Elegantly styled in a sequined black dress, RAYE sang with striking delivery. The orchestral arrangements and backing vocals brought a grandiose sound to the proceedings. In the song’s outro, her delicate vocal runs earned a roar from the crowd. She received a standing ovation, with the camera catching Beyonce, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys smiling and raising their hands. You can watch the performance below.

@raye #raye #grammys #oscarwinningtears ♬ Oscar Winning Tears. – RAYE

RAYE was nominated for three Grammys this year, ‘Best New Artist’ and ‘Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical’. She missed out on both, with Chappell Roan taking ‘Best New Artist’, and Amy Allen taking home ‘Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical’. She was also nominated for ‘Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical’ as a contributor to Lucky Daye’s album ‘Algorithim‘. While she may have lost out on the awards, the nominations were a proud feat for the Tooting-born singer. In November, she shared an emotional clip on Instagram after learning she’d been nominated for this year’s awards. With crying eyes, she wrote in her video “Grammy nominated tears”, and in her caption put “God knows all it took to get here”.

In an interview with People in 2024, RAYE said that winning a Grammy was a childhood dream of hers. “When I was little, the first image I saw was that gorgeous golden gramophone,” she said. “For a British girl, you watch the Grammys at home, like, ‘Wow, one day maybe I’ll make it there.’”

She humbly acknowledged the strong competition for ‘Best New Artist’, appearing alongside fellow nominees Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Teddy Swims, Benson Boone, Shaboozey, Doechii and Khruangbin. “And I think that’s why for that award, I’m not even holding my breath,” she joked.

She added, “I’m just happy to be listed amongst these incredible artists who are just absolutely killing it and having Billboard No. 1s and selling out freaking huge arenas. I still feel like I’ve got a lot of work to do and a long way to go, but it’s just a really beautiful thing.”

RAYE was one of many live acts on the for the 2025 Grammys – Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Lady Gaga also gave memorable performances. There was a surprise appearance from The Weeknd, who had previously boycotted the awards show. Doechii and Sabrina Carpenter took to the stage, and a Quincy Jones tribute featured Janelle Monáe, Stevie Wonder, Cynthia Erivo, and jazz legend Herbie Hancock. You can see a full list of the performances here.

The Special Merit Awards Ceremony, where The Clash and other honorees will be celebrated, is scheduled for February 1, 2025, at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. This event precedes the main Grammy Awards ceremony, which will be broadcast live from the Crypto.com Arena on February 2, 2025.

This year’s #RecordingAcademy‘s Special Merit Awards honorees, from soul-stirring legends to gospel and hip-hop trailblazers, embody a rich tapestry of musical excellence. #GRAMMYs

Learn more: https://t.co/ZKZpzaKm2p pic.twitter.com/PxVnIOGtld

— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) December 20, 2024

The Clash, formed in 1976, became one of the most iconic rock bands of their era, known for their intelligent protest and stylish rebellion in the late 70s and early 80s. Their recorded legacy spans five albums, including ‘The Clash’, ‘London Calling’, and ‘Combat Rock’, with their music confronting issues such as racism, violence, drugs, love, and police corruption. The dystopian anthem released in 1979, ‘London Calling’, reflects the social, political, and environmental anxieties of the late 1970s in the UK. 

This Lifetime Achievement Award adds to The Clash’s previous Grammy recognition; they won the Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video in 2003 for ‘Westway to the World’.

Strummer’s influence extended far beyond music, as he became a symbol of rebellion, creativity, and activism during his career. The musician co-founded The Clash with Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and Terry Chimes. The band emerged as part of the first wave of British punk rock. After The Clash disbanded in 1986, Strummer formed Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros in 1999, blending world music, folk, and punk influences.

Strummer was a vocal advocate for various causes, including racial equality, anti-war movements, and environmental protection. He organised and performed at benefit concerts, such as the Rock Against Racism campaign. The Clash’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 further cemented their legacy.

Joe Strummer passed away on December 22, 2002, at age 50 due to an undiagnosed congenital heart defect. The charity Strummerville (The Joe Strummer Foundation) was established in his honour, supporting aspiring musicians and social change projects.

The 2025 Special Merit Awards will also honour other notable artists, including Prince, Frankie Valli, and Taj Mahal, acknowledging their significant impact on the music industry.

Ten years and four Grammys later, Isbell released Weathervanes with his band 400 Unit. 2023’s Weathervanes marked the sixth studio collaboration between Isbell and 400 unit, seeing features from some of folk’s and country’s biggest names, including Grammy winning singer-songwriter Amanda Shires, Mickey Raphael of Willie Nelson’s Family band, string musician Morgan O’Shaughnessey, and producers Sylivia Massy and Ian Rickard.

2023 also brought Isbell to the silver screen, with the singer playing Bill Smith in Martin Scorsese’s western thriller Killers of the Flower Moon. Having previously worked with Killers of the Flower Moon’s lead actress Lily Gladstone on the television drama, Billions, Isbell continues to prove himself as a promising artist on both stage and film.

Off the back of their latest release, Isbell and 400 Unit will be touring the United States and Europe throughout 2024. Having already played two intimate live shows in London this month, Isbell and Co. will be returning to the US, playing across 26 states from February to August. Starting in November, Jason Isbell and 400 Unit will be travelling back across the Atlantic, playing shows in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK. Beginning at Brighton’s Dome, the group will be in the UK from November 18th to 25th, tickets to which will be on general sale January 31st and can be purchased here.

The full UK setlist can be found below.

November 2024

18/11/2024 – The Dome – Brighton

19/11/2024 – O2 Apollo – Manchester

20/11/2024 – Usher Hall – Edinburgh

22/11/2024 – Bristol Beacon – Bristol

23/11/2024 – The Civic at The Halls – Wolverhampton

24/11/2024 – Stockton Globe – Stockton-On-Tees

25/11/2024 – Eventim Apollo – London

The song originally appeared on the Haitian-Canadian producer’s album 99.9%, and featured vocals from LA singer-songwriter Syd. Parks said of the song that “Syd’s voice in ‘You’re the One’ always had this effortless beauty to it in my eyes and I wanted to cover it to expose the romance and yearning behind the lyrics.“

Recording in New York City’s Electric Lady Studios, Parks also re-recorded her recent track “Softly“, which was released only earlier this year. She said “It was an honour to be able to sing my new song ‘Softly’ too, to highlight the beginning of a new and beautiful chapter in my career and celebrate being nominated for Best New Artist.”

Parks can keep her fingers crossed for this year’s Grammys, having also been nominated for Best Alternative Music Album in celebration of her 2021 debut Collapsed in Sunbeams. The record did well enough for her last year, winning the Hyundai Mercury Prize for best album and being nominated for three awards at the 2021 BRITs (Album of the Year/Best New Artist/Best British Female Solo Artist). Fans weren’t too dismissive either, with it reaching no.3 on the UK Albums Chart.

And she’s not the only one celebrating recent successes. Finneas started off this year’s Spotify Singles series with a cover of the Bon Iver track “Flume“, as well as redoing his 2021 track “Medieval“. Some of the other artists nominated for Best New Artist include Baby Keem and Glass Animals. The awards will take place on April 3^rd.

At the young age of 21, Parks has already enjoyed a number of impressive successes over the past few years. Having appeared on The Graham Norton Show and Later … with Jools Holland last year, as well as winning the Breakthrough Artist Award at the 2021 BRIT Awards, who only knows what she’s up to next.

I’m so so mindblowingly excited to say I’m going to be presenting at the Grammy Premiere Ceremony!! What an honour to be part of such a special ceremony that I (and everyone else lol) grew up seeing as the pinnacle of music and artistry! pic.twitter.com/UL9XRQwr29

— Arlo Parks (@arloparks) March 27, 2022

Although we do actually know a little bit about that. She’s due for some live stuff soon, supporting huge names such as Harry Styles, Clairo and Billie Eilish. For a full list of tour dates, you can look here.

The Scottish singer took to her social media channels to post a statement outlining the reasons for the termination of the tour.

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In the statement the ‘Suddenly I See’ singer related her fears to a previous incident involving hearing loss during her 2018 tour whilst thanking her fans for their continued support. Within the statement the singer also announces her unfortunate withdrawal from her US tour dates with Hall and Oats, the rescheduled tour saw the singer recruited to support legendary pop duo. The outfit responsible for such hits as ‘Maneater’ and ‘I Can’t Go for That |(No Can Do)’ will still be hitting this road this summer under the name Daryl Hall + John Oates, joined by with special guests Squeeze.

Tunstall has stated that she previously experienced hearing issues a decade prior, the artist’s left ear incurred high-frequency issues. Tunstall has stated that she then developed tinnitus, a hearing-loss condition, that includes symptoms such as ringing, roaring and humming sounds in the ears. The condition is said to affect 15-20% of people, the issue has also been described as a permanent ailment among people diagnosed.

Earlier in the year, the singer addressed her fears on the threat of hearing loss, the singer attributed her concerns to her underuse of ear protection whilst listening to loud music. The 46-year-old singer provided the following description of her relationship with live music and her subsequent issues with tinnitus. “I’d never been particularly careful about my hearing over the years, especially as a clubber through my 20s and cranking the volume up on bad monitors at my early gigs, The kicker is, I still have the tinnitus, even in a deaf ear, I’ve adapted really well and can still perform and record, but if I could do it all again, I would definitely make sure I was going for regular hearing checks from a young age.”

KT Tunstall first rose to fan with the release of her 2005 single, ‘Black Horse and the Cherry Tree’. The track landed at number 28 within the UK singles charts and was the lead single from the singer’s debut studio album, ‘Eye to the Telescope’ released in 2004, the album was later re-released under Relentless Records in 2005. The track was performed live in 2004 on the popular TV show, ‘Later… with Jools Holland’, the solo performance garnered public attention for the singer and showcased the artist’s original talents. Tunstall was soon winning awards and being nominated for various accolades, such nominations include the 2005 Mercury Prize and the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance in 2007.

Tunstall has also been nominated for various awards at the Brit award ceremonies, in 2006 the singer was nominated for the categories Best British Live Acts and BRIT Award for Best Breakthrough Act. Tunstall would go on to win multiple Brit Awards in 2006 for two categories, Best British Female Artist and the European Border Breakers Award. The multitalented singer has also worked within the film industry, Tunstall has written soundtracks for a variety of films. She has penned the score and music for such films as ‘The Kid’, the Disney sports biographical drama ‘Million Dollar Arm’ and ‘Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast’. Tunstall also wrote two pieces of music for the Blockbuster film ‘Bad Moms’, entitled ‘Band Moms (Suite)‘ and ‘Enough Is Enough (Suite)’.

Exposure to loud music is an issue in which the World Health Organisation wish to address and have provided guidance regarding prevention and care. Such precautions suggested include carefully controlled settings of volume levels on phones and other mobile devices and noise-cancelling headphones. The World Health Organisation has also suggested safety measures for live music such as wearable ear protection.

Harry, 26, has been one of the band’s exceptional stars with his debut single ‘Sign of Times’ from 2017 taking No.1 place in charts. His first album ‘Harry Styles’ went to No.1 as well and the latest release from December 2019 ‘Fine Line’ topped the charts at No.2. His latest album went multi-platinum and his single ‘Watermelon Sugar‘ reached the top of Billboard Hot 100. Variety named him “Grammy-nominated Hitmaker of the Year” and last year he became the first solo male to be on the cover of Vogue magazine.

Harry will open the ceremony this year, however what song(s) he will perform is still a secret. This year’s nominations are singer’s first since starting a solo career. The artist is up for: Best Pop Solo Performance for ‘Watermelon Sugar’, Best Music Video for ‘Adore You’ and Best Pop Vocal Album for ‘Fine Line’. As per Grammys official announcement: “Artists will be coming together, while still safely apart, to play music for each other as a community and celebrate the music that unites us all”. The poll created by the show’s official page reveals that Harry Styles and BTS are the most thrilled about performers this year. 

The show this year is virtual and available to watch on Sunday 14th March at 8pm ET / 5pm PT via the official Grammy’s streaming page. I will be hosted by Trevor Noah from ‘The Daily Show’. The lineup list has been announced on Grammy’s website and includes: Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, BTS and John Mayer to name a few.

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Dua Lipa received nominations in a number of categories including Album of the Year for her latest work ‘Future Nostalgia’, Record of the Year and Song of the Year for ‘Don’t Start Now’. In total the artist has 6 nominations, one of which is for her collaboration with J Balvin, Bad Bunny and Tainy on ‘Un Dia’.

Also entered for Album of the Year are Coldplay with ‘Everyday Life’; the band has so far won seven Grammys over the course of their career. Jacob Collier received his first Album of the Year nomination for ‘Djesse Vol.3′, as well as in two other categories. He shared his excitement with followers, posting, “Three Grammy nominations, including ALBUM OF THE YEAR???????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

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After releasing ‘Fine Line’ in December 2019, Harry Styles is a contender for Best Pop Solo Performance for ‘Watermelon Sugar’, while the album is up for Best Pop Vocal Album and ‘Adore You’ for Best Music Video. These are the singer’s first Grammy nominations, and he is now the first member of One Direction to receive this type of recognition.

Other nominees include Disclosure, Slowthai, Snarky Puppy, Fontaines D.C., and Michael Kiwanuka, as well as Mahalia who featured on Jacob Collier’s track ‘All I Need’. Of course, Taylor Swift’s ‘Folklore’, Beyoncé’s ‘Black Parade’, and Billie Eilish’s ‘Everything I Wanted’ were all announced in various categories, as Beyoncé gained nine nominations. Find the full list here. Excitement is high among the artists and their fans, as Dua Lipa made clear on her Instagram, exclaiming, “This doesn’t feel real!” She continued, “My heart is racing and I’m in total shock!” 

 

 

 

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The ceremony will be presented by comedian and presenter Trevor Noah, who commented, “Despite the fact that I am extremely disappointed that the Grammys have refused to have me sing or be nominated for best pop album, I am thrilled to be hosting this auspicious event.” To watch the awards on 31st January 2021, tune in to the live-stream on the official website at 8pm GMT.