What You Did not See on TV

“Are we able to take a minute and make some noise for town of f–king angels,” the Grammys‘ Premiere Rite host Justin Tranter demanded whilst opening up the reveal on Sunday (Feb. 2) in Los Angeles.

As commanded, the group cheered for the Grammys’ longstanding town of place of dwelling, and the period of the reveal — which in the end moved from the Peacock Theater to Crypto.com Enviornment subsequent door for the primary telecast — gave vital love and airtime to L.A., the place wildfires decimated whole neighborhoods in early January. The crisis caused the cancellation of many Grammy events and connected occasions, however the awards reveal itself continued, nodding to the crisis and corresponding reduction efforts repeatedly all over the telecast whilst additionally functioning as a fundraiser and, after all, offering many non-fire connected moments that emphasised song’s energy to please and uplift.

The ambience behind the scenes used to be necessarily a facsimile, with artists discovering a deft stability between celebrating their wins whilst acknowledging the awards taking place within the wake of a big herbal crisis. Even the industrial breaks incorporated stars comparable to Doja Cat, Anderson .Paak and Avril Lavigne showing in advertisements with native L.A. industry homeowners.

However after all, the Grammys additionally went large on what it at all times targets too accomplish — celebrating the yr’s greatest songs and artists with the awards and showcasing large, glitzy performances from one of the vital international’s greatest stars. Even again within the press room, reporters had been cheering as artists comparable to Doechii and Benson Boone electrified the degree.

All the way through the busy, jubilant and on occasion tear-jerking evening, Billboard used to be situated at the crimson carpet, behind the scenes and within the target audience to record on all issues at the back of the scenes. Learn on for the whole thing you didn’t see on TV.

2:32 p.m. PT: “By no means get right into a rap struggle with Kendrick Lamar,” says Sean Lennon, providing a phrase of recommendation to the Premiere Rite target audience and livestream audience whilst accepting the award for perfect boxed or particular restricted version package deal for his paintings artwork directing Thoughts Video games (The Final Assortment), the 1973 album via his past due father, John Lennon. (Even at this early hour Lamar’s “No longer Like Us” has already received Grammys for perfect rap efficiency, perfect rap track and perfect song video.)

2:50 p.m. PT: Lennon then accepts the most efficient rock efficiency award on behalf of The Beatles, who received the award for “Now and Then,” with Lennon acknowledging the band and creating a request. “It’s truly implausible in case you take into consideration it, guy,” he informed the Premiere Rite crowd. “The Beatles have executed such a lot implausible paintings and so they’re nonetheless within the tradition … and so far as I’m involved, its the best band of all time. … Play The Beatles in your youngsters. The arena can’t have enough money to disregard about other people like The Beatles. We want the peace and love of the ’60s and we’d like the magic to stick alive.”

3:00 p.m. PT: Behind the scenes within the press room, Norah Jones displays on her perfect conventional pop vocal album win for Visions, which comes 22 years after her album Come Away With Me swept the 2003 Grammys, successful for album of the yr, report of the yr, perfect feminine pop vocal efficiency, perfect pop vocal album and Jones successful perfect new artist. “I’m truly thankful that I nonetheless have a role,” Jones says whilst reflecting in this accomplishment behind the scenes. “This industry is loopy, so I’m simply truly glad to make song that I really like and that folks pay attention to nonetheless. It’s particular. [Winning those early awards] used to be thrilling, it used to be loopy although, and I used to be so younger. I truly, indubitably, most probably respect this much more.”

3:12 p.m. PT: Behind the scenes, Anderson .Paak displays on taking part in the large FireAid receive advantages live performance that came about two nights in the past to lift cash sufferers of the Los Angeles wildfires. “It used to be superior to be part of an epic lineup and to unite town and supply some a lot wanted assist for the individuals who want it,” the son of SoCal says. “I liked taking part in within the Discussion board. I used to be in a position to deliver out the massive homie Dr. Dre, the massive homie Sheila E. and with my band The Unfastened Nationals — it used to be one of the vital biggest nights evidently in L.A.”

3:17 p.m. PT: Jason Carter, the grandson of past due President Jimmy Carter, displays on his grandfather’s posthumous win for perfect audio guide, narration and storytelling recording for his Closing Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Birthday party. The venture options recordings from President Carter’s ultimate Sunday College courses delivered at Maranatha Baptist Church, in his homeland of Plains, Ga.

“He used to be such a huge song fan,” Jason Carter stated behind the scenes within the Grammys press room after accepting the award on behalf of his grandfather, who died in December at age 100. “He loves the inventive side of song, it’s crucial a part of his political existence and crucial a part of his non-public existence. He used to be an artist in some ways himself. He used to be an writer, he used to be a painter … so he truly appreciates the side of the Grammys that acknowledges creativity.”

3:35 p.m. PT: St. Vincent cradles the 3 Grammy awards she’s received all over the Premiere Rite. When requested how she plans to have a good time, she says, “My sister is on the town and we’re going to make the evening ours, and most probably be in mattress via 10, if all is going smartly.”

She’s then requested concerning the illustration of LGBTQ+ other people on the Grammys, to which she responds: “There have at all times been queer other people within the historical past of the sector and particularly in song, so I believe there’s a host of queer other people being celebrated this yr particularly. In fact it’s nice. Empathy and humanity, let’s cross.”

She additionally discloses that protecting the 3 awards without delay is making her biceps burn.

4:01 p.m. PT: Within the press house, Sean Lennon is requested about “the load” of sporting at the legacy of his father, John Lennon. “It’s no longer a burden,” the more youthful Lennon responds. “It’s in truth a really perfect privilege for me. I simply really feel so fortunate that I am getting to do excellent via my dad. It looks like a privilege as his son to be in a position give again. He gave the sector such a lot, and he gave me such a lot and I simply really feel truly commemorated so to do justice via him.”

4:57 p.m. PT: Celebrating her perfect R&B efficiency win for “Made for Me (Continue to exist BET),” Muni Lengthy displays, “For me, moments like this are only a reminder that while you do what’s for your center, you win regardless of how a lot resistance you stumble upon, regardless of what number of reviews other people may have, you need to be original, as a result of that resonates with other people.”

5:19 p.m. PT: Percussion legend Sheila E., who received an award for perfect international song efficiency for “Bemba Colorá” that includes Gloria Estefan and Mimy Succar, stocks about quickly evacuating her house all over the L.A. wildfires. “I used to be one of the vital lucky ones,” she says. “It used to be very, very with reference to my area. I needed to evacuate the evening of the fires … and the very first thing that I took — as a result of I had evacuated that house earlier than — and this time I put all my song, all my arduous drives in packing containers so I may just lift them down the steps alone if I needed to, and I simply took my song, a couple of pajamas, a couple of sweats, and I left.”

5:25 p.m. PT: Whilst talking to the clicking after successful for perfect association, instrumental or a cappella, John Legend mentioned the hot wildfires in Los Angeles and the wider prevalence of local weather change-related failures. “We’ve had floods on this nation, we’ve had hurricanes on this nation, and what I really like to look is when all people understand that our neighbors, our fellow countrymen and girls are suffering and struggling, and all of us come in combination and assist each and every different out,” Legend says.

“L.A.’s going via it now, and other people across the nation and around the globe are going via it in different ways,” he continues. “Numerous it’s because of local weather and heightened failures and the energy of those storms and winds … I believe greater than ever, we’re going to have to come back in combination and strengthen each and every different in those occasions. It’s L.A.’s flip at this time, however we’re going to have to go back the want for different communities and different towns and states as they undergo the similar issues. Expectantly, we’ll be there for each and every different, and we’ll all do the most efficient we will to assume longer term about local weather exchange and the way it’s affecting all people, and we’ll do the issues we wish to do as a society to assist mitigate the wear.”

6:10 p.m. PT: Brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith of the band Dawes step behind the scenes to speak about their show-opening efficiency of Randy Newman’s 1983 anthem “I Love L.A.” “We’ve by no means been nominated; we’ve by no means even been right here,” says Taylor, “so for us that is simply any such whirlwind of pondering [the Grammys] have by no means been part of our adventure, to going to the reveal and taking part in onstage. It’s a wild factor about how our formative years desires may just catch up with a chance to assist our communities at any such tragic second.”

7:22 p.m. PT: Throughout the venue, Beyoncé — who has simply received for perfect nation album and attended the reveal with husband Jay-Z and daughter Blue Ivy — is escorted again to her seat simply earlier than a tribute to past due genius Quincy Jones. The medley options Cynthia Ervio and Herbie Hancock acting “Fly Me to the Moon,” Lainey Wilson and Jacob Collier doing “Let The Just right Instances Roll,” Stevie Surprise and Hancock acting “Blusette” and “We Are the International” and Janelle Monáe making a song “Don’t Forestall Until You Get Sufficient.”

7:38 p.m. PT: After successful for perfect rap album and hanging on a jaw-dropping performances of “Catfish” and “Denial Is a River,” Doechii arrived behind the scenes and stated the efficiency used to be one of the crucial tough she’s ever executed. “I truly felt I had to push myself tougher than I ever have earlier than,” she informed the reporters assembled, who’d cheered when she entered the room. “It intended the whole thing to me to turn out myself this night, to me, and so it used to be about Broadway and theater and artwork, and I believe I introduced that to the degree.”

8:35 p.m. PT: Behind the scenes, SZA, whose “Saturn” has received for perfect R&B recording, is requested if she will be able to divulge any secrets and techniques about her upcoming Tremendous Bowl Halftime Display particular visitor look with Kendrick Lamar. “Mm-mm,” she says, with politeness declining. “That’s King Kendrick’s efficiency, and all I will say is that he’s running truly arduous on it.”

She’s then requested what her long run plans are in relation to no longer being “positioned in a field” of R&B. “I don’t truly assume I’m in reality truly positioned in a field,” she says. “I believe those are the parameters through which I’ve been commemorated this night, and I’m thankful for that, and I believe inside of all of the parameters I’ve been commemorated, irrespective of the label, I’m thankful to have got the award, the however that’s no longer the purpose. The purpose is the succeed in, and the have an effect on, and the revel in I’ve had developing song.”