NEAR TRUTHS:
OPEN BARS

TROPHY HUNTERS: Sony had a stellar Grammy night, with AOTY for Harry Styles, the all-time wins record (and multiple trophies) for Beyoncé and big genre victories for Adele, Bad Bunny, Future, Steve Lacy, Ozzy Osbourne and ROSALÍA. This hardware bonanza—with plenty of on-camera triumphs, which make a huge difference in Grammy buzz—reflected the sensationally hot year enjoyed by the House of Stringer, and the company’s stars were well represented at the tables center stage. Sony then had a spectacular BRITS night; four gongs went to Styles and two to Bey. U.K. boss Jason Iley and team were understandably well chuffed.

THE VERVE PIPELINE: It was also the second consecutive very big Grammy year for Verve, following 2022’s Jon Batiste AOTY win with a Best New Artist trophy for young jazz phenom Samara Joy. The company clearly has the secret sauce to appeal to Grammy’s membership and gatekeepers, and word is that the next Batiste album could take things to the next level. Despite a post-show bump last year, however, Batiste didn’t really move the needle in the marketplace. Could Samara’s sales spike have longer-lasting impact?

A LEADER IN FULL: There’s no denying that the 2023 Grammys also reflected the massive importance of Full Stop Management, which saw clients Harry Styles and Lizzo earn big screen time, perform and take home top-tier hardware. Jeffrey Azoff (who appeared before cameras with Harry), Lizzo’s adept manager, Kevin Beisler (who’s also had a killer year) and the rest of the team have clearly reached a new plateau after deftly burnishing their stars’ careers and cannily picking their shots.

RED MEAT FOR VEGANS: This year saw more biz people attending more events than at any time since before the pandemic as we return to conditions in which—however alarming it may feel to some—people are packed together in tight spaces, gabbing away with seeming disregard for the droplets of others. Meanwhile, with parties proliferating, Sir Lucian’s artist showcase and (vegan) luncheon has become the toughest ticket in town, with movers and shakers not only in music but film, TV, gaming and other media descending on Milk Studios to check out new and developing acts and rub elbows with superstars and other gatekeepers.

IT’S HARD TO TURN DOWN AN OPEN BAR, THOUGH: Too many Grammy-week parties—perhaps an overcorrection after the pandemic—ran many players ragged. But Roc Nation’s shindig at a Bel-Air mansion with JAY-Z and Des Perez holding court was said to be a super-exclusive A++ gathering.