The 66th Annual Grammy Awards averaged 16.9 million viewers, up 34% from last year, and the largest Grammys audience since 2020, CBS reported. CBS and Paramount Plus aired the event, which happened February 4 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Trevor Noah hosted. Presenters included Oprah Winfrey, Meryl Streep, Lionel Richie and Lenny Kravitz, and the performers included Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, SZA, Billy Joel, Joni Mitchell and U2, the latter performing at the Sphere in Las Vegas and then presenting best pop vocal album.
That Grammy went to Taylor Swift for her album Midnights. Swift stepped to the podium and announced that her next album, The Tortured Poets Department, comes out in April.
The Grammys were on from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Ratings peaked in the 9:45 p.m. quarter hour, with 18.25 million viewers watching the In Memoriam segment, with performances by Stevie Wonder, Annie Lennox, Jon Batiste and Fantasia Barrino.
Live viewership on Paramount Plus grew 173% from last year.
Other highlights included Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs performing “Fast Car,” Jay-Z getting the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, and Celine Dion making a surprise appearance as she battles a rare neurological disorder, then presenting album of the year to Swift.
Ratings for The 65th Annual Grammy Awards a year ago grew 30% from the previous year. The 2022 Grammys had shifted to April amidst concerns over COVID-19 and moved to Las Vegas. The 2021 Grammys were held outdoors due to the pandemic.
