner. Are you paying homage to them or any of the other people we lost this year?
We have done, in the past, tributes. We’re not doing a tribute [this year]. In a way we’re celebrating one artist, but not because we’ve lost this artist. The evening will end with a tribute to one artist.
That’s another tantalizing hint. This year, Sony Music Publishing’s chairman/CEO Jon Platt will receive the Industry Icons Award. Does he get to select any of the performers?
The honoree will have two artists, historically, to perform in his honor that he has chosen. We’ve never really worked together, but I’m a big admirer of his talent. I admire the talent of someone who has established a deep personal connection with artists, where they feel they’ve got to show up and represent for him. That’s a big talent. And he’s one of those people that has a wonderful personal connection with artists. [Davis confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that Platt’s friends, Beyonce and Jay Z, would be in attendance].
How much attention do you pay to the seating chart — even though your son, Doug, and longtime event producer Stacy Carr, handle many of the details?
I pay a lot of attention — because, with all due respect to them who make the initial [seating chart], having been in the industry all those years, you really want to seat people so that they understand that there is parity between them and others. It’s human nature amongst those artists. So I do look it over very carefully, and the [seating chart] board will be rolled out, probably beginning tonight.
Where will you watch the Grammys on Sunday night?
I have a select number of people watch with me in my suite at the hotel. I like the close-ups. It’s definitely more personal. I have a number of people come over, some business associates and friends, and we watch it together. And then I’ll go to the Sony party.
From Taylor Swift to Boygenius to SZA , these stars could dominate this year’s Grammys ceremony.
Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz took center stage before a packed and cheering ballroom for The Recording Academy Honors presented by The Black Music Collective (BMC) Thursday evening (Feb. 1) in Los Angeles. The two music icons were saluted as this year’s Global Impact Award recipients — a CEO Merit Award “honoring the essence and evolution of Black excellence,” as Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. noted in his opening remarks.
And with Mason’s declaration, “Let’s get this party started,” a stellar array of music performances and emotion-packed acceptance speeches rocked the rafters of the Fairmont Century Plaza. Leading the charge was Davido with a spirited performance of “Mona Lisa” that that got the audience on its feet, dancing and waving napkins around the room.
That moment was just the first in a series of standing ovations setting the tone prior to the award presentations. Among the evening’s noteworthy performances, under the direction of the event’s music supervisor Adam Blackstone, was Andra Day’s powerful rendering of the Billie Holiday classic “Strange Fruit,” Gabby Simone’s insightful interpretation of Nina Simone’s “Four Women” and Erica Campbell’s soul-clenching take on the gospel standard “I Love the Lord.”
Just as stirring were the performances and speeches given on behalf of the honorees, beginning with H.E.R. paying tribute to singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Lenny Kravitz. Referencing one of his hits, she said, “’American Woman’ made me say to my dad, ‘I want to play guitar. I want to be a rock star like Lenny Kravitz’ … Thank you for breaking so many barriers and paving the way for artists like me. Thank you, Lenny Kravitz, for teaching us all to let love rule” — (a nod to the title of Kravitz’s 1989 debut studio album).
Kravitz began by sharing early musical memories that helped shape his legendary career, such as being a 5-year-old sitting on the lap of Duke Ellington in the Rainbow Room while the latter played “Take the A Train.” And Kravitz’s dad taking him to see the Jackson 5 at Madison Square Garden and afterwards “wanting to be the sixth brother.” The four-time Grammy winner further invoked a host of additional influences such as Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, James Brown, Nina Simone, Grandmaster Flash, Parliament-Funkadelic and Bob Marley.
Lenny Kravitz accepts the Global Impact Award onstage during the Recording Academy Honors presented by The Black Music Collective during the 66th GRAMMY Awards on February 01, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Leon Bennett/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
“I could go on all night,” he continued. “I love this music because it feeds our hearts and strengthens our resolve to keep conveying hope and healing to a whole new world. To be a part of this lineage is a privilege I cherish. It is with deep gratitude that I thank you, knowing that music in every corner of the planet uplifts and expresses the goodness of God’s everlasting love.” Then fellow musicians Andrew Watt, Chad Smith, Verdine White, George Clinton and Quavo joined forces to perform “Fly Away” to roaring applause — and hearty hugs from Kravitz on stage.
More cheering ensued when Stevie Wonder took the stage to pay tribute to Mariah Carey in word and song. “Every time we meet and talk, it’s like having a brand new day,” he began. “I thank you for your friendship, your heart and the consistent spirit of love that you show … and I’m just going to say this …” That’s when Wonder segued into the choruses of two of his songs: “Knocks Me Off My Feet” (“I don’t want to bore you with it, but I love you, I love you”) and “All I Do” (“all I do is think about you”) and ad libbing at the end, “you are my hero.”
After thanking Wonder (“I will never not get excited to be in the company of your greatness!”), Carey drew plenty of audience laughter as she held the award and remarked that she hadn’t won a Grammy in a long time. She went on to thank Harvey Mason jr. and the Academy, congratulate fellow honoree Kravitz and wish everyone a happy Black History Month, the five-time Grammy winner said in part:
“When I first started in the music business, I was often told to conform to certain expectations. I wasn’t encouraged to focus on my love for Black music. It took countless arguments, endless tantrums and mostly unwavering determination. But eventually, I was able to reveal my authentic self, as they say, and create music that came from my heart … I discovered a newfound sense of freedom and fulfillment. As I accept this award, I do so with gratitude for all of you here and every person who has supported me along this journey; the fans that have stood by me through thick and thin.
“But most importantly,” she continued, “I accept this award on behalf of every person who has ever felt silenced or marginalized, who has ever been told their voice doesn’t matter. Your truth matters. We will continue to pave the way together for a future where authenticity is celebrated, diversity is embraced and music has the power to change the world.”
Additional performers feting Carey in song included Babyface (“Everytime I Close My Eyes”) Busta Rhymes (“I Know What You Want”), Tori Kelly (“Vision of Love”) and Yolanda Adams (“Make It Happen”). And among the Recording Academy executives who shared remarks were BMC chair Rico Love and Ryan Butler, the Academy’s vp of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Prior to the event — produced by MVD Inc. — guests were treated to striking black-and-white portraits of Jay-Z, Nipsey Hussle and other artists in the Icons Gallery curated by music executive and photographer Lenny S.
Media reports today that Taylor Swift won’t perform on the 2024 Grammy telecast, which is set for Sunday (Feb. 4), are a big blow to the Recording Academy, CBS and Swift’s many fans. Swift’s apparent decision also runs counter to the usual pattern when an artist dominates a year the way Swift owned 2023. Swift […]
As always, NMPA president David Israelite kicked off its annual Grammy week showcase (in partnership with Billboard) with a gentle reminder: The bar will close during performances, and guests are expected to remain silent.It’s all part of the NMPA’s ethos to better support songwriters, and throughout the night, attendees also had the pleasure of watching songwriters support one another. At one table sat Jack Antonoff, Lana Del Rey and Kelsea Ballerini. Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson and hit songwriter Jessie Jo Dillon were seated to their right, with Dan Nigro and Chappell Roan seated just behind and Leon Thomas and his mother nearby.
Throughout the intimate and star-studded evening on Wednesday (Jan. 31), the audience was treated to performances by best new artist nominees Jelly Roll and Noah Kahan, rising pop star Conan Gray and country star Kelsea Ballerini — plus an impassioned speech from Del Rey about Vanguard Award recipient Antonoff, during which she couldn’t help but announce her upcoming country album Lasso, out this September.
Kahan, who was being honored with the Rising Star award, joked before his set that “I’ve been around longer than this [award title] would suggest … Don’t tell the Grammys.” Later, Nigro contested his own award title, saying, “I don’t consider myself a hitmaker” — though his track record on the charts proves otherwise.
Dillon — who is Grammy nominated for songwriter of the year alongside Edgar Barrera, Shane McAnally, Justin Tranter and Theron Thomas — summarized the evening best while accepting her Breakthrough Songwriter award. “There is no music without songs and no songs without songwriters — and we deserve to be compensated fairly.”
As for each performer, they all shared a similar sentiment about the life-changing power of a hit — and how they would never have gotten there where they are today without their incredible and trusted co-writers.
“Our community is really interesting and there’s a lot of anxiety sometimes,” shared Antonoff during the night’s final speech. “I feel very very proud to be here.”
Lana Del Rey
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
Lana Del Rey speaks onstage at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Jelly Roll
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
Jelly Roll performs at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Jack Antonoff
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
Jack Antonoff speaks onstage at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Chase Stokes & Kelsea Ballerini
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
David Israelite
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
David Israelite speaks onstage at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Leon Thomas
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
Leon Thomas attends the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Lainey Wilson & David Israelite
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
Lainey Wilson and David Israelite at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Conan Gray
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
Conan Gray performs at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Leon Thomas
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
Leon Thomas speaks onstage at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Noah Kahan & David Israelite
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
Noah Kahan and David Israelite at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Kelsea Ballerini
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
Kelsea Ballerini performs at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Lana Del Rey
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
Lana Del Rey at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Conan Gray & David Israelite
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
Conan Gray and David Israelite at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Kelsea Ballerini
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
Kelsea Ballerini speaks onstage at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Jelly Roll
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
Jelly Roll at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Jessie Jo Dillon
Image Credit: Nick Agro for NMPA
Jessie Jo Dillon speaks onstage at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Jack Antonoff & David Israelite
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
Jack Antonoff and David Israelite at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Dan Nigro
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
Dan Nigro speaks onstage at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Kelsea Ballerini & Jessie Jo Dillon
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Kelsea Ballerini and Jessie Jo Dillon at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Golnar Khosrowshahi
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Golnar Khosrowshahi and guest at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Dan Nigro & David Israelite
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
Dan Nigro and David Israelite at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Mike O’Neill, Elizabeth Matthews & David Israelite
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Mike O’Neill, Elizabeth Matthews and David Israelite at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Chase Stokes & Kelsea Ballerini
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Jelly Roll & David Israelite
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
Jelly Roll and David Israelite at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
Mitch Glazier
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
Mitch Glazier and guest at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
David Israelite & Kelsea Ballerini
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA
David Israelite and Kelsea Ballerini at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
The country contingent of this year’s Grammy Awards may be the closest that Nashville ever gets to time travel.
This year’s crop of nominees for the Feb. 4 ceremony includes best new artist candidates Jelly Roll and The War and Treaty, a Dierks Bentley collaboration with Billy Strings, best country album finalists Lainey Wilson and Zach Bryan, and Luke Combs’ remake of “Fast Car.”
Each of those nominations – and most of the other country contenders, too – manage to move in two different directions on the time continuum, pushing the genre into the future while still hanging onto something out of the past.
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The Grammys, according to John Carter Cash, are drawn to performances that are both “forward-thinking and connecting with the roots.” He should know: He’s nominated as an arranger on a new version of “Folsom Prison Blues” – most closely associated with his father, Johnny Cash – recorded by String Revolution featuring Tommy Emmanuel. The performance is an adventurous instrumental piece that wraps “Folsom” in folk and jazz ideals, absolutely widening the footprint of the song. Yet it remains significantly old-school: the original melody is intact during much of the recording, and it employs guitars that belonged to the Man in Black and his original guitarist, Luther Perkins.
The Grammys come under criticism every year among some country executives and broadcasters because the nominations don’t particularly line up with the biggest current projects in the genre. But that was never the intent of the awards, which are voted on by the creative class, rather than marketers and managers. Those creatives – including musicians, songwriters and producers – tend to reward the craft as much as the commerce, and the slate typically recognizes performances that build on bedrock influences while making a new statement. Sometimes, as in Bryan’s Kacey Musgraves Billboard Hot 100-topping collaboration “I Remember Everything,” that includes some of the most popular current music. But in others, such as Brandy Clark’s twice-nominated “Buried,” that means elevating music from outside the mainstream.
The nominations tend to honor artists and performances that respect the past without being bound by it. That is, to be sure, how the most original artists operate. “If you love country music, and you’re trying to do it, you love the old stuff,” Bentley notes. But “you can’t just go back and redo the old stuff. It’s already been done.”
There are exceptions. Combs’ revision of “Fast Car,” up for best country solo performance, is a faithful update of a classic, though the current circumstances are different: male singer Combs renders it from a different perspective than female originator Tracy Chapman, and it re-emerged in country instead of the folk/pop arena where she introduced it. Solo competitor Dolly Parton’s “The Last Thing on My Mind” is a reworking of a song she first cut with duet partner Porter Wagoner in 1967. And Vince Gill is a best country duo/group finalist with steel guitarist Paul Franklin for bringing attention to “Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold),” an obscure Ray Price song re-recorded for a tribute album.
“When I first heard Vince Gill, I thought, ‘Whoa, this is so cool, so new,’ and it was, of course,” Bentley remembers. “Listening to Vince now, that’s nothing but traditional country music, but the way he did it, it felt new. It’s the same thing with Morgan Wallen now. A lot of his songs are super country. My daughter listens to him, she goes, ‘Oh my god, this is so cool and new and different.’ I’m like, ‘That’s pretty country: dobro, and Bryan Sutton on the acoustic.’ So you kind of kind of trick everyone a little bit.”
Carly Pearce’s ability to walk the line between old and new is one of the reasons her Chris Stapleton collaboration “We Don’t Fight Anymore” secured a best country duo/group performance nomination. The spare, acoustic arrangement builds on the genre’s origins, as does its mature lyrical portrait of a debilitated relationship. But the melody and the phrasing are notably modern.
“They’re looking for artistic expression,” Pearce suggests. “That song is one of the most authentic to me, so I think it resonates, obviously, in a commercial way, but more in an artistic way, which is what I love about the Grammys. They see the whole vision of an artist and not just what’s played on the radio. For it to have that marriage together is really [key].”
Even Kelsea Ballerini’s best country album entry Rolling Up the Welcome Mat has that forward-thinking, roots-respecting aura. Compiled as a series of songs that documents her emotional journey following a divorce from Morgan Evans, it mostly features a boundary-testing, pop-leaning sound, though mining her inner world for her art is very much an old-school Hank Williams kind of approach.
“In my brain, it’s like I made a movie,” she says. “It’s solely focusing and zooming in on the songwriting and the storytelling, and to me, that is honoring the genre that I dig my heels into every day. The sonic elements that accompany it, to me, don’t hold as much weight as the story that you’re telling.”
Even personal history can influence the artistic time-machine effect. Songwriter of the year nominee Jessie Jo Dillon (“Memory Lane,” “Halfway To Hell”) compares Jelly Roll’s rise from a prison background and drug abuse to Johnny Cash’s messages about forgiveness. And Wilson sees Jelly Roll’s willingness to mine his experiences as a major influence on the format moving forward.
“Everybody’s past and everything – none of that matters,” she says. “We’ve all done things, we’ve all messed up. It’s about what’s on the inside, and Jelly Roll is nothing but good.”
Ultimately, the creatives who vote for the Grammys all draw from the same musical past as the nominees, and the country finalists list is a qualitative statement about how the genre can continue to evolve.
“It’s very, very difficult to know where you’re going if you don’t know where you come from,” says The War and Treaty’s Michael Trotter Jr. “We like to pay respect, homage, pay a nod to the past — because it’s still our present.”
At the Grammys, that past dictates how country moves into its future.
