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New York City To Host 2018 GRAMMYs

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Madison Square Garden to host 60th GRAMMY Awards on Jan. 28, 2018, marking the first GRAMMY telecast in New York City since 2003
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2017 - 2:36 am
GRAMMY.com

The Recording Academy has announced that the 60th GRAMMY Awards will take place at New York City's Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018. The telecast will be broadcast live on CBS at a new time: 7:30–11 p.m. ET and 4:30–8 p.m. PT. The 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards will mark the 46th consecutive year that CBS will broadcast the show, and the network has a commitment in place to host it through 2026.  

Most recently, Madison Square Garden hosted the 45th GRAMMY Awards in 2003. Music's Biggest Night has been broadcast from Staples Center in Los Angeles for the past 14 years.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and his office have worked tirelessly on the GRAMMY telecast's return to Madison Square Garden, which is estimated to bring $200 million in economic benefit to the city.   

"Playing host to the music industry's marquee awards show is a unique creative, artistic and economic boon to the rich cultural fabric of our city," said de Blasio. "We welcome the GRAMMY Awards back to New York City with open arms and we look forward to continuing to partner with a music industry that supports access and empowerment in the arts."

"MSG has been the site of many of the most legendary and enduring moments in music history — and we think the 2018 GRAMMYs will be a perfect addition to that great legacy," said James L. Dolan, executive chairman, The Madison Square Garden Company. "We are thankful to Mayor de Blasio and all of those who worked so hard to make this return possible."

To announce the GRAMMYs' return to New York, The Recording Academy worked with creative agency TBWA\Chiat\Day and director Spike Lee on a star-studded film, NY Stories. Featuring New York artists sharing New York musical stories, the film takes viewers on a musical tour of the city — from The Apollo Theater in Harlem to Jay Z's Marcy Projects in Bedford-Stuyvesant, to all neighborhoods and musical landmarks in between.

May 15, 2017 – 2:36 am

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"While we're best known for Music's Biggest Night, we serve the music community year-round, and a large part of that community is alive and thriving in New York City and on the East Coast," said Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. "As a native New Yorker and lifelong supporter of the city's vibrant arts scene, I couldn't be more excited to return in 2018 and celebrate 60 years of honoring the best of the best in recorded sound in the world-class venue that is Madison Square Garden."

Revisit 13 unforgettable GRAMMY moments in New York City

 

Polls

The GRAMMYs will return to the Big Apple in 2018. What is your favorite song that name checks New York?

 

 

Neil Portnow photographed in 2017

Photo: Michael Kovac/WireImage.com

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Neil Portnow Talks 60th GRAMMY Awards Return To New York

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Despite the financial implications, Recording Academy President/CEO explains why the GRAMMY telecast going back to New York in 2018 "made sense"
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
Oct 18, 2017 - 11:16 am

With first-round voting in progress and nominations for the 60th GRAMMY Awards just weeks away, the excitement surrounding Music's Biggest Night is beginning to build.

May 15, 2017 – 1:50 am

Watch Spike Lee's Star-Studded 'NY Stories' Film

In a new interview with Melinda Newman for Billboard, Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow discussed several factors involved with the GRAMMY telecast's return to Madison Square Garden for the first time in 15 years on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018.

"From the time [the 45th GRAMMY Awards ended in 2003, I was always thinking about when would it be good and appropriate for us to go back to New York," said Portnow. "Not only because that's what we'd done [before], but if you think of half of the Academy's membership being east of the Mississippi, it always made sense that we'd figure out how to go back."

Though the Academy's membership includes representation in Chapter cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, and Miami, taking the GRAMMY Awards telecast back east has financial implications, not only relating to the telecast but the Academy's slate of GRAMMY Week events.

"The reality is that it's a major undertaking in many respects," said Portnow. "One is that we're West Coast-based so it means moving essentially a majority or good portion [of the staff] back east. No. 2 is the weather. No. 3 is reinventing not just the GRAMMY telecast, but the whole week we've developed. … It's way more expensive to do anything in New York."

The Academy President/CEO also detailed the role New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and his office played in the show's return to the Big Apple, including Julie Menin, the commissioner of the mayor's office of media and entertainment.

"When we got into exploring doing this in reality … different people [assisted] and Julie had been appointed to this newly created position having to do with the arts and bringing culture to New York, so we have conversations about how they might be helpful in dealing with issues and concerns and challenges for us so that we could cross the finish line," he said. "They pulled together some folks they identified as potentially helpful. We had several meetings to discuss some of the ideas and so on and so forth. They also play another role, which is logistically to pull all of this off there are a variety of things that have to happen in the city that are beyond what have to happen in L.A. ..."

Though the GRAMMY Awards are slated to return to Los Angeles in 2019, Portnow says that the organization's focus is the milestone 60th telecast.

"Even as we speak there are things that are left to be done, ironed out, figured out," said Portnow. "In terms of going back [to Los Angeles], I think that's a topic for the other side of this adventure. …"

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Do You Remember These 13 New York GRAMMY Moments?

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With the announcement of Music's Biggest Night's return to Madison Square Garden, look back at these 13 unforgettable GRAMMY moments that took place in the Big Apple
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2017 - 2:36 am
GRAMMY.com

Start spreading the news: Music's Biggest Night is set to return to New York City for the 60th GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018, marking the first time the telecast will air from New York's Madison Square Garden in 15 years.

It will be the 11th time the GRAMMYs will be broadcast from New York, and the third time in history the show will emanate from the prestigious arena, following the 39th GRAMMY Awards (1997) and 45th GRAMMY Awards (2003).

As The Recording Academy prepares for the amazing moments in store for its milestone 60th telecast, look back at these 13 unforgettable GRAMMY memories from past shows in the Big Apple.

 

May 15, 2017 – 1:50 am

Remember these NYC GRAMMY moments?

14th GRAMMY Awards

Felt Forum, March 14, 1972

Carole King's crowning GRAMMY night

It was a night of historic firsts. The 14th GRAMMY Awards marked the first time the GRAMMYs broadcast from New York, with the Felt Forum doing the honors. (Today, the Felt Forum is now The Theater at Madison Square Garden.) The show also marked the first time a woman won multiple awards in the General Field categories. Carole King, a Brill Building alumnus, took home Record Of The Year for "It's Too Late," Song Of The Year for "You've Got A Friend" and Album Of The Year for Tapestry.

9 times women made GRAMMY history

17th GRAMMY Awards

Uris Theater, March 1, 1975

Stevie Wonder fulfills Album Of The Year repeat

In 1975 the GRAMMYs returned to New York at the Uris Theater (now the Gershwin Theatre) for an all-star telecast that included Roberta Flack, the Spinners, Aretha Franklin, and John Lennon and Yoko Ono. But it was Stevie Wonder who made headlines, winning five awards. More notably, he became the first artist to win Album Of The Year in consecutive years, taking the prize for Fulfillingness' First Finale following Innervisions' win the prior year.

David Bowie makes his lone GRAMMY appearance

It's not often that a presenter can steal the show at the GRAMMYs, but if anyone could it would be David Bowie. The Thin White Duke was on hand to present the award for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female, which ultimately went to Aretha Franklin. "I am honored to have been selected to perform this particular task," the dapper Bowie said. "My personal award is having the opportunity to salute ce premiere femme noir." In her acceptance, Franklin responded, "Wow, this is so good I could kiss David Bowie."

23rd GRAMMY Awards

Radio City Music Hall, Feb. 25, 1981

Christopher Cross sails away with a GRAMMY record

With his breezy pop-rock sound, Christopher Cross took flight with his 1979 self-titled debut solo album and hits such as "Ride Like The Wind," "Never Be The Same" and the lilting "Sailing," which took home Song and Record Of The Year honors at the 23rd GRAMMYs. The unassuming Texan became the first artist to sweep all four General Field GRAMMY categories, also winning Best New Artist and Album Of The Year. "It's definitely a dream come true," Cross said in his final acceptance for Record Of The Year. And it's a GRAMMY feat that has not yet been duplicated.

30th GRAMMY Awards

Radio City Music Hall, March 2, 1988

Michael Jackson's amazing GRAMMY performance debut

Though a veteran in terms of GRAMMY wins, Michael Jackson had yet to perform on the GRAMMY stage until the 30th GRAMMYs in 1988. The seasoned performer mesmerized the Radio City Music Hall audience and the millions tuning in with a medley of "The Way You Make Me Feel" and "Man In The Mirror," two No. 1 hits from his chart-topping album Bad. It would be the King of Pop's lone GRAMMY performance, adding to the legend of what some consider the most iconic performance in GRAMMY history. 

10 reasons Michael Jackson became the King of Pop

Run DMC become the first rap act to perform on the GRAMMYs

Run DMC loom large in GRAMMY history. The Kings from Queens were the first rap act to score a GRAMMY nomination, earning a nod for 1986 for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal for Raising Hell. The trio also became the first rap act to perform on Music's Biggest Night, turning in a hard rendition of "Tougher Than Leather" at the 30th GRAMMY Awards. Their performance spawned a lineage of signature GRAMMY rap moments, including M.C. Hammer, Eminem and Elton John, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, A Tribe Called Quest and Anderson .Paak, and Chance The Rapper. Run DMC would later become the first rap act to receive a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award. 

36th GRAMMY Awards

Radio City Music Hall, March 1, 1994

NYC love for Whitney Houston

The New Jersey-born Whitney Houston was riding another crest of popularity following the release of The Bodyguard, the hit film in which she starred that spawned the biggest-selling soundtrack of all time. Opening the show on a high note, Houston hypnotized the audience with a magical performance of "I Will Always Love You." The star also netted three awards, including her first two career General Field category GRAMMYs: Record Of The Year for "I Will Always ..." and Album Of The Year for the soundtrack.

The Chairman becomes a GRAMMY Legend

Already a Lifetime Achievement Award and Trustees Award recipient, in 1994 Frank Sinatra added a GRAMMY Legend Award to his mantle. With a touching introduction from Bono, the pride of Hoboken, N.J., was visibly moved as the audience welcomed him with a standing ovation. "Thank you very much. That's the best welcome I ever had," the Chairman said. The poignant moment was not without controversy, however, as television cameras cut off the broadcast during Ol' Blue Eyes' remarks. "This is live television and I'm sure Mr. Sinatra will get even by cutting this show off in another hour," joked host Garry Shandling.

39th GRAMMY Awards

Madison Square Garden, Feb. 26, 1997

Teenage LeAnn Rimes makes GRAMMY history

While most '90s teens were listening to Oasis or watching Clueless, LeAnn Rimes had grander career aspirations. The country starlet won her first career award for Best New Artist at the ripe young age of 14, making her the youngest person to ever win a GRAMMY. The 39th show was also notable for being the first time the GRAMMYs were broadcast from an arena, with Madison Square Garden fittingly doing the honors. 

40th GRAMMY Awards

Radio City Music Hall, Feb. 25, 1998

Bob Dylan gets soy bombed

The GRAMMYs' 40th birthday party got wild with one of the most bizarre live performance moments ever. Bob Dylan was turning in a rootsy rendition of "Love Sick" when background dancer Michael Portnoy — who took off his shirt to reveal the words "Soy Bomb" scrawled across his chest — went off-script and proceeded to dance along in a spastic manner. Undeterred, Dylan finished his song without further casualty. Later, the folk legend took home Album Of The Year for Time Out Of Mind. His son, Jakob, won a GRAMMY with his band the Wallflowers, making it a truly unforgettable family evening.

Shawn Colvin's speech is Wu-Tanged

Years before Kanye West, Wu-Tang Clan's Ol' Dirty Bastard arguably created the template for how to interrupt a speech at the 40th GRAMMY Awards. As Shawn Colvin began her acceptance for Song Of The Year for "Sunny Came Home," Ol' Dirty Bastard rushed the stage to steal the mic. "I went and bought me an outfit today that cost me a lot of money," he said. "Because I figured that Wu-Tang was going to win. I don't know how you all see it, but when it comes to the children, Wu-Tang is for the children." Apparently, so was John Denver, who ended up taking Best Musical Album For Children that year.

Watch: The GRAMMYs' unexpected moments

45th GRAMMY Awards

Madison Square Garden, Feb. 23, 2003

Simon & Garfunkel break their silence

The legendary New York-based duo, whose history with the city included a momentous concert in Central Park in 1981, broke their acrimonious silence by performing a stunning acoustic version of their first hit, "The Sounds Of Silence," (GRAMMY Hall Of Fame, 2004). The heartfelt reunion — which segued into a massively successful tour — was spawned by the pair's presentation of The Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Boss helps NYC rise back up

The 45th GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden not only marked the show's first return to New York in five years, it was the first since Sept. 11, 2001. Bruce Springsteen, New Jersey's favorite son, performed a rollicking rendition of "The Rising," a song bottling the resiliency of the city and its residents. Springsteen also led the show finale, a Joe Strummer tribute featuring Steven Van Zandt, Elvis Costello and Dave Grohl. Fittingly, the Boss' presence punctuated this emotional musical homecoming, which was arguably the city's first major positive event since the terrorist attacks.

Cast your vote: What is your favorite song that name checks New York?

 

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Visit 7 Iconic Musical New York Landmarks

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From Central Park's Strawberry Fields to Electric Lady Studios, Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden, these musical destinations are a must for any tour of the Big Apple
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2017 - 2:36 am
GRAMMY.com

Bright lights, big city! As The Recording Academy rolls out the red carpet in New York for the first time since 2003 for the milestone 60th GRAMMY Awards, we can't wait to unpack and take in the sights — and sounds. Whether it's melancholic Strawberry Fields in Central Park, the storied Birdland jazz club or the regal Madison Square Garden, we're excited to experience the most iconic and musically awakened locations in the city that never sleeps.

Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden has a legacy as the holy grail of sorts for touring artists. To put it another way: When you've headlined the Garden, you've made it. Interestingly, all four Beatles played the Garden, but never at the same time. MSG hosted the concerts for the Album Of The Year GRAMMY-winning Concert For Bangla Desh in 1971, and artists from AC/DC, Journey and Pearl Jam to Coldplay, Bruno Mars and Kanye West have all played there. MSG also holds a special GRAMMY first. At the 39th GRAMMY Awards in 1996, the Garden became the first major arena to host the GRAMMYs.

Radio City Music Hall

Located in the Rockefeller Center, and home of the famed Rockettes dancers, Radio City Music Hall is nicknamed Showplace of the Nation. And for good reason: It's the largest indoor theater and has the largest (and probably shiniest) gold curtain. While taking in the decadent décor, reminisce about artists the Hall has hosted over the years, including Tony Bennett, Celine Dion, Liza Minnelli, Stevie Wonder, and Liberace. The GRAMMY Awards called Radio City Music Hall their home on six occasions too, starting with the 23rd GRAMMYs in 1981.

Electric Lady Studios

With recent projects such as Adele's Album Of The Year-winning 25 to David Bowie's Best Alternative Music Album-winning Blackstar,  there's a special mojo working within the walls of Electric Lady Studios. The hallowed studio was born in 1970 when Jimi Hendrix purchased an old nightclub and converted it into a what would become a preferred recording location for the likes of the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder, and Patti Smith, among others. Another interesting tidbit? It's the oldest working recording studio in New York.

Chelsea Hotel

With its classic red-brick exterior, the Chelsea Hotel has held a place in New York's heart since it opened in the 1880s. But its famous residents truly give this hotel its character. The Grateful Dead, Chick Corea, Jeff Beck, Dee Dee Ramone, Cher, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Alice Cooper, Janis Joplin, Bette Midler, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Rufus Wainwright, and Leonard Cohen were all guests or residents at one point or another. Former resident Madonna used room 822 to shoot her 1992 coffee table book, Sex. But the Chelsea doesn't kiss and tell.

The Village Vanguard

Tucked away in Greenwich Village, the famed Village Vanguard has been the proving ground for jazz greats as far back as John Coltrane, Eartha Kitt and Harry Belafonte, right up to contemporaries such as Ravi Coltrane and Wynton Marsalis. But in its early days, the club also supported poets, comedians, folk artists such as Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly, and Calypso acts, among many other performing artists. Today, the Vanguard is still the place to go to for stellar jazz acts and that unforgettable nightclub atmosphere.

Birdland

Speaking of legendary jazz venues, the Birdland ranks high on the list of New York's classic nightclub locations. The club was nicknamed after Charlie "Bird" Parker, the saxophonist who was one of the club's first headliners when it opened in 1949. Soon Count Basie and his band became fixtures onstage, along with a host of other jazz luminaries: Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bud Powell, Stan Getz, Lester Young, and Erroll Garner. With recent headliners such as the GRAMMY-winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Birdland is still a vibrant jazz destination.

Strawberry Fields in Central Park

We couldn't take a trip to New York and not pay tribute to GRAMMY winner and Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award honoree John Lennon. Settled in Central Park, Strawberry Fields and its famous "Imagine" mosaic — a gift from Italy — serve as a memorial to the late Lennon, who was killed in New York on Dec. 8, 1980. The living memorial was designed by landscape architect Bruce Kelly, and it was dedicated by New York Mayor Ed Koch and Lennon's wife, Yoko Ono, in 1985. This triangular patch of land keeps Lennon's memory and his message of peace alive and well for generations of music lovers. Strawberry fields forever, indeed.

Where's your favorite musical location in New York? Tell us in the comments.

Want more NYC landmarks? Watch Spike Lee's new short film, NY Stories 

Neil Portnow, Mayor Bill de Blasio and John Poppo in New York

Neil Portnow, Mayor Bill de Blasio and John Poppo cut the ribbon on the Recording Academy's new headquarters in New York
Photo Cindy Ord/Getty Images

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2018 GRAMMY Week: The Recording Academy Hits The Ground In New York

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With Music's Biggest Night returning to the Big Apple for the first time in 15 years, the Academy kicked off GRAMMY Week in NYC style
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
Jan 22, 2018 - 9:27 pm

The Recording Academy jolted the electricity in New York City up a few notches today. With Monday, Jan. 22 ushering in GRAMMY Week, the reality of the return of Music's Biggest Night to Madison Square Garden for the first time in 15 years beckons. And if the two official events that bookended the day are any indication, the excitement in the city is palpable.

May 15, 2017 – 1:50 am

Watch Spike Lee's Star-Studded 'NY Stories' Film

To start the proceedings, this morning Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow and Chair John Poppo participated in a special ribbon-cutting ceremony with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to christen the organization's new local headquarters: an impressive townhouse situated across East 37th Street from the J.P. Morgan Museum.

"This marks the first time the Academy will own our own offices and a real piece of the Big Apple," said Portnow.

During his remarks, de Blasio commented on how New York City will benefit by the powerful force that is GRAMMY Week.

"We're so happy to have the [60th GRAMMY Awards] back where, in our humble opinion, they belong," said de Blasio. "There will be real economic opportunity created by this wonderful week: It's projected to have an impact of [$200 million] on the city's economy, and we know that impact will go well beyond the seven exciting days ahead."

Speaking of impact, in the evening the Recording Academy hosted an official GRAMMY Week welcome reception convening local officials, dignitaries, and the organization's executive staff and elected leadership. The reception was nestled within Hudson Yards, an impressive real estate development that will ultimately become a massive nexus of culture, commerce and cuisine.

Spanning seven full city blocks and more than 18 million square feet, the sprawling project is touted as the largest private real estate development in the history of the United States, and the largest development in New York City since Rockefeller Center.

"[Hudson Yards] is really the new heart of New York," said Jay Cross, president of Related Hudson Yards. "It's where the city is going in the next five or 10 years."

But the focus for this week in New York is the 60th GRAMMY Awards, a milestone telecast for not only the organization but also for Portnow.

Peter Asher at the GRAMMY Week kickoff reception at Hudson Yards
2018 GRAMMY Week Kickoff Event & Welcome Reception

"[This year] is actually interesting for me," said Portnow, a native New Yorker. "It's full circle because my first year as President of the Academy was the year that we were here last [in 2003] and we were in Madison Square Garden. It's not only a homecoming but it's quite emotional. We're thrilled to be here."

"The GRAMMYs coming here, given New York being the cultural capital of the United States, is so important for the city," said Corey Johnson, speaker of the New York City Council.

The GRAMMYs' storied history includes previous telecasts hosted at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden and the Uris Theatre. As a melting pot of so many popular genres, New York is an appropriate home for Music's Biggest Night, which will honor music excellence in 84 categories.

"This is the music and cultural center of the world," said Poppo. "You can't think about music without thinking about the iconic [New York] venues and how many different kinds of music started here. Salsa started here. Hip-hop — no matter what anybody tells you — started here. You had the punk revolution. You had folk blowing up in Greenwich Village. The days of Studio 54 and disco and Broadway. It just goes on and on."

Fittingly, GRAMMY Week will feature a slate of events that are arguably as diverse as New York's cultural footprint.

The festivities will include the Producers & Engineers Wing's annual celebration honoring Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz, the GRAMMY Salute to Classical Music celebrating the music of Leonard Bernstein, multiple performances by the GRAMMY Museum's GRAMMY Camp — Jazz Session students, and Clive Davis and the Recording Academy's Pre-GRAMMY Gala, which will honor one of this year's top GRAMMY nominee, Jay-Z.

"The key thing about [GRAMMY Week] this year, because it's in New York and we have a free pass, [is] we've had an opportunity to reinvent [our] events," said Poppo. "And that's what is exciting."

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