Grammy Awards 2023: Music’s A-list prepares for a potentially historic ceremony. Grammy Awards 2023

Just days before the curtain rises on the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, producer Ben Winston is putting the finishing touches on production.

During a short break between duties at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Winston said, “Last night we were doing some table planning, which is always fun.” But only you plan where Beyoncé likes. Adele And Rock is about to sit down. Who’s next to Cardi B? Really fun. ”

Due to a myriad of logistical considerations, Winston, the mastermind behind the production along with production partner Raj Kapoor, calls it one of the most difficult shows on television.

“There are 19 or so performers, all of them A-list dancers, choirs and orchestras. You need a set,” he said.

According to Winston, work won’t begin until November, when the nominations are announced, and artists will begin to commit. Most Grammy-winning artist in history There were nine nominations this year, with Kendrick Lamar, Adele and Brandi Carlisle competing in multiple categories.

“From the day the nominations were announced, it took us eight weeks to put this together,” says Winston with a laugh.

This year’s performers reflect a strong commercial slate of nominations after a year of blockbuster records, massive comebacks and sold-out tours. Styles will sing his song “As It Was,” which is his longest No. 1 in US chart history by a British act, and his fourth longest song in general. Bad Bunny, the world’s most-played artist, will also be on stage, with Un Verano Sin Ti nominated for the first Spanish-language Album of the Year. Joining them include Mary J. Blige, Sam Smith, Brandi Carlisle and others.

Kacey Musgraves will pay tribute to the late Loretta Lynn, and rapper Quavo will also join the performance of her late Migos counterpart Takeoff. Also celebrating his 50th anniversary in hip-hop, curated by LL Cool J and featuring some of the genre’s brightest stars and innovators, including Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Big Boi and DJ Jazzy Jeff. doing.

To prove the show’s last-minute nature, Winston teased that additional artists were only confirmed Wednesday night. I was hoping it would,” he says. “Now we’re building their sets and forming a band,” Friday said. announced Jay-Z performing with special guests such as DJ Khaled and John Legend.

on the other hand, grammy awards Although the broadcast has managed to weather the Covid-era, the latest traditional show in Los Angeles took place in January 2020, when the virus began making its way through the West Coast. The ceremony was low-key and scaled back, but 2022 saw a high-tail of production heading to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas as Los Angeles was still grappling with virus restrictions.

But with the era of the pandemic seeming behind it, at least for some, the source of this year’s drama is music and current contenders, including what could be a historic night for Beyoncé. The singer needs to win just four awards on Sunday to become the most awarded artist in Grammy history.

Additionally, Beyoncé is also competing in the elusive trio of records, songs and albums. It’s her third time she’s been recognized in all three of her categories at the same time. But anxiety is spreading as the Grammys seek to undermine its reputation for being naive and lacking diversity. On her album of the year alone, Beyoncé has previously lost out to Taylor Swift, Beck and Adele, with the latter expressing her own concerns over her win.

“Of course, Beyoncé could break the record. It would be a great moment for both the music and the producers. We want to create a live TV moment where something important happens,” says Winston. Keep an eye on progress from the truck parked outside and connect to host Trevor his Noah onstage via earbuds.

“The show is going to be really packed and strong,” he says. “It’s a huge gift when you have an album like the one we had. It can also be very nerve-wracking.”