Tag: Grammy Awards

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Queen Latifah to officiate 34 weddings during Grammy Awards telecast

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

The big question on at the top of every Grammy nominee is “who will win?” Fans wonder who will give the biggest, splashiest performance. Who will make the most outrageous statement?

But I think the most talked about aspect of tonight’s awards show will be the real weddings of 34 couples – gay, straight, old, young, multi-racial – live on the air.

From the New York Times:

But the producers behind the program, which is to be broadcast live by CBS at 8 p.m., are hoping that the biggest show-stopper of the night will be a much more solemn event: an on-air wedding of 34 couples — gay, straight, old, young, of many races and many colors. The ceremony will be part of the hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’s performance of their Grammy-nominated song “Same Love,” which became a marriage-equality anthem last year just as that issue was drawing intense national attention.

Yet as part of a televised awards show that works hard for its ratings, showbiz will also play a part in this sacrament. Queen Latifah will officiate at the nuptials, and Madonna will join the number with Macklemore, Mr. Lewis and the song’s featured vocalist, Mary Lambert.

Producers say they want the event to stand as a statement that all couples share and deserve the “same love.”

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Madonna to join Macklemore & Ryan Lewis onstage for Grammy performance

Madonna and Macklemore and his producer Ryan Lewis will perform the rap duo’s 2013 mega-hit “Same Love.”

“Same Love” is an has become an huge anthem for LGBT equality and same sex marriage.

The past year has been hugely successful year for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, who won for both Favorite Rap/Hip-Hip Artist and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hip Album at the 2013 American Music Awards last November. They have seven nominations this year — including Album of the Year for The Heist, Song of the Year for “Same Love,” and Best New Artist.

The “Material Girl” hinted earlier this week that she would be performing during the live show. “My lips are almost sealed! I can’t say anything more. #itsasecret,” she wrote on Friday, Jan. 24, with a picture of herself covered up in a thin black veil.

Get ready for the gays to have a big night watching our allies together onstage.

The 56th Annual Grammy Awards will air on Sunday, Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.

(via USWeekly)

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The Grammy Awards tonight at 8pm EST

Don’t forget the Grammy Awards tonight at 8pm EST on CBS.

Out singer Frank Ocean will be performing tonight. He is nominated for six Grammys, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best New Artist and Best Urban Contemporary Album.

Kelly Clarkson will also be performing, along with Alicia Keys, Maroon 5, Rihanna, the Black Keys, and more.

Three inspiring “out” ladies — Ellen DeGeneres, Rachel Maddow, and Janis Ian — are all nominated for Best Spoken Word Album. Their competition? Bill Clinton and Michelle Obama. Talk about tough category.

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Grammy nominees speak out for same-sex marriage

Kelly Clarkson – Nominated for 4 Grammys, including Record of the Year (“Stronger”), Song of the Year (Stronger), Best Pop Solo Performance, and Best Pop Vocal Album

Jay-Z – Nominated for 6 Grammys, including Best Rap Performance, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, Best Rap Song, and Best Short Form Music Video

Pink – Nominated for a Grammy: Best Pop Vocal Album (The Truth About Love)

Michael Buble – Nominated for a Grammy: Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album (Christmas)

Check out more Grammy nominees who support marriage equality at FreedomToMarry.org

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Out R&B artist Frank Ocean receives 5 Grammy noms

Out artist Frank Ocean tied with several big names for the most Grammy nominations in the 55th annual list announced late Wednesday.

Ocean received 5 nominations in some of the biggest categories: Album of the Year for Channel Orange, record of the year for “Thinkin Bout You” and Best New Artist. He was also nominated for Urban Contemporary Album and Rap/Sun Collaboration for “No Church in the Wild,” which he performs with Jay-Z, Kanye West and The-Dream.

Ocean’s five nominations tie him for the most with Kanye West, Jay-Z, Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, Mumford & Sons and fun. It’s a big moment after rappers like 50 Cent cautioned that others in hip hop and R&B were closely watching whether Ocean would succeed after disclosing in the lyrics to two of his new songs — “Bad Religion” and “Forrest Gump” — that he had been in a relationship with a man. Ocean followed up by making his coming out clear in a post on Tumblr.

You can see the full list of nominees at the Grammy Awards’ website.

More on Frank Ocean at The Advocate

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Leslie Ellis on The Candi & Randy Show

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Grammy Award winning vocalist Leslie Ellis joined us on The Candi & Randy Show to talk about life as a working singer/songwriter in “music city” – Nashville.

Through her career Leslie has sung with many artists including Celine Dion on “My Heart will Go On” – from the movie “Titanic” (for which Leslie won the Grammy) and Thomas Dolby on his latest album “Forty” (featured on “Hyperactive”). She sang the original soundtrack song, “Six Times Around the Sun” for the CBS mini-series, “Perfect Murder, Perfect Town.” Four of Leslie’s original songs appeared in the musical “Cowboy Cafe” and were performed live at the show’s premiere in North Carolina.

Her self penned “Flyer Song” was adopted by the US Navy and made into a video as a tribute to the troops and their families. She’s also written songs that were recorded by The Bellamy Brothers and NYC based recording artist David Ippolito.

As an actress, Leslie has appeared on television and the Broadway stage – CATS, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES and CITY OF ANGELS.

In 2007, she starred in an independent film called, “My Name Is Wallace” which was invited to the Cannes Film Festival; and in 2009 appeared in “The New, True Charlie Wu” as Eudiamonia.

Throw into the mix that she’s developing a new cooking show and you have a real achiever with a great amount of charm.

More info about the fantastic Leslie Ellis at www.LeslieEllis.com