NEAR TRUTHS:
STAR-STUDDED ROOMS

There is widespread agreement among biz people that most of the key Grammy noms were relatively on the money—indeed, there’s less discord on that front than at any time in recent memory. Even so, the Academy has seemed to struggle to manage its relationships with top-tier artists over the years. We hope Team Grammy will be able to repair its rapport with enough of these acts to remain relevant to new-school players.

CBS’ Jack Sussman and exec producers Ben Winston, Jesse Collins and Raj Kapoor have strong connections with top talent and may be able to convince more stars to appear. Winston declined to get into specifics in a recent Hollywood Reporter piece, noting, “The relationships we have with talent are so delicate, of when everybody gets announced and who’s coming and whatever else we just wouldn’t be able to say. What I will say is, I feel really great about the show this year. It’s going to be the most star-studded room the Grammys has been for many, many years.”

Meanwhile, wonderers wonder what’s going to happen when the Academy’s $70m-per-year deal with CBS expires in 2026. Does Grammy have a plan in place to offset the potential lost revenue? Insiders say leadership is bound and determined to turn the organization and the TV show into a global event. Will the big, deep-pocketed streaming platforms like Apple, Netflix and Amazon step into the breach as broadcast television continues to be a smaller part of the media play?