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Music’s biggest night also has the opportunity to be a historic one.
Let’s keep it real – most people don’t tune in to the Grammys to see who takes home the trophies.
The true interest is in the performances, and the lineup for the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards includes Billie Eilish, BTS and Taylor Swift.
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There might be some excitement this year, however, as there are some possibilities for records to be broken (see what I just did there?).
Beyoncé: At the moment, music impresario Quincy Jones has 28 statues and holds the record as the living person with the most Grammys.
But watch out for Queen Bey.
Going into Sunday’s ceremony, she has 24 and is nominated for eight more (including two nods for record of the year, thanks to her song “Black Parade” and her featured performance on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage Remix”). That means Bey could possibly tie or surpass Jones.
Beyoncé could also tie or surpass Alison Krauss. With 27 Grammy Awards, the bluegrass-country singer is the woman who currently has the most wins.
The late conductor Georg Solti, who died in 1997, holds the overall record of 31.
John Williams: “Star Wars” has been good to Williams.
With 25 Grammys, he is the most successful film composer of all time, taking home his first award at the 1975 Grammys for scoring the film “Jaws.”
He won last year for “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Symphonic Suite.”
At 89, Williams is now up for a possible 26th Grammy. “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” is nominated for best score soundtrack for visual media.
Jay-Z: Success runs in the Carter family.
Beyoncé’s husband holds the title of the rapper with the most Grammy wins.
He’s nominated for three this time around to potentially add to the 22 he already has.
The couple’s 9-year-old daughter is also up for a Grammy for her part in her mom’s song “Brown Skin Girl,” making Blue Ivy one of the youngest nominees ever in the history of the Grammys.
The Grammy Awards will broadcast Sunday on CBS at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
For your weekend
Three things to watch:
‘Kid 90’
Soleil Moon Frye is all grown up now, but back in the 1990s she was a teen celebrity who many had watched as a child star on the hit ’80s sitcom “Punky Brewster.”
She videotaped her adolescence in Hollywood and New York City, locking away the footage for 20 years. Now, that time capsule offers a glimpse into life for celebs before the explosion of social media.
“Kid 90” begins streaming Friday on Hulu.
‘Audrey’
This documentary features never-before-seen footage and intimate stories from those who knew and loved Audrey Hepburn. It explores her life from childhood to her rise as an actor, fashion icon and philanthropist.
“Audrey” starts streaming on Netflix Sunday.
‘Genera+ion’
This dramedy is billed as “a dark yet playful half-hour following a group of high school students whose exploration of modern sexuality (devices and all) tests deeply entrenched beliefs about life, love and the nature of family in their conservative community.”
The first three episodes drop Thursday on HBO Max, a unit of CNN’s parent company, WarnerMedia.
Two things to listen to:
Emmy winner Laverne Cox has teamed with Shondaland Audio and iHeartMedia for “The Laverne Cox Show” podcast.
The “Orange Is the New Black” star hosts a weekly series of intimate conversations meant to foster “a spiritual makeover.”
“It is my hope that this becomes a place that fosters perspectives that might inspire new behavior in each of us, which in turn gets us closer to becoming the very best versions of ourselves,” Cox said of her podcast.
Cox’s former “OITNB” co-star Diane Guerrero also has a new podcast.
“Yeah No, I’m Not OK” focuses on mental health.
“We want to start a mental health revolution,” Guerrero said of her podcast. “A movement that can start by talking about how we feel. One where we’re not ashamed of our own human experience.”
One thing to talk about:
I cannot close out this week’s newsletter without talking about Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
There has already been plenty of discussion about the bombshell allegations of racism revealed in the special, as well as the master class in interviewing Winfrey presented.
For me, it was a reminder of the time when people rallied around live TV events.
Sure, we still have things like the Super Bowl, but when was the last time there was so much excitement and interest in an interview – not to mention the ratings bonanza?
Chalk it up to the alchemy that happens when members of royalty – which includes Queen Oprah – come together.
Speaking of the royals, check out CNN’s Royal News newsletter for all the latest on our favorite British family.
Something to sip on
Looking for something to jam to? We asked some of our friends around CNN which tunes people might be surprised they are in to.
Bill Weir, CNN chief climate correspondent
Depends on the person. Some might be surprised by Lizzo, Doja Cat and Kanye West. Others by Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings and Old 97s.
Alison Kosik, CNN correspondent
That would be Night Ranger – “Sister Christian.”
Christine Romans, CNN chief business correspondent
Jackson Browne’s “Running on Empty.” It’s old-school, I know, but especially relevant in Covid. It’s a great tune for plowing forward into the unknown here.
Boris Sanchez, CNN correspondent
I mostly stick to reggaeton or hip-hop, so Spotify surprised me at the end of 2020 with an alert that I was in the top 0.1% of Rammstein’s listeners. Heavy, distorted and dark, with lyrics I can’t totally understand: fitting for such a bleak year.
