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Yolanda Adams
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Here's What Went Down At "A GRAMMY Salute To The Sounds Of Change"
Featuring performances by stars from Patti LaBelle to Andra Day to Gladys Knight, "A GRAMMY Salute To The Sounds Of Change" was a decades-spanning celebration of the songs that both reflect and alter the course of social justice history
GRAMMYs/Mar 18, 2021 - 09:01 pm
When Woody Guthrie wrote "This Land is Your Land," he certainly understood he was expressing something important to the world. Ditto John Lennon with "Imagine" and Marvin Gaye with "What's Going On." But could any of them have known we'd still be singing them in 2021? That amid the racial nightmares of George Floyd's killing and the anti-Asian violence that just battered Georgia, we'd return to the well of songs from 50 or more years ago for healing?
Welcome to "A GRAMMY Salute To The Sounds Of Change," a special that solemnly, respectfully paid homage to the songs that altered the course of social-justice history. But the event, which the hip-hop heavyweight Common hosted, didn't just focus on the great tracks of the 20th century; it filtered them through the musical luminaries of the 21st.
A mix of archival performances and COVID-safe new ones, the special succeeded in showing that our modern horrors aren't so new at all—and that throughout history, brave men and women have risen to address the changing tides of history in song. Thus, the young guard (LeAnn Rimes, Chris Stapleton and Andra Day) rubbed shoulders with the old (Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle), showing these well-worn standards still emanate transformative power.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WEST COAST, your turn!<br><br>Hosted by three-time GRAMMY winner <a href="https://twitter.com/common?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Common</a>, A <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRAMMYSalute?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GRAMMYSalute</a> To The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SoundsOfChange?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SoundsOfChange</a> will spotlight the iconic songs that inspired social change and left an everlasting imprint on history. <br><br>WATCH NOW on <a href="https://twitter.com/CBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBS</a>. ✨ <a href="https://t.co/JBedRxTvnJ">pic.twitter.com/JBedRxTvnJ</a></p>— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) <a href="https://twitter.com/RecordingAcad/status/1372397350317006851?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
It's no accident that Common was at the helm of "A GRAMMY Salute To The Sounds Of Change"; check out his socially conscious 1999 classic Like Water For Chocolate if you're curious about how he fits into this puzzle. (Not to mention his poignant performance of "Glory," the theme song to the 2014 film Selma, with John Legend at that year's GRAMMY Awards show.)
After the MC's dignified introduction, the night kicked off with a nocturnal version of John Lennon's "Imagine" by the pearl-covered singer Cynthia Erivo. She ended the rendition with a hair-raising vamp, surrounded by projected imagery of placards reading things like "Close The Camps" and "Unjustified War Is Criminal."
Country titan Chris Stapleton then performed Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World," showing how the old chestnut easily transmutes into a variety of American idioms. (To this point: check out Jon Batiste's melancholic version from 2018's Hollywood Africans.)
In a tonal 180, LeAnn Rimes then performs Loretta Lynn's saucy (and at the time, unspeakably scandalous) 1975 ode to birth control, "The Pill." Her masked, punked-up backing band showed us how the tune essentially invented Bikini Kill. The womens' liberation theme continued with R&B great Patti LaBelle laying into Lesley Gore's "You Don't Own Me."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">? A powerful song. A powerful voice. <br><br>Patti LaBelle (<a href="https://twitter.com/MsPattiPatti?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mspattipatti</a>) performs <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LeslieGore?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LeslieGore</a>'s "You Don't Own Me" during "A <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRAMMYSalute?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GRAMMYSalute</a> To The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SoundsOfChange?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SoundsOfChange</a>". ✨<br><br>Watch now on <a href="https://twitter.com/CBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBS</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/paramountplus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@paramountplus</a>! <a href="https://t.co/M7HBLYmAbh">pic.twitter.com/M7HBLYmAbh</a></p>— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) <a href="https://twitter.com/RecordingAcad/status/1372360515322798082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
That performance segued into even heavier territory with a version of the "Strange Fruit" by Andra Day—who recently won a Golden Globe for her performance in 2021's The U.S. vs. Billie Holiday. She crooned the anti-lynching classic in a crepuscular, green-screened forest. Showing that times tragically haven't changed in certain respects, "Strange Fruit" segued into Leon Bridges' "Sweeter," a response to George Floyd, featuring Terrace Martin on blazing saxophone.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"What's Going On" performed by ?:<br><br>? <a href="https://twitter.com/MsGladysKnight?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MsGladysKnight</a> <br>? <a href="https://twitter.com/ihoughton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ihoughton</a> <br>? <a href="https://twitter.com/SheilaEdrummer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sheilaEdrummer</a> <br>? <a href="https://twitter.com/DSmoke7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dsmoke7</a> <br><br>Tune in to "A <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRAMMYSalute?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GRAMMYSalute</a> To The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SoundsOfChange?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SoundsOfChange</a>" right now on <a href="https://twitter.com/CBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/paramountplus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@paramountplus</a>! <a href="https://t.co/v4sQzasc5W">pic.twitter.com/v4sQzasc5W</a></p>— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) <a href="https://twitter.com/RecordingAcad/status/1372366401357381643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
These issues represent mere facets of human disharmony. But Marvin Gaye's intellect and imagination were keen enough to not only grasp that vastness but channel it into a song for everyone. Enter seven-time GRAMMY winner Gladys Knight, who stepped on stage to perform the immortal "What's Going On" with Sheila E. on percussion, Israel Houghton on guitar, D Smoke on keys and musical director Adam Blackstone on bass.
"Hi, Marvin!" Knight crowed at the outset. "I miss you so much. I love your music—the way you write, the way you sing, the whole thing. You touch my spirit every time you sing a song."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">GRAMMY nominee <a href="https://twitter.com/ericchurch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ericchurch</a> covers <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EdwinStarr?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EdwinStarr</a>'s "War" right now during "A <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRAMMYSalute?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GRAMMYSalute</a> To The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SoundsOfChange?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SoundsOfChange</a>". ??<br><br>Watch now <a href="https://twitter.com/CBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/paramountplus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@paramountplus</a>! <a href="https://t.co/T0ihoTtqkY">pic.twitter.com/T0ihoTtqkY</a></p>— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) <a href="https://twitter.com/RecordingAcad/status/1372368415659286530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The specter of war was addressed with, well, "War," the Norman Whitfield tune we know from Edwin Starr's version. And after his piano-and-gospel version of his 2021 anti-Trump song "Weeping in the Promised Land"—crescendoing with a collective wail of "I can't breathe!"—John Fogerty rocked things up with Creedence Clearwater Revival's thrilling, outraged, oft-misunderstood classic "Fortunate Son."
Cutting to the essence of the other-ness that feeds racial division, CBS's Gayle King sat down with singer-actor Billy Porter to discuss the struggles of growing up gay and Black—and how music with a social conscience is returning to the forefront in 2021.
"I'm feeling once again the energy surrounding the power of protest music," Porter said. When asked about his choice to cover Patti LaBelle's "You Are My Friend" for the show, "I just wanted to choose something that was about chosen family," he added. "We talk often in this world about family values, but what happens when your family—your biological family—don't have the tools to understand how to love you?"
As Porter sang the empathetic ballad on a flower-festooned stage, images of people of all colors, identities and persuasions embracing—often draped in rainbow flags—flashed on the screen. "I want to talk to you a little bit about where I've been in the world!" he crowed midsong.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/BradPaisley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bradpaisley</a> sing "Welcome To The Future" during "A <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRAMMYSalute?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GRAMMYSalute</a> To The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SoundsOfChange?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SoundsOfChange</a>," right now on <a href="https://twitter.com/CBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBS</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/paramountplus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@paramountplus</a>. ?</p>— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) <a href="https://twitter.com/RecordingAcad/status/1372379977799335937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
"A GRAMMY Salute To The Sounds Of Change" also honored and elevated Latin voices. After a brief preamble from Common about the meaning and import of the neologism "Latinx," Gloria and Emilio Estefan discussed how Latin music is woven into the fabric of American social change. Their daughter Emily Estefan then performed "This Is What," a tribute to Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic and Latina member of the Supreme Court.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">With her parents watching, <a href="https://twitter.com/GloriaEstefan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GloriaEstefan</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/EmilioEstefanJr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EmilioEstefanJr</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Emily_Estefan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Emily_Estefan</a> performs "This Is What" ?<br><br>Watch "A <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRAMMYSalute?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GRAMMYSalute</a> To The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SoundsOfChange?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SoundsOfChange</a>" on <a href="https://twitter.com/CBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBS</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/paramountplus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@paramountplus</a>. ✨ <a href="https://t.co/kl7pWZzxzk">pic.twitter.com/kl7pWZzxzk</a></p>— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) <a href="https://twitter.com/RecordingAcad/status/1372377223320199168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Sotomayor was nominated in 2009 by then-President Barack Obama, and Brad Paisley touches on the legacies of our first Black president and first lady. From the floor of the Woolworth on 5th restaurant in Nashville, the country star performed his ascendant "Welcome to the Future," which he wrote in response to Obama's election. Paisley then strolled to the counter, explaining that the restaurant was a historic spot where John Lewis and his friends took a stand for racial justice in 1960.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Right now <a href="https://twitter.com/YolandaAdams?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YolandaAdams</a> delivers a performance of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MahaliaJackson?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MahaliaJackson</a>'s "We Shall Overcome". ?? <br><br>Keep watching "A <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRAMMYSalute?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GRAMMYSalute</a> To The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SoundsOfChange?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SoundsOfChange</a>" on <a href="https://twitter.com/CBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBS</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/paramountplus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@paramountplus</a>. ? <a href="https://t.co/QUsOc9orRI">pic.twitter.com/QUsOc9orRI</a></p>— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) <a href="https://twitter.com/RecordingAcad/status/1372381502613417984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The special then homed in on "We Shall Overcome," a cornerstone of the civil rights movement. Yolanda Adams laid down a reverent monologue about the tune to the haunting strains of a gospel choir. But then, something unexpected happened. The lights flared up, and Adams upshifted several gears, launching into a raucous take on the soul-strengthening classic.
It was a joyful capper for a heartening night, conceived and broadcast for all the right reasons. But most importantly, almost every minute of "A GRAMMY Salute To The Sounds Of Change" was stuffed with music, which is usually the loam from where real change springs.
"A GRAMMY Salute To The Sounds Of Change" is available on-demand on Paramount+.
Sean Ono Lennon attends the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
Photo: Lionel Hahn/Getty Images
interview
Catching Up With Sean Ono Lennon: His New Album 'Asterisms,' 'War Is Over!' Short & Shouting Out Yoko At The Oscars
Sean Ono Lennon is having a busy year, complete with a new instrumental album, 'Asterisms,' and an Oscar-winning short film, 'War is Over!' The multidisciplinary artist discusses his multitude of creative processes.
GRAMMYs/May 2, 2024 - 02:23 pm
Marketing himself as a solo musician is a little excruciating for Sean Ono Lennon. It might be for you, too, if you had globally renowned parents. Despite his musical triumphs over the years, Lennon is reticent to join the solo artist racket.
Which made a certain moment at the 2024 Oscars absolutely floor him: Someone walked up to Lennon and told him "Dead Meat," from his last solo album, 2006's Friendly Fire, was his favorite song ever. Not just on the album, or by Lennon. Ever.
"I was so shocked. I wanted to say something nice to him, because it was so amazing for someone to say that," Lennon tells GRAMMY.com. "But it was too late anyway." (Thankfully, after he tweeted about that out-of-nowhere moment, the complimenter connected with him.)
It's a nice glimmer of past Lennon, one who straightforwardly walked in his father's shoes. But what's transpired since 2006 is far more interesting than any Beatle mini-me.
Creatively, Lennon has a million irons in the fire — with the bands the Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, the Claypool Lennon Delirium, his mom's Plastic Ono Band, and beyond.
And in 2024, two projects have taken center stage. In February, he delivered his album Asterisms, a genreless instrumental project with a murderer's row of musicians in John Zorn's orbit, released on Zorn's storied experimental label Tzadik Records. Then just a few weeks later, his 2023 short film War is Over! — for which he co-wrote the original story, and is inspired by John Lennon and Yoko Ono's timeless peace anthem "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" — won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film.
On the heels of the latter, Lennon sat down with GRAMMY.com to offer insights on both projects, and how they each contributed to "really exciting" creative liberation.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
You shouted out your mom at the Oscars a couple of months back. How'd that feel?
Well, honestly, it felt really cosmic that it was Mother's Day [in the UK]. So I just kind of presented as a gift to her. It felt really good. It felt like the stars were aligning in many ways, because she was watching. It was a very sweet moment for me.
What was the extent of your involvement with the War Is Over! short?
Universal Music had talked to me about maybe coming up with a music video idea. I had been trying to develop a music video for a while, and I didn't like any of the concepts; it just felt boring to me.
The idea of watching a song that everyone listens to already, every year, with some new visual accompaniment — it didn't feel that interesting. So, I thought it'd be better to do a short film that kind of exemplifies the meaning of the song, because then, it would be something new and interesting to watch.
That's when I called my friend Adam Gates, who works at Pixar. I was asking him if he had any ideas for animators, or whatever. I knew Adam because he had a band called Beanpole. [All My Kin] was a record he made years ago with his friends, and never came out. It's this incredible record, so I actually put it out on my label, Chimera Music.
But Adam couldn't really help me with the film, because he's still contractually with Pixar, and they have a lot of work to do. But he introduced me to his friend Dave Mullins, who's the director. He had just left Pixar to start a new production company. He could do it, because he was independent, freelance.
Dave and I had a meeting. In that first meeting, we were bouncing around ideas, and we came up with the concept for the chess game and the pigeon. I wanted it to be a pigeon, because I really love pigeons, and birds. We wrote it together, and then we started working on it.
So, I was there from before that existed, and I saw the thing through as well. I also brought in Peter Jackson to do the graphics.
This message unfortunately resonates more than ever. Republicans used to be the war hawks; now, it's Democrats. What a reversal.
It just feels like we live in an upside-down world. Something happened where we went through a wormhole, and we're in this alternate reality. I don't know how it happened. But it's not the only [example]; a lot of things just seem absolutely absurd with the world these days.
But hopefully, it points toward something better. I try to be optimistic. In the Hegelian dialectic, you have to have a thesis and antithesis, and the synthesis is when they fuse to become a better idea. So, I'm hoping that all the tension in society right now is what the final stage of synthesis looks like.
How'd the filmmaking process roll on from there?
Dave had made a really great short film called LOU when he was at Pixar; that was also nominated for an Oscar. He and [producer] Brad [Booker] know a ton of talented people; they have an amazing character designer.
We started sending files back and forth with WingNut in New Zealand; they would be adding the skins to the characters.
One of the first stages was the performance capture, where you basically attach a bunch of ping pong balls to a catsuit and a bicycle helmet. You record the position of these ping pong balls in a three-dimensional space. That gives you the performance that you map the skins onto on the computer later on.
For a couple of years, there was a lot of production. David and his team did a really good job of inventing and designing uniforms for the imaginary armies that never existed, because we really didn't want to identify any army as French or British or German or anything.
We wanted to get a kind of parallel universe — an abstraction of the First World War. We designed it so that one army was based on round geometry, and the other was based on angular geometry.
It was a long process, and it was really fun. I learned a lot about modern computer animation.
Between Em Cooper's GRAMMY-winning "I'm Only Sleeping" video and now this, the Beatles' presence in visual media is expanding outward in a cool way.
I think we've been really fortunate to have a lot of really great projects to give to the world. I've only been working on the Beatles and John Lennon stuff directly in the last couple of years, and it's been really exciting for me.
And a big challenge, obviously, because I don't [hesitates] want to f— up. [Laughs.] But it's been a real honor. And I'm very grateful to my mom for giving me the freedom to try all these wacky ideas. Because a lot of people are like, "Oh, when are you going to stop trying to rehash the past with the Beatles, or John Lennon?"
Because the modern world is as it is, I feel like we have a responsibility to try to make sure that the Beatles and John Lennon's music remains out there in the public consciousness, because I think it's really important. I think the world needs to remember the Beatles' music, and remember John and Yoko. It's really about making sure we don't get lost in the white noise of modernity.
I love Asterisms. Where are you at in your journey as a guitarist? I'm sure you unlocked something here.
Like it's a video game. It's weird — I don't even consider myself a guitar player. I'm just, like, a software. But I think it's more about confidence — because it's really hard for me to get over my insecurity with playing and stuff.
For so many different reasons, it's probably just the way I'm designed — being John and Yoko's kid, growing up with a lot of preconceived notions or expectations about me, musically.
So, it's always been hard to accept myself as a musician, and this was kind of a lesson in getting over myself. Accepting what I wanted to play, and just doing it.
This is my Tzadik record, so it had to be all these fancy, amazing musicians. It doesn't matter what your chops are: it's more about how you feel, and the feeling you bring to your performance.
Once we recorded, it sounded amazing, because we recorded live to tape. So, everything on that album is live, except for my guitar solos. I didn't play my solos live, because I had to play the rhythm guitar. I was just paying attention to the band and cueing people. Once we finished the basic tracks, it just took us a couple of days, and it was done.
It was the simplest record I've ever done, because there were no vocals, so there wasn't a lot of mixing process. We recorded live to 16-track tape, and it was done.
I caught wind a couple of years back that you were working on another solo record simultaneously. Is that true?
I was working on a solo record of songs with lyrics. I finished it, and — I don't know, I think this speaks to the mental problems I have — but I didn't like it suddenly, and i never put it out. I just felt weird about it. I think I overthought it or something.
Then Zorn asked me to do an instrumental thing, and it was a no-brainer, because I've been a fan my whole life. The idea of getting to do something on his label was really an honor.
I got turned on to so many amazing musicians from Zorn, like Joey Baron, Dave Douglas, Kenny Wolleson, and Marc Ribot. Growing up in New York, that's always been my idea of where the greatest musicians are — Zorn and his gang.
Why'd you feel weird about the other album? Did it just not have the juice?
It's not that I didn't think it had the juice. I just got uncomfortable with the idea of putting out a solo record, and the whole process. I got nervous. I still think it's good. But I don't know if it's good enough to warrant me releasing it.
That's fine playing in bands, like the [Claypool Lennon] Delirium and GOASTT [Ghost of a Saber Toothed Tiger]. It takes a degree of unnecessary pressure off of making music. But as soon as your actual birth name is on the record, it starts to feel uncomfortable for me.
People are ruthless today, period. But they're especially critical of me with music. So, it's like, Do I really need to do that s—? It's a little more awkward: "I, myself, Sean Lennon, am putting out my art, and here it is." I'd rather be part of the band.
GRAMMY Award statue
Photo: Jathan Campbell
list
How Much Is A GRAMMY Worth? 7 Facts To Know About The GRAMMY Award Trophy
Here are seven facts to know about the actual cost and worth of a GRAMMY trophy, presented once a year by the Recording Academy at the GRAMMY Awards.
GRAMMYs/May 1, 2024 - 04:23 pm
Since 1959, the GRAMMY Award has been music’s most coveted honor. Each year at the annual GRAMMY Awards, GRAMMY-winning and -nominated artists are recognized for their musical excellence by their peers. Their lives are forever changed — so are their career trajectories. And when you have questions about the GRAMMYs, we have answers.
Here are seven facts to know about the value of the GRAMMY trophy.
How Much Does A GRAMMY Trophy Cost To Make?
The cost to produce a GRAMMY Award trophy, including labor and materials, is nearly $800. Bob Graves, who cast the original GRAMMY mold inside his garage in 1958, passed on his legacy to John Billings, his neighbor, in 1983. Billings, also known as "The GRAMMY Man," designed the current model in use, which debuted in 1991.
How Long Does It Take To Make A GRAMMY Trophy?
Billings and his crew work on making GRAMMY trophies throughout the year. Each GRAMMY is handmade, and each GRAMMY Award trophy takes 15 hours to produce.
Where Are The GRAMMY Trophies Made?
While Los Angeles is the headquarters of the Recording Academy and the GRAMMYs, and regularly the home of the annual GRAMMY Awards, GRAMMY trophies are produced at Billings Artworks in Ridgway, Colorado, about 800 miles away from L.A.
Is The GRAMMY Award Made Of Real Gold?
GRAMMY Awards are made of a trademarked alloy called "Grammium" — a secret zinc alloy — and are plated with 24-karat gold.
How Many GRAMMY Trophies Are Made Per Year?
Approximately 600-800 GRAMMY Award trophies are produced per year. This includes both GRAMMY Awards and Latin GRAMMY Awards for the two Academies; the number of GRAMMYs manufactured each year always depends on the number of winners and Categories we award across both award shows.
Fun fact: The two GRAMMY trophies have different-colored bases. The GRAMMY Award has a black base, while the Latin GRAMMY Award has a burgundy base.
Photos: Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images; Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
How Much Does A GRAMMY Weigh?
The GRAMMY trophy weighs approximately 5 pounds. The trophy's height is 9-and-a-half inches. The trophy's width is nearly 6 inches by 6 inches.
What Is The True Value Of A GRAMMY?
Winning a GRAMMY, and even just being nominated for a GRAMMY, has an immeasurable positive impact on the nominated and winning artists. It opens up new career avenues, builds global awareness of artists, and ultimately solidifies a creator’s place in history. Since the GRAMMY Award is the only peer-voted award in music, this means artists are recognized, awarded and celebrated by those in their fields and industries, ultimately making the value of a GRAMMY truly priceless and immeasurable.
In an interview featured in the 2024 GRAMMYs program book, two-time GRAMMY winner Lauren Daigle spoke of the value and impact of a GRAMMY Award. "Time has passed since I got my [first] GRAMMYs, but the rooms that I am now able to sit in, with some of the most incredible writers, producers and performers on the planet, is truly the greatest gift of all."
"Once you have that credential, it's a different certification. It definitely holds weight," two-time GRAMMY winner Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter of the Roots added. "It's a huge stamp as far as branding, businesswise, achievement-wise and in every regard. What the GRAMMY means to people, fans and artists is ever-evolving."
As Billboard explains, artists will often see significant boosts in album sales and streaming numbers after winning a GRAMMY or performing on the GRAMMY stage. This is known as the "GRAMMY Effect," an industry phenomenon in which a GRAMMY accolade directly influences the music biz and the wider popular culture.
For new artists in particular, the "GRAMMY Effect" has immensely helped rising creators reach new professional heights. Samara Joy, who won the GRAMMY for Best New Artist at the 2023 GRAMMYs, saw a 989% boost in sales and a 670% increase in on-demand streams for her album Linger Awhile, which won the GRAMMY for Best Jazz Vocal Album that same night. H.E.R., a former Best New Artist nominee, saw a massive 6,771% increase in song sales for her hit “I Can’t Breathe” on the day it won the GRAMMY for Song Of The Year at the 2021 GRAMMYs, compared to the day before, Rolling Stone reports.
Throughout the decades, past Best New Artist winners have continued to dominate the music industry and charts since taking home the GRAMMY gold — and continue to do so to this day. Recently, Best New Artist winners dominated the music industry and charts in 2023: Billie Eilish (2020 winner) sold 2 million equivalent album units, Olivia Rodrigo (2022 winner) sold 2.1 million equivalent album units, and Adele (2009 winner) sold 1.3 million equivalent album units. Elsewhere, past Best New Artist winners have gone on to star in major Hollywood blockbusters (Dua Lipa); headline arena tours and sign major brand deals (Megan Thee Stallion); become LGBTIA+ icons (Sam Smith); and reach multiplatinum status (John Legend).
Most recently, several winners, nominees and performers at the 2024 GRAMMYs saw significant bumps in U.S. streams and sales: Tracy Chapman's classic, GRAMMY-winning single "Fast Car," which she performed alongside Luke Combs, returned to the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time since 1988, when the song was originally released, according to Billboard. Fellow icon Joni Mitchell saw her ‘60s classic “Both Sides, Now,” hit the top 10 on the Digital Song Sales chart, Billboard reports.
In addition to financial gains, artists also experience significant professional wins as a result of their GRAMMY accolades. For instance, after she won the GRAMMY for Best Reggae Album for Rapture at the 2020 GRAMMYs, Koffee signed a U.S. record deal; after his first GRAMMYs in 2014, Kendrick Lamar saw a 349% increase in his Instagram following, Billboard reports.
Visit our interactive GRAMMY Awards Journey page to learn more about the GRAMMY Awards and the voting process behind the annual ceremony.
Image courtesy of the Recording Academy
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GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Gala 2024 Performers Announced: Andra Day, The War And Treaty, Ravyn Lenae, Shinedown And More Confirmed
The Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum's inaugural GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Gala will take place Tuesday, May 21, at the Novo Theater in Los Angeles. Atlantic Records will be the first label honoree. Tickets go on sale Saturday, April 27 at noon PT/3 p.m. ET.
GRAMMYs/Apr 25, 2024 - 02:00 pm
The inaugural GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Gala is just ahead — and now, we know which musicians will grace the stage. Andra Day, Ravyn Lenae, Shinedown, and the War and Treaty will perform at the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum's gala, with more performers to be announced at a later date.
The Gala will take place on May 21, 2024, at the Novo Theater in Downtown Los Angeles and will be hosted by veteran CBS broadcast journalist Anthony Mason. The annual Gala will also honor a label, with the first being Atlantic Records.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Saturday, April 27, 2024 at 12 p.m. PT at this link. More information about the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Gala is available here.
The inaugural Hall Of Fame Gala will honor the 2024 GRAMMY Hall Of Fame inducted recordings on its 50th Anniversary, including De La Soul's 3 Feet High And Rising, Guns N' Roses' Appetite For Destruction, Buena Vista Social Club's Buena Vista Social Club, and Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, as well as recordings by Donna Summer, Charley Pride, Wanda Jackson, Kid Ory's Creole Orchestra, the Doobie Brothers, and William Bell.
The Gala will also pay tribute to iconic record label Atlantic Records, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, and has over 38 recordings already inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame.
"We're honored that the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum have chosen Atlantic to be the first label celebrated at what promises to be an exciting annual event," said Atlantic Music Group Chairman & CEO Julie Greenwald and Atlantic Records Chairman & CEO Craig Kallman. "The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame includes many of the most groundbreaking recordings in our company's 75-year history, and it will be great to hear some of our outstanding current artists bring their unique voices to these timeless songs."
"We are thrilled to be able to recognize Atlantic Records' incomparable contribution to recorded music, including numerous Hall Of Fame inducted recordings, as our first Hall Of Fame Gala label honoree. We're looking forward to celebrating them along with this year's inducted recordings during an unforgettable evening of performances by some of today's most talented artists," says Michael Sticka, President/CEO of the GRAMMY Museum.
The evening will include a red carpet and VIP reception on the Ray Charles Terrace at the GRAMMY Museum followed by a one-of-a-kind concert at the Novo Theater. This year's show will be produced by longtime Executive Producer of the GRAMMY Awards, Ken Ehrlich, along with Chantel Sausedo and Ron Basile. Musical Direction by globally renowned producer and keyboardist Greg Phillinganes. The Gala is presented by City National Bank.
The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame was established by the Recording Academy's National Trustees in 1973. The inducted recordings are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of the recording arts with final
ratification by the Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees.
With 10 new titles, the Hall currently totals 1,152 inducted recordings in the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame. Recipients will receive an official certificate from the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum.
The full list of past inducted recordings can be viewed here. For sponsorship opportunities, reach out to halloffame@grammymuseum.org. And keep checking GRAMMY.com for more info about the GRAMMY Hall of Fame gala, and beyond!
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Post Malone performs during Super Bowl LVIII in February 2024.
Photo: Perry Knotts/Getty Images
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Post Malone's Country Roots: 8 Key Moments In Covers and Collaborations
Ahead of Posty's upcoming performance at the Stagecoach Festival, catch up on the many ways he's been dabbling in country music since the beginning of his career.
GRAMMYs/Apr 24, 2024 - 07:25 pm
Since Post Malone burst onto the mainstream nearly a decade ago, he has continued to flaunt his genre-defying brand of musical brilliance. For his latest venture, it’s time for gold grills and cowboy hats: Posty’s going country.
Though his musical origins are in rap, Malone has seamlessly traversed pop, R&B, and blues, always hinting at his deep-seated country roots along the way. In the last year, his long-standing affinity for country music has moved to the forefront, with appearances at the CMA Awards, a country-tinged Super Bowl LVIII performance, and a feature on Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER. Next up, he’ll make his debut at California's Stagecoach Festival alongside some of country music’s biggest names — and pay tribute to some of the genre greats.
While it’s unclear exactly what the Texas-raised hitmaker will be singing, his 45-minute set on Saturday, April 27 is labeled “Post Malone: Performs a special set of country covers.” After years of performing covers for and alongside country stars, the performance is arguably one of the most full-circle moments of his career thus far.
Ahead of his Stagecoach premiere, read on for some of Posty's biggest nods and contributions to the country music scene over the years — that could culminate in his own country album soon enough.
A Slew Of Classic Country Music Covers
Malone has a history of channeling his musical heroes, often pulling on his boots to deliver heartfelt covers. He's paid tribute to country icons many times, including covers of Hank Williams Jr.'s classic, "There's A Tear In My Beer” in a 2018 fan-favorite video.
During a 2022 Billy Strings tour stop at The Observatory in Los Angeles, Malone made a surprise appearance and used the moment to honor Johnny Cash alongside Strings. The pair delivered an acoustic duet of Cash's infamous murder ballad, "Cocaine Blues."
And just this year, Malone covered Hank Williams Sr. during a surprise performance at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. On April 3, he closed out the annual Bobby Bones' Million Dollar Show with a rendition of Williams' "Honky Tonk Blues."
A Longtime Kinship With Dwight Yoakam
Malone has long collaborated with Dwight Yoakam, marking a friendship and professional partnership that spans his career. Yoakam is a GRAMMY-winning trailblazer known for his pioneering blend of honky tonk, rock and punk that shook up the country scene in the 80's with his blend of "cowpunk."
The pair frequently joined forces on Yoakam's SiriusXM Radio spot "Greater Bakersfield," where one standout 2018 appearance features Malone covering Yoakam's own “Thousand Miles From Nowhere” as the two laugh, strum and belt out the lyrics together in perfect harmony.
On April Fool's Day in 2021, they playfully teased fans with the prospect of a double country album release — which may not seem so far-fetched three years later.
It's fitting that Malone would find such deep inspiration in folks like Yoakam, a man who first rode onto the country scene with a new take on a traditional sound. Much like Yoakam bridged generations with his music, Malone brings a new yet familiar energy to the country scene, embodying the spirit of a modern cowboy in both style and sound.
A Country Tribute To Elvis
Malone teamed up with Keith Urban for a duet rendition of "Baby, What You Want Me to Do" during the "Elvis All-Star Tribute Special," which aired on NBC in 2019. Originally written and performed by blues musician and songwriter Jimmy Reed, "Baby, What You Want Me to Do" was famously covered by Presley and commemorated through Urban and Malone's unique blend of modern guitar-slapping country-rock charisma.
That wasn't Malone's only country collab that night, either. He also covered Presley's "Blue Suede Shoes" alongside Blake Shelton, Little Big Town and Mac Davis.
A Celebration Of Texas With Country Legends
In March 2021, Matthew McConaughey and his wife, Camila, hosted the "We’re Texas" virtual benefit concert, to help Texans coping with that year's disastrous winter storms during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Following performances by George Strait, Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, and Miranda Lambert, Malone — who moved to Dallas when he was 10 — served as the night's final entertainer. He performed Brad Paisley's "I'm Gonna Miss Her" followed by Sturgill Simpson's "You Can Have The Crown" backed by Dwight Yoakam.
A Rousing Tribute At The 2023 CMA Awards
At the 2023 CMA Awards, Malone joined country stars Morgan Wallen and HARDY on stage to cover late icon Joe Diffie‘s “Pickup Man” and "John Deere Green." Malone's first-ever performance at the CMAs felt more like a reunion than a debut, with Malone right at home among his collaborators.
“I’ve manifested this for years," HARDY told Audacy's Katie Neal. "Slight flex here, but I started following [Post Malone] when he had like, 300k Instagram followers. I was on the 'White Iverson' terrain, like the first thing that he ever put out and I was like, ‘this is dope,’ and I've been with him ever since.”
After the performance, Malone hinted to Access Hollywood that it might be the start of a new chapter. When asked if a forthcoming country album would be in the works, he answered, “I think so. Yes, ma'am.” (More on that later.)
A Countrified Appearance At Super Bowl LVIII
Before Beyoncé announced COWBOY CARTER in a Verizon Super Bowl ad, Malone offered Super Bowl Sunday's first country-themed clue at the top of the night with his tender rendition of "America The Beautiful." Sporting a bolo tie and brown suede, Malone delivered his patriotic performance with a characteristically country drawl while strumming along on acoustic guitar before Reba McIntire's star-spangled rendition of the national anthem.
Malone's performance followed in the footsteps of a long line of country artists who have kicked off the national sporting event, which started with Charley Pride in 1974 and has included Shania Twain, Faith Hill and Garth Brooks.
A Tip Of The Hat To Toby Keith
During a performance at the American Rodeo in Arlington, Texas, on March 9, Malone paid tribute to the late Toby Keith, who passed away in February. After pouring one out and taking a sip from a red solo cup (an homage to Keith's playful hit of the same name), Malone performed a cover of "As Good As I Once Was" for the Texas rodeo crowd.
His TikTok video of the performance quickly garnered over 4 million views, sparking enthusiasm among fans for more country music from him. "Sir. I'm now begging for a country album," wrote one user in a comment that has received over 11,000 hearts.
A (Potential) Full-On Country Album
His much-teased country album may not be too yonder. After confirming that a country album was in the works during a live Twitch stream on his channel, Malone has spent much of this year teasing forthcoming new work. There is no scheduled album release date as of press time, but Malone has shared snippets of new songs including “Missin’ You Like This” and dropped sneak peeks of collaborations with Morgan Wallen, HARDY, Ernest, and Luke Combs.
In February, Malone posted a sample of a collaboration with Combs, "I Ain't Got A Guy For That," the first in a series of song snippets shared across his social channels.
On March 20, Malone posted a reel to Instagram featuring a video of himself seated on a stool, smoking a cigarette and singing along to a track that opens with Wallen singing, “It takes two to break a heart in two,” as Malone comes in to deliver a blow with the line, “Baby you blame me, and baby I’ll blame you." The track, shared with the caption (and supposed song title) "I had some help," was first announced in a now-deleted social media post by Wallen at the end of 2023.
No matter when the album may come, Post Malone’s Stagecoach set will only up the anticipation for some original country music from the star — and from the looks of it, fans and genre stars alike are more than ready for it.
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