Grammys: January 2008 Archives

The winnowing continues on the way to this year's "My Grammy Moment" contest. Now we're down to 15 musicians competing for a chance to play with the Foo Fighters during next month's Grammy telecast.

And congrats to the two Illinois musicians — Andrew Pearson and Michelle Morales — among the semifinalists! See their videos below ...

Nominees Feist, Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley and the casts of "The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil" and the film "Across The Universe" in a special Beatles segment are the latest performers for the 50th annual Grammy Awards telecast, announced today by The Recording Academy.

This is a little PR-ish, but I've always found these annual CD releases to be helpful for those with a genuine interest in the Grammys. Today, the "2008 Grammy Nominees" CD was released — a decent round-up of tracks and artists nominated for this year's prizes.

Don't you wish the Academy would do this for the Oscars? A DVD compilation of the year's nominated films — what a box-office booster that would be!

Life just got a lot easier for the head of the Recording Academy.

Last month, Neil Portnow vowed to stage a full-scale Grammy Awards show with or without support from the striking writers guild.

He’ll find it a lot easier to live up to that pledge now that the Writers Guild of America has agreed to let its members work the show on Feb. 10.

The Recording Academy today announced the 45 "My Grammy Moment 2008" quarterfinalists who will vie for the chance to perform on the 50th Annual Grammy Awards with current five-time Grammy-nominated rock band the Foo Fighters.

Troubled pop star Amy Winehouse has canceled a Saturday appearance at the NRJ Awards in Cannes, France, after opting to enter a rehab clinic at an undisclosed location. But according to a statement, Winehouse is still planning to attend the Feb. 10 Grammy Awards, where she is nominated for six trophies.

Read the full story here.

The Recording Academy announced today full details of the performances planned for the Grammys next month ...

By LYNN ELBER

LOS ANGELES — With idled entertainment industry workers and Oscar-nominated actors among the interested observers, striking writers and studios are talking again after weeks of bargaining silence.

The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said in a joint statement they will start informal discussions today aimed at full negotiations and an end to the nearly 3-month-old strike.

The announcement came the day nominations were announced for the Academy Awards, raising the prospect that the Feb. 24 ceremony might proceed without the threatened union picketing that derailed the Golden Globes.

In a goodwill gesture toward another big ceremony Tuesday, the guild said it had decided against picketing the Feb. 10 Grammy Awards.

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY

NEW YORK — As the Hollywood writers’ strike threatens to disrupt the 50th annual Grammy telecast, some in the music industry are befuddled, frustrated and even resentful.

‘‘I feel torn, because I’m a writer,’’ R&B singer-songwriter Jill Scott, who is nominated for three Grammys, told The Associated Press on Friday. ‘‘I feel like I’m caught in the middle. ... I don’t know how to feel.’’

The Writers Guild of America, which went on strike two months ago, has said it was unlikely to grant the Recording Academy a waiver to allow writers to work on the Feb. 10 show, the music industry’s most important event, set to be broadcast live on CBS from Los Angeles.

The Recording Academy has asked its members to sign a petition urging the Writers Guild of America to accept an agreement that would grant a waiver for writers to work on the upcoming Grammys.

The fate of the Feb. 10 telecast is in doubt after the WGA announced that it was unlikely to grant a waiver for music’s biggest night. If a waiver is not granted, its members could picket the event, set to be broadcast live by CBS.

Now this is in-flight entertainment.

Lucky fans flyin from New York to Los Angeles aboard a special Delta Airlines plane covered in Grammy decals will enjoy (or not, if you want to try and get some sleep) a concert by five-time Grammy winner John legend — not piped in on the movie screens, but live up in front of the cabin. A concert at 30,000 feet!

Striking writers have been forbidden to work on the 50th annual Grammys telecast next month — which isn't a huge blow, given that it's mostly a performance show, not a monologues-and-speechfest — but will they picket the ceremony?

"The WGA has not yet taken a position on picketing the Grammys ceremony," Writers Guild of America spokesman Gregg Mitchell said Monday.

The catch: Grammys producer John Cossette Prods. is on the WGA's list of "struck companies."

If they picket, once again a televised awards show could be in jeopardy because — like the ruined Globes this week — many celebrities won't cross the picket lines and thus won't go to the show, giving us fans few reasons to tune in. That's especially important for members of the Screen Actors Guild, which has told its members to support the striking writers.

And, yes, that affects the Grammys. Because SAG members include Justin Timberlake, Beyonce and Alicia Keys, not to mention all the other movie stars who attend and present at the show.

LOS ANGELES — The striking Hollywood writers guild says it will likely not allow its members to work on next month’s Grammy Awards telecast.

Just in time for the Grammys, the show's longtime executive producer is publishing a tell-all, behind-the-scenes book about music's biggest night. ...

Amy Winehouse is scheduled to perform at next month's Grammy Awards — reminding audiences that, aside from getting herself embroiled in crazy personal problems, she's also a helluva singer — and she's mulling a collaboration for the Feb. 10 performance. Possibly with Chicago rapper Kanye West. ...

Perhaps you recall the hokey 'My Grammy Moment' contest last year hat culminated in a young singer sharing the stage briefly with Justin Timberlake? Well, the gimmick was successful enough that they're doing it again this year. The star you can play with: Foo Fighters. ...

Chicago's Jennifer Hudson won a Golden Globe and an Oscar last year for her brassy role in the film "Dreamgirls," but apparently she's not done collecting gold trophies. ...