NEW YORK – A coalition of musicians that has protested the Recording Academy's decision to drop 31 categories from the Grammy Awards is stepping up the pressure, calling for a boycott of the Grammys' telecast partner, CBS, and hiring a lawyer to explore legal action.
LOS ANGELES — Taylor Swift's label is coming to her defense after widespread criticism about the singer's vocals during a duet with Stevie Nicks at Sunday's Grammy Awards.
"She is the voice of this generation. She speaks directly to (her fans), and they speak directly back to her," said Scott Borchetta, CEO of Big Machine Records, in an interview with the Associated Press. "This is not American Idol. This is not a competition of getting up and seeing who can sing the highest note. This is about a true artist and writer and communicator. It's not about that technically perfect performance."
Borchetta said the criticism of Swift, who won four Grammys at the 52nd annual ceremony, has been "over the top."
"It's that classic thing that critics do of building something up and then wanting to tear it down," he said of the shots taken at his prized artist, who on Sunday became the youngest artist to ever win the coveted album of the year honor.
Borchetta explained that Swift was forced to deal with a technical issue that impacted her performance.
"We had a volume problem in the ear. So, she was concerned that she wasn't able to hear everything in the mix," he said. "That's just part of live TV. ... So you're going to have difficulties on occasion. Unfortunately, on one of the biggest stages, we did have a technical issue. She couldn't hear herself like she had in rehearsal."
Borchetta said he isn't worried about what the critics have to say. He even proposed that they join some of Swift's countless fans at one of the singer's sold-out Fearless tour stops.
"Am I going to ask them to turn their heads, no, I don't need them to," said the music exec. "If you haven't seen her live performance, you're welcome to come out as my guest to a Taylor Swift show and experience the whole thing, because it's amazing. You can see her in her element. There's a reason tickets are selling like they are."
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Sunday night's Grammy Awards featured plenty of eye-dropping performances, from Lady Gaga and Elton kicking off the show with a dueling piano number to Pink dangling from the rafters of the Staples Center.
The 52nd annual ceremony also featured Taylor Swift teaming up with Stevie Nicks, while Eminem, Drake and Lil' Wayne hit the stage and kept the CBS brass on its toes with the bleep button.
LOS ANGELES — Music's biggest stars put on an amazing red carpet show at Sunday night's Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Among the celebs making bold fashion statements were pop divas Lady Gaga and Rihanna. Others who sparkled on the red carpet included Carrie Underwood, Katy Perry, Fergie, Miley Cyrus, Heidi Klum, Jennifer Hudson, Nicole Kidman, Mary J. Blige and Pink.
LOS ANGELES — Beyoncé and Taylor Swift ruled the show Sunday night at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards, with each star earning a place in music history.
Beyoncé racked up six victories, earning her the distinction of most Grammys won by a female artist in a single night. But it was Swift who captured the evening's top prize, album of the year, making her the youngest artist in history to claim the coveted trophy.
"I just hope that you know how much this means to me ... that we get to take this back to Nashville," said the 20-year-old Swift as she accepted the honor for her sophomore release Fearless. "Oh my God, our families are freaking out in their living rooms. My dad and my little brother are losing their minds in the living room right now."
Swift, who won four times, broke a record held since 1996 by Alanis Morissette, who was 21 when she won for Jagged Little Pill.
Beyoncé's husband, Jay-Z, snatched three trophies of his own, raising his career total to 10. Kings of Leon also won three times, including record of the year.
"I'm not going to lie, we're all a little drunk," said the band's lead singer Caleb Followill. "But we're happy drunks."
Best new artist honors went to country music's Zac Brown Band, who became the first group to win the award since 2005.
Performances dominated the nearly three-and-a-half hour ceremony, held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Elton John and Lady Gaga kicked off the show with a dueling piano number. Other artists who took the stage included Pink, who performed "Glitter in the Air" while dangling from the ceiling on swaths of silk fabric.
Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood, Usher and Smokey Robinson also shared the stage during a tribute to Michael Jackson that featured 3-D footage to the tune of the King of Pop's "Earth Song."
View photos: Grammy Awards 2010 Red Carpet
View winners: Grammy Winners 2010 List
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Grammy weekend picked up steam Saturday night with the Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and the Black Eyed Peas will be among the star-studded group of performers at January's Grammy Awards, organizers announced Tuesday.
LOS ANGELES — So much for a Miley Cyrus song winning a Grammy Award next month.
According to MTV News, the 17-year-old star's single "The Climb" has been pulled from Grammy contention after it was determined the track was ineligible. A source inside the Cyrus camp said the song, which is from Hannah Montana: The Movie, was withdrawn from consideration for best song written for a soundtrack since it wasn't specifically penned for the film.
The nomination has since been awarded to Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs for the track "All Is Love," written for the Spike Jonze film Where the Wild Things Are.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs star faces some stiff competition in the category. Others nominated for this year's honor are Bruce Springsteen (for his title song for The Wrestler), Beyoncé (and others for the song "Once in a Lifetime" from Cadillac Records), Slumdog Millionaire score writer A.R. Rahman for "Jai Ho," and Paramore's Josh Farro, Hayley Williams and Taylor York for the Twilight song "Decode."
R&B star Beyoncé scored a whopping 10 nominations, while country sensation Taylor Swift racked up eight to lead the field of contenders for the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards announced last Wednesday.
This year's ceremony will be televised live from Los Angeles on Jan. 31.
Also see: Miley Cyrus Pictures
LOS ANGELES — R&B star Beyoncé scored a whopping 10 nominations, while country sensation Taylor Swift racked up eight to lead the field of contenders for the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards announced Wednesday.
"I honestly never would have predicted this, eight nominations — I'm ecstatic, and blown away and so so thankful," an overjoyed Swift told the Associated Press in a telephone interview.
Swift has never won a Grammy, while Beyoncé is a 10-time winner between her solo career and days with the chart-topping trio Destiny's Child.
Beyoncé's I Am ... Sasha Fierce and Swift's Fearless will each compete for album of the year honors. The field also includes Lady Gaga's Fame, the Black Eyed Peas for The E.N.D. and Dave Matthews Band's Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King.
The Black Eyed Peas, Maxwell and Kanye West each scored six nominations, while Jay-Z and DJ David Guetta earned five.
This year's best new artist category features an eclectic mix of contenders in Keri Hilson, MGMT, Silversun Pickups, The Ting Tings and the Zac Brown Band.
For the second year in a row, key nominations were revealed during a one-hour concert broadcast on CBS.
The Grammys will be televised live from Los Angeles on Jan. 31.
Click here for a list of nominees in top categories for the 2010 Grammy Awards.
LOS ANGELES — The unlikely pairing of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss turned out to be a goldmine, with the pair racking up five wins to lead the field at Sunday night's 51st Annual Grammy Awards.
The former Led Zeppelin frontman and the bluegrass singer's CD, "Raising Sand," captured Album of the Year honors, while their song, "Please Read the Letter," won for Record of the Year.
LOS ANGELES — The stars are continuing to roll in.
Paul McCartney, Radiohead, T.I., Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z and Kanye West have been added to the list of performers for the upcoming 51st Annual Grammy Awards, organizers announced Monday.
McCartney will be joined onstage by Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, while Radiohead will be making their first live U.S. television performance since 2000.
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