BONUS TRACKS: Grammys Announce Presenters and Performers for Premiere Ceremony — And a Change to Ticketing

The Recording Academy has announced details of the only part of its Grammy ceremony that really matters to roots music fans — the daytime Premiere Ceremony. Larkin Poe, Brandy Clark, and Gaby Moreno are among the performers for the event, and Molly Tuttle and Rufus Wainwright will be on hand to present some of the awards. The ceremony will be hosted by songwriter, producer, and activist Justin Tranter, who is a nominee for Songwriter of the Year (Non-Classical).You can read the full list of performers and presenters here, and check out ND’s list of roots music award nominees here. The 66th Grammys Premiere Ceremony will stream live on Sunday, Feb. 4, starting at 3:30 p.m. ET at live.grammy.com or the Recording Academy’s YouTube channel.

While most of us are content to watch the Premiere Ceremony (or the prime-time telecast) from home — Who are you wearing? Let me check the tag in my jammies — the folks nominated for awards often want to be in the auditorium in person, and you can’t blame them for wanting to bring a guest for their potential big moment. But this year that’s a (much) more expensive arrangement, as roots artists Cathy Fink and Rhiannon Giddens have publicly pointed out. Last November, the Recording Academy quietly rolled out a new policy ending its tradition of providing free companion tickets to nominees. According to Billboard, tickets for a nominee’s plus-one range from $375 to $2,000. The tickets get holders into both the Premiere Ceremony and the main event — it’s not possible to buy separate tickets for each event. In a social media post, Giddens recalled attending the Grammys with her then-partner and their young daughter in 2011, when Carolina Chocolate Drops was nominated for Best Traditional Folk Album, a thrilling experience she said wouldn’t have been possible under the current policy. The Academy told Billboard that the added revenue from the price increase will support its nonprofit mission of advocacy and assistance. Read more about the changes and response in this article from Billboard.

The IBMA Foundation is accepting applications for its Arnold Shultz Fund grant through Jan. 31. The grant, launched in 2020, supports activities that increase the participation of people of color in bluegrass music. Since its creation, the grant has helped fund lessons and instruments for emerging musicians, a bluegrass music program for innercity youth, production of a Native American musician’s CD, instructional videos on bluegrass and Athabascan fiddling for youth in remote Alaskan villages, and more. To learn more about the grant, named for the Western Kentucky musician who mentored Bill Monroe, visit its website. You can also read about past recipients and donate to keep the fund going.

WHAT WE’RE LISTENING TO

Here’s a sampling of the songs, albums, bands, and sounds No Depression staffers have been into this week:

The Brother Brothers – “The Illinois River Song”
Jade Bird feat. Mura Masa – “Burn the Hard Drive”
Thomas Cassell – “Anything But the Truth”
The Ballroom Thieves – “Right on Time,” from their new album, Sundust, coming in April

Driftwood – “Every Which Way But Loose,” from their new album, December Last Call, coming in March
Brandi Carlile – “Take Me Home, Country Roads” (John Denver cover)
Louisa Stancioff – “Gold”
Sinkane – “How Sweet Is Your Love,” from his new album, We Belong, coming in April
Electric Octopus – Driving Under the Influence of Jams
Fruit Bats – “On the Avalon Stairs (Live)”
Wilder Woods & The War and Treaty – “Be Yourself”