What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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T10 WHATS UP! January 26 - February 1, 2020 teresting iteration, with the three most-nominated acts adding youth and diversity to the night, qualities the Re- cording Academy (the Gram- mys' voting body) has often been criticized for lacking. Lizzo, a black, plus-sized, flute-playing vocalist and rap- per leads the pack with eight nominations; Billie Eilish, an 18-year-old singer-songwriter with extremely modern, mini- malist pop productions earned six; and Lil Nas X, a black, gay, country-rap fusion sensation matches Eilish's six nomina- tions. All three are nominated in at least three of the four main categories of the night: Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist and Re- cord of the Year. Further, all three of these artists are quite new, having emerged on the scene within the past year or two. The fact that this is the snapshot chosen to represent the past year in the charts is remarkable, especially consid- ering the backlash the 2019 Grammy Awards received for ignoring artists of color and continuing to favor more tra- ditional-sounding tracks over the newer generation's tastes. That being said, the Recording Academy is giving out Gram- mys in 84 different categories, so if none of the major front- runners rings a bell, rest as- sured there will be a perfor- mance or a nod directed to your genre of interest. Other notable nominees in- clude Beyoncé, Bon Iver, Lana del Rey, Gary Clark Jr., Vam- pire Weekend, J. Cole, Thom Yorke, Barbra Streisand, Cardi B, Miranda Lambert and J. Bal- vin. Nominated artists repre- sent a wide range of genres, such as country, reggaeton, traditional pop, rap and film soundtracks. With a long-overdue bal- anced mixture of nominees that represent a variety of backgrounds and both old and new generations, the 62nd An- nual Grammy Awards also boasts an impressive roster of performers for the night — these performances are the biggest draw for viewers. What makes the Grammys so special is the fact that, unlike the Oscars, Golden Globes, etc., this ceremony can prop- erly showcase the talent it in- tends to honor. It's not just three hours of quick clips and acceptance speeches, it's a le- gitimate concert from begin- ning to end. Emcee Keys only elevates the showmanship we've come to expect from the Grammys. Her 2019 hosting duties in- cluded a performance that had the musical prodigy playing two pianos at once, covering songs that spanned the 1970s to the 2010s, all with seeming- ly minimal effort. Keys is an undeniably talented artist, whose experience as a musi- cian not only guarantees im- pressive hosting segments but provides a calming presence amid all of the musical chaos. Recording Academy president Deborah Dugan said about Keys' hosting style: "She brings you in, and has you ex- perience the Grammys through a creator's mind." Awards shows will never please everyone. Awarding art is a questionable practice in and of itself, and in a time when audiences can vocalize their thoughts and feelings more loudly than ever before, it's almost always a spirited event. The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony airs Sunday, Jan. 26, on CBS. A Grammy award continued from page T2 Singing praises: Year's best artists honored at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards TV FEATURE