Brace yourself, Billie Eilish and Lizzo fans: The 2020 Grammy Awards are shaping up to be a big night.
The Grammys are quickly approaching, and this year’s ceremony looks like it’ll live up to its rep as “Music’s Biggest Night.”
Will “Bad Guy” singer Eilish come out on top? Will Lizzo leave feeling “Good As Hell” with trophies in hand? Will Lil Nas X land some wins or will the “Old Town Road” rapper be left in the dust? Oh, and when is it again?
From the breakout nominees to the surprising snubs, here’s everything you need to know going into this year’s Grammys.
What time are the Grammys?
The show will broadcast live from Los Angeles’ Staples Center on Sunday, Jan. 26. It airs on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
How can I watch the Grammys on TV or online?
Well, if you have regular TV, on CBS. If you don’t, the show is available for streaming on CBS All Access and on live TV packages through services like YouTube TV and Hulu live TV.
Also, you can stream all the red carpet arrivals on Grammy.com.
Notable 2020 Grammy nominees
Lizzo received the most nominations, with eight, including album (“Cuz I Love You”), record and song (“Truth Hurts”) of the year. She’s followed by Lil Nas X and Eilish, who are tied with six nods each. Artists with five nominations include Ariana Grande, H.E.R. and Finneas O’Connell.
Eilish, 18, joins Lizzo, 31, in the album-of-the-year category with her genre-bending, critically acclaimed debut “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” The trend-setting teen, whose music has amassed more than 15 billion combined streams across platforms, is also up for record and song of the year for No. 1 hit “Bad Guy.” That makes her the youngest nominee in Grammy history to be nominated in all four major categories, according to the Recording Academy.
Lil Nas X, 20, whose real name is Montero Hill, is similarly up for best album with his eight-song debut “7.” “Old Town Road,” his country-rap collaboration with Billy Ray Cyrus that topped the charts for a record-breaking 19 consecutive weeks this summer, is nominated for best pop/duo group performance, while his follow-up single “Panini” is up for best rap/sung performance.
Elsewhere in the nominations, Grande’s five nods include record (“7 Rings”) and album of the year (“Thank U, Next”). The best album category is rounded out by Bon Iver’s “I, I,” Lana Del Rey’s “Norman F***ing Rockwell,” H.E.R.’s “I Used to Know Her” and Vampire Weekend’s “Father of the Bride.”
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Grammy nominations: Lizzo leads, Billie Eilish makes history, and ‘Old Town Road’ scores
Who got snubbed?
Though this year’s nominations shined a light on new artists, established favorites, like Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen were left in the dark.
10-time Grammy winner Swift made history in 2016 by becoming the first female artist to win album of the year twice, for “1989” and “Fearless” (a feat managed a year later by Adele, with “25” and “21”). But Swift’s Grammys streak has slowed: Her divisive “Reputation” earned just one nod in 2018 for best pop vocal album, and this year, she garnered only three nominations, including song of the year for “Lover.”
Her critically beloved album “Lover” failed to land a best album nod, but showed up in best pop vocal album. Meanwhile, her pro-LGBTQ anthem “You Need to Calm Down” eked out a nomination for best pop solo performance, but missed out on record of the year.
Similarly, 20-time-winning rock icon Springsteen has been a reliable Grammy presence since 1984 and was honored in 2013 by the Recording Academy’s charity arm as MusiCares Person of the Year. The Boss returned this summer with the country-tinged “Western Stars,” which marked his first album of solo material since 2012’s “Wrecking Ball.” But voters didn’t welcome him back with open arms, snubbing “Western Stars” and Springsteen entirely.
Grammy snubs 2020: Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen miss out on major nominations
Who’s hosting the Grammys?
After hosting the 2019 Grammys, Alicia Keys is back and ready to take on the gig for the second year in a row. With 15 Grammy wins, Keys is certainly qualified.
“It’s almost like a marathon: You can’t just run a marathon (once),” Keys said of her desire to host a second time. “I feel like now, more than ever, I’m familiar with the space on multiple levels. It’s going to be an exciting, inclusive, beautiful experience, and that’s what I want to create.”
2020 Grammy nominations: See the complete list of artists up for an award
Who’s performing?
This year’s Grammys should be a big night for Eilish and Lizzo, not just because of their nominations, but also because they’ll each make their Grammys stage debuts.
Demi Lovato will also take the stage, marking her first live performance since her apparent drug overdose in 2018.
“I told you the next time you’d hear from me I’d be singing,” Lovato wrote on Instagram Tuesday, along with the announcement.
Also returning to the show is Grande, who didn’t attend last year following a dispute with Grammys producer Ken Ehrlich.
Power couple Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani will perform together at the show for the first time. Aerosmith, Run-D.M.C, Charlie Wilson, Bonnie Raitt, Camila Cabello, H.E.R., the Jonas Brothers, Rosalía and Tyler, The Creator will all take the stage.
How are the Grammy Awards different this year?
Unlike prior years, this year’s Grammys will have more women, people of color and young people choosing who wins.
Because the awards show has been criticized in recent years for a lack of women represented among nominees and winners, the Recording Academy invited 900 new members to join the voting body, with an emphasis on women, people of color and those under the age of 39, or some combination of the three.
Who is being honored at Grammy Awards events?
Grammys fun kicks off way before the main awards show begins.
One of the most famous lead-up events is record producer Clive Davis’ star-studded pre-Grammys gala, held this year on the Saturday night before the show.
At this year’s gala, three-time Grammy winner Sean “Diddy” Combs will be recognized as the 2020 Grammy Salute to Industry Icons honoree for his 25-year career in the music industry.
The Friday before the Grammys, rock band Aerosmith will be honored as the 2020 Person of the Year for MusiCares, the Recording Academy’s charity for musicians in critical times of financial need. The band earned the title for their philanthropy and impact on music history.
They will be honored with a tribute concert featuring Gary Clark Jr., Alice Cooper, Foo Fighters, H.E.R., the Jonas Brothers, Emily King, John Legend, John Mayer and Yola, among others.
Contributing: Patrick Ryan
