Monday, Jan. 29 officially kicks off the 2024 Grammy Awards Week. With final voting for the awards having ended on Jan. 4, the Recording Academy is prepared for their annual week-long festivities culminating with the award show. Grammy Week is an in-depth celebration of all things related to the Recording Academy and music industry; it’s an insight to music in the Recording Academy’s image.
The Recording Academy is not the only music organization that participates in Grammy Week; companies like Billboard, Spotify and Amazon Music will host their respective pre-Grammy events. Most notably, Spotify’s annual Best New Artist pre-Grammy event will be held again to honor the 2024 Best New Artist Grammy nominees. Billboard will be announcing their Billboard Power 100 list during Grammy Week as well. The list ranks the most influential music executives within the industry. With multiple events happening across Los Angeles for Grammy Week, the festivities are set to be a celebration of nominees and past Grammy winners.
In a year where Songwriter and Producer of the Year have been moved to the award show’s general field, the Producers & Engineers Wing and Songwriters & Composers Wing of the Recording Academy will be co-hosting the first initiation of a new event called “A Celebration of Craft.” In 2021, the Songwriters & Composers Wing was created to recognize songwriters and composers within the industry. With this event being the wing’s first Grammy Week event, it functions as the Recording Academy’s recent shift to more widely recognize the importance of songwriters.
Not only is Grammy Week a time to celebrate nominees and the Recording Academy membership, but it’s also a time to educate aspiring students about the music industry. This year, the Grammy Museum will continue to host their Grammy in the Schools Fest (GITS Fest). GITS Fest has become an important part of Grammy Week’s Education and Community Engagement programs. As an institution that preserves Grammy history, the Grammy Museum encourages music education for the public from members of the actual industry.
During Grammy Week, the Grammy Museum plays an important role in centering music education and dialogue around the industry. Coco Jones, a first-time Grammy nominee (including a Best New Artist nomination), will lead one of the GITS Fest workshops. Workshops and talks from GITS Fest will be live streamed for those unable to attend in person.
MusiCares, a non-profit wing of the Recording Academy dedicated to musicians’ well-being, will be hosting its annual Person of the Year ceremony. This year, Jon Bon Jovi will be honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year. The ceremony is also a benefit gala for MusiCares Foundation’s programs that aid in assisting musicians financially, with healthcare, housing, addiction recovery and more. MusiCares’ ceremony highlights the charity work done to support musicians, and continues to amplify the importance of a welfare network with the music industry that cares for musicians in need of help.
Renowned producer Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammy Gala is the main spectacle of Grammy Week, held the Saturday night before the Grammys. Since 1976, Davis’ Grammy Gala has been a central fixture in bringing together artists to recognize the preceding year’s music milestones and its most important figures. The exclusive event is filled with surprises, surrounding who will perform and who will be attending. Notably, it’s become an event where artists can ease from the tension of competition to focus on celebrating music. The gala has become a source of music industry lore, nearly competing with the actual Grammy Awards in its importance.
Grammy Week culminates on Sunday, Feb. 4 with the 66th Grammy Awards from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. EST. Sunday night is the Recording Academy’s round up of 2023’s best in music; SZA is a top contender with the most Grammy nominations. Grammy nominees Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa are all nominated in the general field and are set to perform. The Grammy Afterparty will have a headlining performance by Ne-Yo, officially closing out Grammy Week. Here’s an extensive list of the events comprising Grammy Week: https://www.billboard.com/lists/2024-grammy-parties-events/monday-january-29.
Suzanne Bagia can be reached at [email protected].
