Entertainment NOW

2 • February 5 - 11, 2023 Entertainment Now By Dana Simpson TV Media J ust two months ago, come- dian and TV personality Trevor Noah stepped away from his place behind the "Daily Show" desk for good. On Sunday, Feb. 5, however, Noah steps back into the limelight for one more adventure — this one in front of another familiar audi- ence — when he hosts the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, airing live on CBS and its Paramount+ streaming service from the Cryp- to.com Arena in central Los An- geles. This year marks Noah's third consecutive year hosting the prestigious music industry awards and, despite the famil- iarity of the duties at this point, he still remains hopeful that "anything can happen" (per an interview with Billboard). "I spend a lot of time writ- ing and preparing for what will or won't happen," Noah told Billboard in a December 2022 interview. "I try to think about what's happening in music and pop culture. Then obviously I'm paying attention to what's happening on the night. I try to craft my performance so that it is most complementary for what is happening from one perfor- mance to the next." It makes sense that Noah's 2023 Grammys experience would differ greatly to that of his inaugural year, 2021, amid the pandemic. While the host and many nominees remain the same, the vibe has become increasingly "celebratory" (per Noah) as the years roll on. Leading the nominations this year is music industry royalty Be- yoncé with a total of nine nomi- nations, now tying her with her husband, rapper Jay-Z, for most Grammy nominations of all time at 88 apiece across their careers. The categories in which she has been nominated this year are Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Dance/Electronic Recording for her track "Break My Soul," Album of the Year and Best Dance/Electronic Album for the album "Renaissance," Best R&B Performance for the song "Virgo's Groove," Best Tradi- tional R&B Performance ("Plas- tic Off the Sofa"), Best R&B Song ("Cuff It") and Best Song Written for Visual Media ("Be Alive" from the 2021 film "King Richard"), among others. Others who rank highly among 2023 nominees are rapper Kendrick Lamar, coming in just behind Queen Bey with eight nods, and singer/songwrit- ers Adele and Brandi Carlisle, each snagging a total of seven nominations. It is also important to note that, as with many ceremonies past, there have been some changes made to the categories and eligibility this year. In addition to the creation of five new categories — Best Alternative Music Performance, Best Americana Performance, Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media, Best Spoken Word Poetry Album, and Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical — a Blue Ribbon Committee has been designated to reward songs that "contain lyrical content that ad- dresses a timely social issue and promotes understanding, peace- building and empathy" for a new Special Merit Award called Best Song for Social Change. The total number of categories now stands at 91. A few name changes have also taken place, including the shift from Best New Age Album to Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album, and Best Spoken Word Album to Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Re- cording. Additionally, the award for Best Musical Theater Album has been adapted so that major- ity composers and lyricists (those responsible for 50% or more of a piece) are now eligible for wins. A similar change to the catego- ries of Best Opera Recording and Best Classical Compendium also opens more possibilities for composers and librettists to be honored. The eligibility for albums has also been tweaked. In the past, in order for an album to be considered for an award, 50% or more of the playing time had to be newly recorded material. As of this year, that number jumps to 75%, but there are exceptions to this rule in six categories. Last year's Grammys saw the most wins (five) for New Orleans-born singer, songwriter, bandleader and TV personal- ity Jon Batiste, who is perhaps best known to TV fans for his longtime appearance as the leader of the band Stay Human on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." And last year's acts — which included John Legend, Carrie Underwood, J. Balvin with Maria Becerra and Silk Sonic — reaffirm that the event orga- nizers always have their finger on the pulse as they select the best performances to comple- ment the ceremony's tone and esthetic. The best part of the Gram- mys, though, is the energy of the entire event; it's a place where diehard fans and casual listeners can come together to enjoy a night of top-tier jokes, amazing outfits and, of course, the best music in the biz. "What I love about the Grammys is that I become a fan of a new artist every single time," Noah told Billboard. "It introduces you to music that you maybe wouldn't have been [exposed to]." Don't miss the 65th An- nual Grammy Awards airing Sunday, Feb. 5, on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Cover Story Beyoncé leads all nominees for the 65th Annual Grammy Awards Back in business: Ex 'Daily Show' host honors best in music Farmers Insurance 2 x 2 Letters & Numbers Sudoku Fill in the grid so that every row,every column, and every 4x4 box contains the digits 1 through 9 AND the letters A-F. Solution on page 12.

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