GRAMMY GALA WEEK A GO

It's all Grammys all the time this week, as NARAS celebrates the grand opening of its new downtown Grammy Museum, and announces nominations for its February 9 Award ceremony at L.A.'s Staples Center for the first time with a nationally televised special Wednesday night on CBS.

The much-ballyhooed Museum, a joint venture of NARAS and AEG, which is located in the downtown L.A. LIVE complex across from the Staples Center, will open to the public this Saturday (12/6). There will be a special media preview tomorrow morning and then an official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday (12/5).

The grand opening will be the culmination of the Grammy Awards' milestone 50th Celebration.

"Music always has played a vital role in our culture and society, and the Grammy Museum will provide visitors a unique and hands-on opportunity to experience music's rich legacy, as well as the special process that goes into creating it," said Portnow. "The Museum also will allow guests a behind-the-scenes, in-depth look at the backstage preparations, excitement, energy and power of Music's Biggest Night—the Grammy Awards. And there couldn't be a more appropriate way to commemorate our milestone 50th Celebration than the opening of this '21st Century Museum' that celebrates our past and embraces our future."

Among the highlights of the museum is a "Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom" exhibit curated by Executive Director Bob Santelli and Chief Curator Ken Viste, which includes guitars and banjos belonging to Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan, Grandmaster Flash's turntables, an 1816 edition of "The Star Spangled Banner," handwritten lyrics from Patti Smith, Tom Morello and Tim McGraw and J. Edgar Hoover's FBI dossier on the MC5.

Wednesday night's nationally televised nomination ceremony, co-hosted by L.L. Cool J and Taylor Swift, will feature performances by Celine Dion, John Mayer, Mariah Carey, B.B. King, Christina Aguilera and the Foo Fighters. Six of the categories will reportedly be announced live.

Those who could receive nods include Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood, Coldplay, Robert Plant/ Alison Kraus, Alicia Keys, Duffy, Katy Perry, Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Jack Johnson and The Eagles.