Chris Robert
LOS ANGELES – The most prestigious music award night, the Grammy Awards, was broadcast live from the Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, on Sunday at 5 PM Pacific Time, but this year's event is set to be a monumental turning point. The show, aired on CBS and Paramount+, marks its final broadcast on those networks after more than half a century, as starting in 2027, it will move to Disney-owned channels. Additionally, its seasoned host, Trevor Noah, also took the stage for the sixth and final time.
The grand music awards, known as the 'Biggest Night in Music,' always promise global attention and historic moments, but this edition is filled with farewell vibes. This dramatic shift touches a deeply rooted broadcasting structure, ending the iconic partnership between the Recording Academy and CBS that has lasted over fifty years.
The move to broadcast on Disney outlets starting in 2027 marks a new strategy for reaching a global audience. This decision reflects the dynamics of contemporary media that demand flexibility and a wider platform reach, especially to attract younger viewers.
Before the main event aired live, the majority of the 95 award categories were handed out in a non-televised Premiere Ceremony. This preliminary ceremony was held in style at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, hosted by well-known actor and singer Darren Criss.
Fans and industry professionals could watch the early ceremony via live broadcast on the Recording Academy's official YouTube channel and the live.GRAMMY.com website. This stage is a crucial moment to announce the winners in technical and specialty categories before the full spotlight shifts to the main stage.
Kendrick Lamar, who led the nominations with nine chances to win, picked up three early wins during the Premiere Ceremony. This achievement cements the rapper's dominance in the global music scene and positions him as one of the key figures of the award night.
Behind Lamar, other big names like Lady Gaga, producer Jack Antonoff, and Cirkut followed with seven nominations each. Lady Gaga herself has already secured two early wins with her work, “Abracadabra,” making her a strong contender to watch.
Cirkut also achieved a proud milestone by winning the non-classical Producer of the Year award. This award highlights his crucial role behind the scenes in shaping the sound landscape that dominated the charts this year.
The group with six nominations also showed tough competition, including Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, Leon Thomas, and the acclaimed recording engineer, Serban Ghenea. Bad Bunny, one of the global Latin music icons, managed to secure an early win, keeping the momentum of his spectacular career going.
The public's attention was also on the main stage, where Trevor Noah delivered his farewell speech. Hosting the Grammy Awards for six consecutive years, Noah has become a familiar face, bringing his signature wit and humor to one of the trickiest TV shows to host.
Noah's departure leaves a significant void. His ability to balance serious moments with lighthearted interactions has been widely recognized, making him a benchmark for future hosts after the transition era to Disney.
Overall, this year's Grammy Awards isn't just a celebration of musical achievements, but a marker of the times. The event closes a long chapter of broadcast partnerships and ushers the Academy into a new horizon under the wing of media giant Disney, promising a format and reach that could be entirely different in the future.
