Adele, Kendrick Lamar, the Weeknd to Perform at Grammys
UPDATE 2: Alabama Shakes and Miguel will perform at this year’s Grammys, with Ice Cube and son O’Shea Jackson, Jr. set to present, according to Billboard.
UPDATE: Justin Bieber and Pitbull will perform at this year’s Grammys alongside previously announced performers Adele, Kendrick Lamar, the Weeknd and Little Big Town.
Adele, Kendrick Lamar, the Weeknd and Little Big Town are among the initial wave of artists set to perform at the 58th Grammy Awards airing live nationwide on February 15th. The To Pimp a Butterfly rapper leads this year’s field with 11 nominations, including Album of the Year, where he’ll face off against the Weeknd’s Beauty Behind the Madness. Little Big Town are up for two Grammys, including Best Country Album.
Adele’s presence at this year’s Grammys, however, is a little surprising: Although she shattered decades-old sales record with the release of her 25, neither the album nor its debut smash single “Hello” are up for any awards since they arrived after the nomination eligibility date. However, as the singer’s NBC ratings proved, Adele equals big TV ratings, and it’s hard to imagine a celebration of 2015’s music without her.
“This lineup of talented artists is just the beginning of what will, once again, prove to be music’s biggest night. We look forward to celebrating what’s been a wonderful year in music, honoring the best of the best and featuring never-before-seen performances,” Recording Academy CEO Neil Portnow said in a statement.
In addition to the scheduled performers, the Grammys announced that the ceremony will also feature a tribute to Lionel Richie, this year’s MusiCares Person of the Year. Also, for the first time in Grammy history, the awards show will broadcast live in both the Eastern and Pacific time zones, as social media spoilers chipped away at ratings in recent years.
“We’ve discussed this with CBS for years, but a variety of factors came together this year, and we collectively agreed that we had the perfect opportunity to try a new model and see how viewers respond,” Portnow said of the change. “I’m very pleased to share that, for the first time, west coast TV viewers will be able to watch the Grammy Awards live.”