Re: Grammys Will Stage 3-D Tribute to Michael Jackson
SANTA MONICA, Calif. - (Business Wire) GRAMMY® winners Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Smokey Robinson, Carrie Underwood, and Usher will join together, along with the voice of Michael Jackson, in a moving tribute to Jackson at the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards on Sun. Jan. 31, 8 – 11:30 p.m. ET/PT. This very special GRAMMY Moment will feature the never-before-seen 3-D mini-movie for "Earth Song" that was created by Jackson as the centerpiece of his much anticipated "This Is It" tour, but was never seen by the public prior to this GRAMMY performance.
The 3-D film was created to support the performance of "Earth Song," an original composition and a No. 1 hit for Jackson. The song has a strong theme about the future of the planet, and Jackson saw it as a unique opportunity to deliver a message to millions of people who would have seen him on tour.
"It was one of the most important portions of the concert tour to Michael and when Michael saw the film for the first time at his last rehearsal, there were tears in his eyes," according to Ken Ehrlich, GRAMMY co-Executive Producer and longtime Jackson associate, who was also at the rehearsal that night.
"This very special GRAMMY Moment will feature some of our most respected GRAMMY recipients, all of whom have a great love for Michael," added Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "This segment promises to be an emotional highlight of this year's show, and is sure to join the unique list of amazing performances for which the GRAMMY Awards have become renowned."
This special segment also represents another GRAMMY technical breakthrough in that it will be the first time a major awards show broadcasts in 3-D. The GRAMMY Awards also were the first awards show to broadcast in high definition and 5.1 surround sound (2003).
So that viewers can enjoy this unique 3-D TV experience at home, CBS and Target have partnered to provide millions of free 3-D GRAMMY Glasses. From Sunday, Jan. 24, through Sunday, Jan. 31, Target stores nationwide will exclusively offer these 3-D GRAMMY Glasses so that fans have the opportunity to see the film that was very personal to Jackson. Additionally, the audience at STAPLES Center will share the 3-D experience, wearing the same glasses as those being worn by viewers at home.
This GRAMMY tribute to Michael Jackson joins previously announced performances by nominees Beyoncé, the Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, the Dave Matthews Band, Green Day, Lady Antebellum, Lady Gaga, Maxwell, P!nk, Taylor Swift, and the Zac Brown Band. Presenters include actress Kristen Bell, pop/R&B singer Justin Bieber, actor Jeff Bridges, pop singer and actress Miley Cyrus, actor Josh Duhamel, pop sensation the Jonas Brothers, nine-time GRAMMY winner Norah Jones, pop singer/songwriter Ke$ha, two-time GRAMMY winner LL Cool J, GRAMMY winner and three-time Latin GRAMMY® winner Ricky Martin, 10-time GRAMMY and three-time Latin GRAMMY winner Carlos Santana, and nine-time GRAMMY winner Ringo Starr. The music industry's premier event will take place live on Sunday, Jan. 31, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast in HDTV and 5.1 Surround Sound on the CBS Television Network from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The show also will be supported on radio via Westwood One worldwide, and covered online at GRAMMY.com and CBS.com, and on YouTube at
www.youtube.com/thegrammys. Additional performers, presenters and special segments will be announced soon. For GRAMMY coverage, updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter and Facebook:
www.twitter.com/thegrammys,
www.facebook.com/thegrammys.
All five Album Of The Year nominees are set to perform on Music's Biggest Night®: Beyoncé, the Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, the Dave Matthews Band, and Taylor Swift.
Current nominee Carrie Underwood is up for two awards this year: Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Just A Dream," and Best Country Collaboration With Vocals for "I Told You So" (with Randy Travis).
As part of Bon Jovi's performance on the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards, fans will have an opportunity to decide which Bon Jovi hit the band will perform. For this "You Pick It, They Play It!" special segment, viewers can log on to
www.cbs.com/grammys and vote in two phases for one out of six of their favorite hit Bon Jovi songs: "Always," "Bed Of Roses," "Have A Nice Day," "It's My Life," "Livin' On A Prayer," and "Wanted Dead Or Alive." There is no registration to vote, and fans may vote as often as they wish. Additionally, a 30-second clip of each song may be viewed. The deadline to vote on the first phase is Sunday, Jan. 24, 11:59 p.m. ET. The second phase starts on Jan. 25, when the list will be narrowed down to the top three songs and fans may again vote at
www.cbs.com/grammys for which hit song the band should perform as part of their segment. Voting will continue until Bon Jovi's performance on the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards on Jan. 31.
The 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by John Cossette Productions and AEG Ehrlich Ventures for The Recording Academy. Ken Ehrlich and John Cossette are executive producers, Louis J. Horvitz is director.
Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit
www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, join the organization's social networks as a Twitter follower at
www.twitter.com/thegrammys, a Facebook fan at
www.facebook.com/thegrammys, and a YouTube channel subscriber at
www.youtube.com/thegrammys.
The Recording Academy
Barb Dehgan, 310-392-3777
or
CBS Television
Kate Fisher, 212-975-3818
or
Tiffany Smith-Anoa'i, 818-655-1587
or
Rogers & Cowan
Maureen O'Connor, 310-854-8116
