Lizzo and Billie Eilish lead nominations for Grammys as
This year’s Grammy Awards promise to be a star-studded spectacle dominated by breakout artists and backstage drama.
The singing, fluting, twerking, self-loving sensation Lizzo is up for the biggest helping of hardware, but newcomers Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X are hot on her heels with six nominations each.
Beyond the televised theatrics, the show will unfold amid a behind-the-scenes battle over accusations of vote-rigging and discrimination within the Recording Academy.
Sidelined CEO Deborah Dugan filed a complaint Tuesday claiming she suffered sexual harassment, gender bias and retaliation at the organization whose Grammy nominating process she deemed “ripe with corruption.”
She claimed nominations have been manipulated by “secret committees” and an overall lack of diversity within the Academy has relegated many nonwhite superstars to categories outside the so-called Big Four.
“Spurious allegations claiming members or committees use our process to push forward nominations for artists they have relationships with are categorically false, misleading and wrong,” the Recording Academy
said in a statement.
Many viewers will be watching Sunday to see if the shakeup skirmish spills onstage, like when Drake’s microphone was cut off last year as he made comments critical of the Academy.
Here’s a look at 10 things to know ahead of Sunday’s telecast:
1. Singer and songwriter Alicia Keys will be hosting again after a successful stint last year. She’s the fifth woman to shepherd the show and only the third woman to host more than once, following in the footsteps of two-time hosts Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O’Donnell.
2. Musicians scheduled to perform include Ariana Grande, Lizzo, the Jonas Brothers, John Legend, Eilish, Camila Cabello, H.E.R., Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Rosalía and Tyler, The Creator.
3. Demi Lovato is set to give her first live perform