Entertainment
2024 Grammys: Key highlights to look out for
The Grammy Awards also known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy to recognise outstanding achievements in the music industry.
They are regarded by many as the most prestigious and significant awards in the music industry worldwide. Grammys was originally called the Gramophone Awards, as the trophy depicts a gilded gramophone.
According to the Recording Academy, its mission is “to recognise excellence in the recording arts and sciences, cultivate the well-being of the music community, and ensure that music remains an indelible part of our culture.”
As the 66th edition of the Grammy is billed for February 4, 2024, in Los Angeles, United States of America, below are part of what to keep an eye on:
1. Nigerians emergence
As the list of the nominees cut across different parts of the world, Nigerian artistes such as Damini Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy; Olamide Adedeji (Olamide); Ahmed Ololade (Asake); David Adeleke (Davido); Oyinkansola Aderigbigbe (Ayra Starr), Temilade Openiyi (Tems) also earned nominations in the Best African Music Performance category.
While Burna Boy bagged nominations in three categories —‘Best Melodic Rap’, ‘Best Global Music Album’, and ‘Best Global Music Performance’; Ayra Starr was nominated for her hit ‘Rush’, on her debut studio album “19 & Dangerous”; Tems was nominated in the Best song written for Visual Media Category for her work on the song, ‘Lift Me Up’, which is a soundtrack for the film, ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’’; Olamide and Asake bag nomination for their hit song ‘Amapiano’; while Davido bags nomination through his “Unavailable” song. He was also nominated for Best Global Album and Best Global Music Performance.
Meanwhile, in 2023, Burna Boy, Tems, Ayra Starr, Asake were nominated for the BET award
2. Taylor eyes history, no Travis
Swift is up for six gramophones this year, including Album of the Year for her most recent new volume of work, “Midnights.”
If she wins the prestigious trophy, it would be her fourth – the most of any artiste, breaking the tie she is currently in with Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder.
Her high-profile relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is among the myriad reasons Swift’s name is headline catnip these days, but the NFL superstar is not set to attend Sunday’s gala with her.
Kelce will be busy preparing to play in next weekend’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas, in which the Chiefs will face the San Francisco 49ers.
“I wish I can go and support Taylor at the Grammys and watch her win every award that she is nominated for,” Kelce said in a recent interview.
3. The comeback of Tracy Chapman?
The Recording Academy hands out most of its dozens of awards before the more than three-hour, performance-heavy main broadcast, to air on US network CBS.
Expected on stage is Luke Combs, the country singer whose omission from the evening’s major prizes was a surprise.
Combs dropped a cover of Tracy Chapman’s 1988 classic “Fast Car” to resounding success, earning a single nod in the country categories.
It is rumoured that Combs’ performance will include Chapman herself, who rarely appears in public.
Viewers can also look forward to a set from Billy Joel, who just released a new single, his first original music in nearly two decades.
4. Joni takes the stage
Icon Joni Mitchell also will serenade the gala, her first Grammy performance ever despite a half-century relationship with the Academy.
The 80-year-old received a folk album nomination for her live record “Joni Mitchell at Newport,” when she delivered a set just years after an aneurysm led to fears she might never play again.
Mitchell isn’t the only OG up for a prize: two compilations from Bob Dylan and the late Lou Reed are in the running for Best Historical Album.
The winner of that prize will go to the albums’ producers and engineers, rather than the artist, but the name recognition could boost their chances.
The same goes for a music video set to “I’m Only Sleeping” by The Beatles.
The Fab Four aren’t up for the award themselves, the video’s director and producers are; but their appearance on a shortlist that includes Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler Childers and Troye Sivan was a little far-out.
5. Barbie Girls
Women have more representation than ever at this year’s Grammys, with SZA earning nine nods followed closely by the likes of Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and supergroup boygenius.
But it’s Barbie who raked in the most chances at Grammy gold, with 11.
The eclectic, star-powered soundtrack to the billion-dollar summer blockbuster earned nominations for songs performed by Eilish, Dua Lipa, Best New Artist favourite Ice Spice and the Oscar contender Ryan Gosling.
Eilish won a Golden Globe last month for her spare, wrenching ballad “What Was I Made For?” which earned her Grammy nominations for both Best Song and Best Record — and could also see her win an Oscar next month.
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It’s a rare hit that wins both a Song of the Year Grammy and an Academy Award for Best Original Song: others to accomplish the feat are Barbra Streisand’s “The Way We Were” and Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.”
6. Bernie’s second chance to win
Bernie Sanders has a second chance to win a Grammy in the audiobook and narration category.
The leftist senator’s reading of “It’s Ok to Be Angry About Capitalism” is up against efforts by Michelle Obama, Meryl Streep, William Shatner and Rick Rubin in one of the night’s quirkier categories.
If former First Lady Obama wins, it would be her second audiobook victory; her husband Barack has two already.
Also in contention is Trevor Noah, the comedian hosting the gala for the fourth consecutive year.
Noah lost the Best Comedy Album honour in 2020 to Dave Chappelle, one year before he began his stint as Grammy master of ceremonies.
Speaking to People recently, Noah joked that his hosting gig is just a campaign to win: “It’s all been a long con.”
Veteran Nollywood actor Yinka Quadri has revealed that his wife was aware of his romantic relationships with some actresses in the industry and treated them cordially.
The actor made the disclosure in an interview on the Africanalist Podcast, where he spoke about his personal life and marriage.
Quadri said some of the actresses he dated eventually became friends with his wife, Sadiat Adenike Quadri. According to him, the women would sometimes approach her and share gossip about his relationships with other female colleagues, even though they themselves were involved with him.
“It got to a stage, I won’t mention the ladies’ names in the industry. They would become friends with my wife and start giving gossip to my wife that I am dating so so so in the industry,” he said.
He added that jealousy sometimes arose among the women. Some of those he was dating reportedly went to his home out of jealousy, only to find that his wife already knew about the relationships.
“And there were some of them that we were dating who went home out of jealousy. Meanwhile, my wife would say she was aware already and she doesn’t fight them because of that,” Quadri said.
The actor further disclosed that some actresses occasionally spent the night at his house when movie productions ended late. He said his wife knew about the relationships and still provided food and care for them.
“Sometimes when production ends late, they would sleep in my house. And my wife is aware I am dating them, she would still feed them and everything,” he stated.
Quadri has been married to Sadiat since 1989. The couple have children and grandchildren.
Actress and filmmaker Fisayomi Amodemaja, popularly known as Fisayo Abebi, has urged young actors to build strong personal brands and rely on their talent rather than fame or social media visibility for a sustainable career in Nollywood.
Speaking in an interview with Sunday Scoop, Abebi, who began acting as a child before moving into filmmaking and production, said having a distinct identity was essential for anyone seeking longevity in the industry.
“As an actor, you should have a brand. You should have something that makes you different. Your talent should be able to speak for you wherever your name cannot speak for you,” she said.
She also stressed the need for dedication and readiness to handle the demands of the profession.
“Any young actor coming into the industry has to know that it is time-consuming, and you have to be fully ready to be diligent and ready for the stress,” Abebi added.
The actress reflected on her own experiences, noting that growing up in the spotlight came with pressure, particularly from being recognised for a character she played as a child.
She credited her family and friends with helping her navigate the attention and remain grounded. Her mother, she said, played a key role by helping her understand that she was separate from the character audiences associated her with.
Abebi also spoke about the challenges of combining her acting career with university education, describing it as stressful at times.
“Sometimes I might have to refund or sometimes I might have to go to the set after finishing my exam. So, that can be very stressful,” she said.
She noted that her journey in the industry had taught her to take risks and build confidence in herself.
Nollywood actress Regina Daniels has revealed that she spent several months struggling with severe pain and mobility challenges that left her dependent on a wheelchair.
The actress shared the details in a video posted on her Instagram page on Saturday as she marked her 25th birthday, which she described as her “Silver Jubilee.”
Appearing in a wheelchair, Daniels explained that her prolonged absence from social media was due to the health difficulties.
“I know many of you may be surprised seeing me in a wheelchair. Well, welcome to another chapter of my life,” she said.
She stated that the problem began as a minor issue but gradually became more serious, eventually limiting her freedom to move around as she pleased.
“For several months now, I lost my freedom to move around as I please. It started as something minor, very minor, but eventually led to this,” Daniels said.
According to her, the condition took a major turn after the last public gathering she hosted, a Children’s Day carnival. She said she underwent repeated medical tests during the period and joked that she had started calling herself a “lab rat.”
“The pain became excruciating. Sometimes I find myself walking well, and sometimes I just can’t move. I cried,” she added.
Despite the challenges, the actress said there had been significant developments in her recovery, which encouraged her to share the update publicly.
“Well, me sitting here today, in front of this camera, sharing this with y’all, it’s because there’s been some really significant developments in my recovery. And I say, thank you, Lord,” she said.
Daniels did not disclose a specific diagnosis or the nature of the treatment she is receiving. She expressed gratitude to God and prayed for calm as she entered a new phase of her life.
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