SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Jan. 24, 2006) —The Recording Academy® announced today a record number of unique GRAMMY® pairings, as well as first presenters for Music's Biggest Night™ , the 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards®. Keeping with the tradition of exciting GRAMMY moments, multi-GRAMMY winner and R&B diva Mary J. Blige will join multi-GRAMMY nominee U2 on the same GRAMMY stage for the first time; GRAMMY nominees and country superstars Keith Urban and Faith Hill are set to appear; current GRAMMY nominee and Oscar® winner Jamie Foxx unites with Kanye West, who has eight GRAMMY nominations this year; and GRAMMY nominees Christina Aguilera and Herbie Hancock hit the stage for an intimate performance. Additionally, superstar country duo Big & Rich, two-time Oscar® winner Tom Hanks, and critically acclaimed actor Terrence Howard will appear as presenters. More GRAMMY Moments, superstar performances and presenters will be announced shortly.
These outstanding artists join previously announced performers Mariah Carey, John
Legend, and Kanye West — who all have eight nominations this year.
The 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at STAPLES
Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast in HDTV and 5.1 surround sound on
the CBS Television Network at
8 p.m. (ET/PT).The show also will be supported on radio via Westwood One worldwide,
and covered online at www.grammy.yahoo.com.
U2 Rocks Out with Mary J. Blige
R&B diva and three-time GRAMMY winner Mary J. Blige will join rockers U2
for a special performance. Fifteen-time GRAMMY winner U2 currently has five
nods: Album Of The Year and Best Rock Album (How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb);
Song Of The Year and Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals ("Sometimes
You Can't Make It On Your Own"); and Best Rock Song ("City Of Blinding
Lights").
Faith Hill & Keith Urban
Country superstars Keith Urban and Faith Hill will appear together. Hill has
won four GRAMMY Awards and currently is nominated for Best Female Country Vocal
Performance ("Mississippi Girl"), Best Country Collaboration With
Vocals ("Like We Never Loved At All" with Tim McGraw), and Best Country
Album (Fireflies). Urban is up for Best Male Country Vocal Performance ("You'll
Think Of Me").
Christina Aguilera Joins Herbie Hancock
Three-time GRAMMY-winning pop star Christina Aguilera and 10-time GRAMMY-winning
jazz pianist Herbie Hancock are nominated for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
("A Song For You"), and will hit the stage together for the first
time in an exclusive GRAMMY moment
Jamie Foxx Unites with Kanye West
GRAMMY-nominated recording artist and Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx will make
a special appearance with GRAMMY-winning rapper/producer Kanye West. West has
won three GRAMMY awards and currently holds eight nominations: Record Of The
Year and Best Rap Solo Performance ("Gold Digger"); two nominations
for Album Of The Year (The Emancipation Of Mimi for producing and Late Registration);
Best R&B Song (songwriter with Garry Glenn, Alicia Keys and Harold Lily
for "Unbreakable"); Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("They Say"
with Common featuring John Legend); Best Rap Song ("Diamonds From Sierra
Leone"); and Best Rap Album (Late Registration). Foxx's GRAMMY nod is for
Best Male R&B Vocal Performance ("Creepin'").
The 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by John Cossette Productions in
association with Ken Ehrlich Productions for The Recording Academy. John Cossette
and Ken Ehrlich are executive producers, Walter C. Miller is producer/director,
Tisha Fein is the coordinating producer, and Tzvi Small is executive in charge
of production.
Established in 1957, the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences,
Inc., also known as 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 Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking
professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human
services programs — including the creation of the national public education
campaign What's The Download® (www.WhatsTheDownload.com). For more information
about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com.
