Grammy nominations to be dressed up in primetime special
Last Updated: Friday, October 17, 2008 | 10:50 AM ET
CBC News
The Grammy Awards, plagued with declining ratings, are trying to liven interest in the annual gala by moving the nomination announcement to primetime.
Usually the nominees for the annual U.S. music awards are named by a couple of celebrities — last year it was Justin Timberlake and Mary J. Blige — during the morning news shows.
The 2008 nomination announcement, scheduled for Dec. 3, will be a primetime special with performances by past Grammy winners.
The U.S. Recording Academy announced the new format Thursday, but did not name any of the performers.
Viewers will be spared the full nomination list with close to 50 categories, but at least six of the major categories will be announced on primetime.
The show will be held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles and will feature a special about the opening of the Grammy Museum next door.
The Grammy Awards, dominated last year by Amy Winehouse, had 17.2 million viewers in 2007, a 2.5 million drop from the previous year.
Award shows have had trouble keeping audiences in recent years, with the Emmy Awards, for the best in TV, attracting just 12.3 million viewers and the Academy Awards show seeing its lowest ratings ever in 2008.
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