Salon.com > Grammys http://www.salon.com Wed, 30 May 2012 06:12:34 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 The Grammys’ most memorable moments http://www.salon.com/2012/02/13/the_grammys_most_memorable_moments/ http://www.salon.com/2012/02/13/the_grammys_most_memorable_moments/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:30:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=12345951 The Grammys have always trod the line between dull veneration of industry success and outrageous celebration of rock 'n' roll excess. But this year, with the losses of Etta James, Clarence Clemons, Gil Scott-Heron and Amy Winehouse, the show had an even tougher time finding the right pitch than Coldplay's Chris Martin did.

The specter of death would have hung heavily over the proceedings even if Whitney Houston hadn't died suddenly the day before. But the singer's untimely demise Saturday gave an unavoidable air of sorrow to the proceedings, a grim dose of reality that couldn't help crashing into the fantasy realm of Lady Gaga scepters and Nicki Minaj eyelashes. That's why the most memorable aspects of the broadcast weren't just the loudest or the tackiest. They were sad, they were weird, they were sometimes awful; sometimes, they were even fantastic. And they were dominated by two big-throated ladies – the troubled diva from Newark and Adele, the whiskey-voiced British blonde. And though we loved The Civil Wars' one minute of perfection and were baffled by Rihanna's "When Harry Met Sally" hair and got weepy over Paul McCartney and company's poignant and timely "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight," these are Salon's top-10 biggest moments of the night.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/02/13/the_grammys_most_memorable_moments/feed/ 11 Did the Grammys actually get it right? http://www.salon.com/2011/12/01/did_the_grammys_actually_get_it_right/ http://www.salon.com/2011/12/01/did_the_grammys_actually_get_it_right/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 23:40:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=10279676 ‘Tis the season for gathering family near, taking generous sips from steaming cups of mulled cider or hot toddy, watching the skies for that first snowflake -- and for bitching about the Grammys.

That last tradition may not be quite as old as the others, but it is surely practiced with just as much enthusiasm and vigor. Each year the Grammy nominations, which are determined by members of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, engender what often sounds like deafening protest. Some music fans think the nominees are too populist, while others think they’re not populist enough; some ponder the hair-splitting difference between record of the year and song of the year, while others — many, many others — simply ignore the classical and New Age categories. Most people, however, bemoan the exclusion of their favorite artists.

For the second year in a row, however, the Grammys have played Grinch by actually getting the major categories right. Mostly right. Well, they certainly didn’t embarrass themselves.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/12/01/did_the_grammys_actually_get_it_right/feed/ 31 Cee Lo Green’s neon video for “Bright Lights, Bigger City” http://www.salon.com/2011/03/12/cee_lo_green_bright_lights_bigger_city/ http://www.salon.com/2011/03/12/cee_lo_green_bright_lights_bigger_city/#comments Sat, 12 Mar 2011 00:12:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/feature/2011/03/11/cee_lo_green_bright_lights_bigger_city Thank you for making this beautiful, psychedelic remix, Cee Lo Green. You know, I didn't mention it at the time because I knew it was "your moment" or whatever and sometimes you just have to let your freak flag fly, but I was a little bit worried about you at the Grammys. You looked like a character from a Pixar movie about an outcast peacock that would be voiced by Elton John. Maybe you were going with a whole Muppet-vibe thing, but honestly, it was such a downer to see you perform "Forget You" with Gwyneth Paltrow. Because the great thing about your jam last summer is that it was an instant classic despite having the word "fuck" in the title, and that was kind of a statement, right? The song was catchy as hell, everyone loved it, and suddenly you were making all these concessions so you could go on "Saturday Night Live" and the Grammys and hang out with your new bestie Gwyneth. Not that there is anything wrong with that! But we just prefer the original track, in all its "Fuck You" glory.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/03/12/cee_lo_green_bright_lights_bigger_city/feed/ 4 Hipsters relax: Despite Grammy, Arcade Fire still unknown http://www.salon.com/2011/02/15/arcade_fire_grammy_hipster_tumblr/ http://www.salon.com/2011/02/15/arcade_fire_grammy_hipster_tumblr/#comments Tue, 15 Feb 2011 18:25:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/feature/2011/02/15/arcade_fire_grammy_hipster_tumblr Sunday's biggest Grammy win was a bittersweet moment for fans of Canadian indie band Arcade Fire. On the one hand, the music industry was finally recognizing Win Butler and his gang of Quebec hipsters for their haunting melodies, sharp lyrics and outsider status. On the other, it is a known fact that once a band starts being popular, it stops being good and starts being "mainstream." *

We shouldn't have worried: Who Is Arcade Fire is a new Tumblr that collects tweets and Facebook status updates from the vast number of Americans who still have no idea who or what Arcade Fire is, why they brought bikes onstage during their Grammy performance, or how they managed to beat out Lady Gaga who hatched out of an egg, for chrissakes.

And while Kanye West might approve of the win, Arcade Fire can sleep easy tonight, knowing that Dog the Bounty Hunter and Rosie O'Donnell still have no effing idea what the "he'll" these guys are.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/02/15/arcade_fire_grammy_hipster_tumblr/feed/ 15 Rise of the celebrity stoner http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/lady_gaga_seth_rogen_celebrity_stoners/ http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/lady_gaga_seth_rogen_celebrity_stoners/#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:01:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/feature/2011/02/14/lady_gaga_seth_rogen_celebrity_stoners Sit down, America; this may come as a shock. Sometimes Lady Gaga, among other people in the entertainment industry, gets high. I know, you think you know -- you've heard about that Charlie Sheen and that Lindsay Lohan and their arrests and their rehabs and E! True Hollywood Stories. But get this: Sometimes famous people just smoke a little weed and they don't even develop a substance abuse problem or go to jail. Crazier still, this happens all the time to regular folks as well.

Maybe this isn't revelatory to you, Cheech. The history of pop culture is infused with the herbal aroma of the "Harold and Kumar" franchise, certain green-themed Showtime series, and the Black Crowes' set list. Actor Jack Black has admitted to "an occasional celebratory jay," while Sarah Silverman says, "I have contempt for pretty much every drug other than pot." And Woody Harrelson and Snoop Dogg have practically made second careers of their enthusiasm for it, predilections slyly referenced in such mainstream venues as Martha Stewart's show.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/lady_gaga_seth_rogen_celebrity_stoners/feed/ 51 Twitter and websites poke fun at reporter who suffered possible stroke on air http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/serene_branson_stroke_video/ http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/serene_branson_stroke_video/#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:15:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2011/02/14/serene_branson_stroke_video During a Grammy recap last night, CBS reporter Serene Branson began slurring her words on-air. Then she seemed to lose her train of thought entirely, and the camera quickly cut away. The initial reaction from the internet: Branson was drunk.

It was a perfect storm for Tweeters and a number of websites that disseminated the video -- salivating, no doubt, over the traffic spikes such clips bring. One blog kept track of the publications that poked fun at the reporter. Fox News in particular seemed to revel in Branson's "flub." 

But the real story of what happened is no laughing matter. It turns out that Branson was rushed to the hospital shortly after the gaffe, and it's suspected she suffered a stroke. (Warning: the video could be disturbing to some viewers.)

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/serene_branson_stroke_video/feed/ 30 Angry Bieber fans hack Esperanza Spalding’s Wikipedia page http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/bieber_fans_wikipedia_esperanza_spalding_quesadilla/ http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/bieber_fans_wikipedia_esperanza_spalding_quesadilla/#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 15:57:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/feature/2011/02/14/bieber_fans_wikipedia_esperanza_spalding_quesadilla Last night's Grammys had a lot of interesting moments, yeah? Lady Gaga was "hatched" out of an egg and wore an omelette on her head, Country Music Awards fans had a déjà vu moment when Lady Antebellum swept up awards for best song and best record (among others), and Train's "Hey Soul Sister" will be remembered as the first big win of the night. But none of that will be remembered in the history books. Instead, the 2011 Grammys will be known as the year that 16-year-old Justin Bieber did not win the best new artist award, despite legions of fans and a publicity machine that made sure that his 3-D film ("Never Say Never") was released on the same weekend as the ceremonies.

Instead, the award went to Esperanza Spalding, a relatively unknown jazz singer with really wacky hair. Frankly, we would have applauded anyone who won over Bieber. But Justin Bieber's fan base is known for its rabid, cult-like devotion to its pubescent god, and immediately took to Esperanza's Wikipedia page to do some dirty work.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/bieber_fans_wikipedia_esperanza_spalding_quesadilla/feed/ 29 Grammys’ 10 greatest moments http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/grammy_top_10_moments/ http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/grammy_top_10_moments/#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:01:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/feature/2011/02/14/grammy_top_10_moments There's something almost touchingly awkward about the Grammys. It's music's biggest night, but its eternally flailing combination of staid industry awards gala and "Whoooooooo, let's put on a show!" always makes for compelling train wreck theater. Is it possible to slap together the VMAs and the CMAs in one night, bringing Barbra Streisand and B.O.B. and Miranda Lambert and God help us, Train, together for something that aspires to be a beautiful mess and not just a conventional mess? Not yet. This year was an intensely restrained affair -- unusual for a show in which every production number seemed to involve tons of smoke and giant, ceiling-licking flames. Yet despite no truly epic moments of rock 'n' roll bad behavior, the evening still had its standout moments of weirdness, awfulness and even, on occasion, true entertainment. Herewith the ones too memorable to channel-surf through.

The Aretha Franklin tribute

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/grammy_top_10_moments/feed/ 27 But where was James Franco? http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/grammy_award_where_was_james_franco/ http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/grammy_award_where_was_james_franco/#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 12:13:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/feature/2011/02/14/grammy_award_where_was_james_franco It was the night of the Grammys, and a tall, burly man named Hank guarded the front door with a clipboard. A couple of paparazzi were forming a line behind the barriers hoping to get a glimpse of Eminem or Katy Perry as they arrived early for their sound checks.

A young man approached Hank with a warm smile. He was trailed by several bored-looking guys with cameras. "Hi there," the young man said, "I'm James Franco, this is my film crew, and I'm here for my Grammy."

Hank had been briefed on this scenario and had his lines rehearsed. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Franco, you know I can't let you inside the theater. You aren't up for a Grammy Award this year."

James Franco looked puzzled. "I'm not?" he asked. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know," said Hank. "You just didn't make any music or spoken-word albums in 2010."

James Franco seemed to consider this for a moment. "Are you sure? I thought I made an album this year. Let me think." James began ticking his accomplishments off on his hands, " I was on 'General Hospital,' wrote a book, made some conceptual art installations for the MoCA, starred in '127 Hours,' began my master's program at Yale, directed a documentary about 'Saturday Night Live,' wrote a book. Wasn't there an album in there somewhere?"

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/grammy_award_where_was_james_franco/feed/ 4 Lady Gaga enters the Grammys in an egg http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/lady_gaga_grammys_egg_video/ http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/lady_gaga_grammys_egg_video/#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 06:14:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/feature/2011/02/13/lady_gaga_grammys_egg_video The red carpet as runway is not at all a new simile. The red carpet walk as a performance art is a little bit more original. Justin Bieber's white sneakers and tuxedo, Snooki's ubiquity, Kanye's potential for show-stealing -- it all faded away for a handful of seconds when a loincloth-clad group of men carried an iridescent bubble down the red carpet. Not even the Grammy's own red carpet crew could figure out what to say.

"It makes it very hard to get a red carpet interview when the person is in an egg!" one reporter complained. "That's hilarious," he then mentioned under his breath. "Think they're gonna come through on the carpet again?"

"Please don't use that audio," said the other reporter.

 

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/lady_gaga_grammys_egg_video/feed/ 9 Arcade Fire takes home Album of the Year at Grammys http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/us_grammys/ http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/us_grammys/#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 05:52:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/feature/2011/02/13/us_grammys Lady Antebellum was the big winner at the Grammys with five awards, including record and song of the year for the band's yearning crossover ballad "Need You Now," but rockers Arcade Fire won Sunday's biggest prize, album of the year, for their highly acclaimed "The Suburbs."

Arcade Fire's Win Butler was visibly stunned as the group accepted their trophy and then quickly rushed to perform the last song of the night.

Eminem perhaps had reason to be stunned as well. Though nominated for a leading 10 awards, including record, song, and album of the year, he took home just two -- both in the rap categories, for best album and solo performance. It was the third time Eminem lost in the category, despite a critically acclaimed work that marked his resurgence after time out of the spotlight, a few sub-par projects and successful recovery from a prescription drug addiction.

While Arcade Fire's win was a surprise, it wasn't totally unexpected, as "The Suburbs" dominated many critic's best-of lists of 2010. The true upset, however, came as Esperanza Spalding -- a jazz bassist and singer who sold a fraction of Justin Bieber's music and is perhaps best identified by her voluminous Afro -- beat the perfectly coifed 16-year-old pop phenomenon, and also Florence & the Machine, Mumford & Sons and Drake for best new artist.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/us_grammys/feed/ 5 Grammys’ most memorable red carpet outfits http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/grammys_red_carpet_dresses_2011/ http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/grammys_red_carpet_dresses_2011/#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 01:45:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/feature/2011/02/13/grammys_red_carpet_dresses_2011 Every year, the Grammys recognize the year's best music and showcase some truly remarkable fashion. Some of it is stylish and smart, much of it is baffling -- all of it is fodder for Internet chatter. We're collecting the most noteworthy red carpet moments from the Grammys, and telling you what's being dissected on Twitter.

@Lord_Voldemort7: Lady Gaga has arrived to the Grammys hidden inside a cocoon. Listen Gaga, being "reborn" is my thing. Step the hell back.

@IsoulHarris:Why does Miranda Lambert look like a coal miner's daughter going to prom in a Rave dress?

 

@Oonamusic: Mumford & Sons look like a really nice group of young men who got high in the limo

 

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/grammys_red_carpet_dresses_2011/feed/ 6 UPDATED: 2011 Grammys Winners and Losers http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/grammys_2011_winners_list/ http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/grammys_2011_winners_list/#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 01:14:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/feature/2011/02/13/grammys_2011_winners_list Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Eminem, and Katy Perry are in the running for this year's Grammy Awards. We've listed the winners of the top categories like Best Album and Song of the Year at the top of the post and are updating in real-time. Scroll down to see all of the nominees.

Album of the Year
The Suburbs, Arcarde Fire

Album of the Year
Need You Now, Lady Antebellum

Song of the Year
Need You Now, Lady Antebellum

Best New Artist
Esperanza Spalding

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
Hey, Soul Sister (Live), Train

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
Imagine, Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No. 1, Jeff Beck & Oumou Sangare

Best Pop Vocal Album
Lady Gaga, The Fame Monster

Best Electronic/Dance Album
La Roux, La Roux

Best Dance Recording
Only Girl (In The World), Rihanna

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
Tighten Up, The Black Keys

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/02/14/grammys_2011_winners_list/feed/ 7 Ten Grammy nominees that don’t suck http://www.salon.com/2011/02/12/10_grammy_nominees_that_rock/ http://www.salon.com/2011/02/12/10_grammy_nominees_that_rock/#comments Sat, 12 Feb 2011 17:10:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/feature/2011/02/12/10_grammy_nominees_that_rock The Grammys generally have a way of bringing out the indignant, stage-storming Kanye inside of all us. Unless you're a big Phil Collins, Celine Dion or Kings of Leon fan, odds are good the awards don't exactly jibe with the reality of your own picks for the best music in any given year. This, after all, is the institution that has honored Milli Vanilli, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" and "Smooth." But once in a while, something that qualifies as listenable slips in among the nominees. And though you won't find anything super-revelatory among this year's crop (not really possible in a world where Iron Maiden and John Mayer are up for accolades), if you'd assumed anything up for a Grammy would automatically make you want to shove a kebab skewer in your ear, open your mind and give these 10 a listen.

The Black Keys: "Tighten Up"

Nominated for: Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals, Best Rock Song, Producer of the Year

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/02/12/10_grammy_nominees_that_rock/feed/ 33 Golden Globe-winning “Glee” could snag Grammy http://www.salon.com/2011/02/11/us_music_grammywatch_glee/ http://www.salon.com/2011/02/11/us_music_grammywatch_glee/#comments Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:58:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/feature/2011/02/11/us_music_grammywatch_glee Yes, 106 songs from the "Glee" cast have landed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. And yes, the cast's five albums have reached platinum or gold status. And yes, the stars of the show performed on a sold-out tour.

And yes, they can actually sing.

But could the "Glee" cast win a Grammy? Well, maybe so.

At Sunday's award show, the cast of "Glee" will compete for two awards. The first isn't a surprise: Their first album, "Glee: The Music, Volume 1," is up for best compilation soundtrack album for motion picture, television or other visual media. The competition includes TV series "True Blood" and "Treme," and films "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" and "Crazy Heart."

The cast's second nomination, though, is where the real contest is. They're up for best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals for their rendition of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin.'" The song peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100 chart and is the cast's best-seller and highest-charter.

"Don't Stop Believin'" will battle it out with hits from Maroon 5, Paramore, Sade and Train, who's up for a live version of the smash "Hey, Soul Sister."

The nomination for the cast of "Glee" brings up the question: Is this a real band or musical group outside of its hit TV show, which recently picked up three Golden Globes.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2011/02/11/us_music_grammywatch_glee/feed/ 7 This year’s early Grammy winner: Profanity http://www.salon.com/2010/12/02/cee_lo_grammys/ http://www.salon.com/2010/12/02/cee_lo_grammys/#comments Thu, 02 Dec 2010 19:03:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/life//feature/2010/12/02/cee_lo_grammys In 1972, the Grammy Award for song of the year went to "You've Got a Friend." In 1989, it was "Don't Worry, Be Happy." In 2001, it was "Beautiful Day." And in 2011, it just might be "Fuck You." Or it might be the domestic abuse duet "Love the Way You Lie." Oh, the times, they are a-changing. 

When the Grammy nominations were announced Wednesday night, the big winners were Cee Lo Green, Eminem and the F-bomb. Eminem, who never met an Anglo-Saxonism he didn't like, received an astonishing 10 nominations, including album, song and record of the year. His comeback opus, "Recovery," is a work best summed up in his anthemic hit "Not Afraid": "Fuck the world." The former Marshall Mathers and occasional Slim Shady already has an awards shelf bursting with 11 Grammys for his rap performances, but his slew of both rap and overall nominations this year represents a new level of mainstream recognition for compelling, incredibly foulmouthed stylings. 

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2010/12/02/cee_lo_grammys/feed/ 44 Eminem receives 10 Grammy nominations http://www.salon.com/2010/12/02/us_music_grammy_nominations/ http://www.salon.com/2010/12/02/us_music_grammy_nominations/#comments Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:01:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/12/02/us_music_grammy_nominations When Eminem was first nominated for album of the year some 10 years ago for "The Marshall Mathers LP," it marked a milestone for the Grammys as it chose to honor an album that was considered masterful in its artistry yet morally bankrupt in its values.

On Wednesday, as the Recording Academy once again nominated Eminem for album of the year along with nine other bids, it again gave accolades to a foul but genius piece of work -- Cee Lo's "(Expletive) You," an infectious retro groove with an unforgettable, unprintable chorus.

The tune, which is so profane it had to be changed to "Forget You" for radio play, was nominated for two top Grammy honors: record and song of the year.

"It wasn't meant to be a radio song," said Cee Lo after the nominations. "It was meant to be something with flair and first impression and it really took on a life of its own, and I had no idea it would become what it is today."

It's a sign of how much times, and Eminem himself, have changed that his leading nominations were not controversial, but expected and respected.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2010/12/02/us_music_grammy_nominations/feed/ 3 Grammys change rules for best new artist category http://www.salon.com/2010/07/07/us_grammy_changes_1/ http://www.salon.com/2010/07/07/us_grammy_changes_1/#comments Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:05:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/07/07/us_grammy_changes_1 Lady Gaga's exclusion from the best new artist category at this year's Grammys has caused the Recording Academy to change eligibilty requirements for the next ceremony.

The change was announced Wednesday.

Although Lady Gaga was the most popular new artist of 2009, she was ineligible for a best new artist nomination. Her hit "Just Dance" had been nominated in 2008, before she was a platinum-selling act, and previous Grammy nominees can't be nominated for best new artist.

The rule change allows previous Grammy nominees to be eligible, as long as the artist hasn't released an entire album and doesn't win.

------

Online:

http://www.grammy.com

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2010/07/07/us_grammy_changes_1/feed/ 0 Lil Wayne set to test how jails handle celebs http://www.salon.com/2010/03/01/us_lil_wayne_celebrity_inmates/ http://www.salon.com/2010/03/01/us_lil_wayne_celebrity_inmates/#comments Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:11:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/2010/03/01/us_lil_wayne_celebrity_inmates Lil Wayne may be a self-professed gangsta with the gunshot wound to prove it, but he's made plenty clear how he feels about doing time behind bars.

"I'd rather be pushin' flowers," he raps in 2008's "A Milli," "than to be in the pen sharin' showers."

He might have to get used to it. At the apex of a career that has made him one of music's biggest sellers, the Grammy-winning artist is expected to start a yearlong jail term Tuesday after pleading guilty in a New York City gun case.

It would make him the latest in a string of rappers to go to jail after rising to fame -- and the latest celebrity inmate to test law enforcement officials' ability to draw the line between providing special treatment and recognizing potential risks to high-profile convicts.

"It's a challenge," said Martin Horn, a former head of the New York City jails, where Lil Wayne's plea agreement calls for him to serve his sentence.

"It's not about setting (a celebrity) on a bed of roses, but it is about an obligation to every inmate to keep him safe."

For now, jail officials say only that they will assess the multiplatinum-selling Lil Wayne as they do every other new arrival and find an appropriate place for him among the city's roughly 13,000 inmates.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2010/03/01/us_lil_wayne_celebrity_inmates/feed/ 1 The 10 best Grammy moments http://www.salon.com/2010/02/01/grammy_awards/ http://www.salon.com/2010/02/01/grammy_awards/#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:03:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/review/2010/02/01/grammy_awards It's fashionable to trash the Grammys, almost as fashionable as trashing the limping, out-of-touch recording industry itself. Even in the pantheon of awards shows -- a world so vanilla that Ryan Seacrest is a rock star -- the Grammys are fuddy-duddy, clinging to nostalgia and soft-listening snores, the winners beamed in from Planet Boring. 2009's album of the year? Robert Plant and Alison Kraus. In 2008? Herbie Hancock. What a shocker that turned out to be! Not that Herbie Hancock won the honor, but that he was still alive.

Still, I'm finding it hard to be grumpy about this year's Grammys. Sure, the ceremony was at least 30 minutes too long and larded with some yawners (Andrea Bocelli with Mary J. Blige yell-singing "Bridge Over Troubled Water" for the people of Haiti? Time to check my e-mail.) Sure, I was hoping for more Kanye West punch lines. But from Lady Gaga's opening salvo to Beyoncé getting freaky-deaky to Taylor Swift's final, teary acceptance speech, you could certainly do worse for an evening of musical entertainment than this. Here are the 10 most memorable moments.

10. Lady Gaga, the fame monstah

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