Grammys Audience Soars 30 Percent Over Last Year
Sunday’s 65th Grammy Awards averaged 12.4 million total viewers across numerous platforms, including CBS and Paramount+, up about 30 percent from the prior year’s special and the most since 2020. That tally include out-of-home viewing.
Thank the (super-)star-studded guest list, including winners Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, and Beyoncé, for the bump.
The 2022 Grammys drew an initial 8.9 million viewers, per Nielsen, which placed the show just ahead of the record low reached in 2021. That year-ago show would adjust up to 9.6 million total viewers when including those who watched from outside of their own homes. The Covid-impacted March 14, 2021 Grammy Awards settled for just 8.8 million initial viewers, and would adjust up to 9.4 million.
The Covid Grammys, for lack of a better shorthand term, plummeted 53 percent from the January 26, 2020 special, which nabbed 18.8 million viewers. Trevor Noah hosted all three of the shows; for the first two, he was the face of Comedy Central’s (also owned by Paramount Global) “The Daily Show.” He’s a free agent these days, and the Comedy Central program is trying out a whole host of guest hosts.
Last night, Lizzo won Record of the Year for “About Damn Time,” Harry Styles won Album of the Year for “Harry’s House,” Bonnie Raitt won Song of the Year for “Just Like That,” and Samara Joy won Best New Artist. Additionally, Adele won Best Pop Solo Performance for “Easy on Me,” Sam Smith and Kim Petras won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Unholy,” and Beyoncé won Best Dance Recording for “Break My Soul.”
Beyoncé took home four gramophone trophies last night, when she became the most-awarded artist in Grammys history with 32. Brandi Carlile also won four Grammys last night; the music of “Encanto” won three. Willie Nelson won for Best Country Album.
One of the performance highlights of the 65th Grammys was the evening’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. The lineup included (in alphabetical order) Big Boi, Busta Rhymes with Spliff Star, De La Soul, DJ Drama, DJ Jazzy Jeff, GloRilla, Grandmaster Flash, Grandmaster Mele Mel with Scorpio and Ethiopian King, Ice-T, Lil Baby, Lil Uzi Vert, The Lox, Method Man, Missy Elliott, Nelly, Public Enemy, Queen Latifah, Questlove, Rahiem, Rakim, The Roots, Run-DMC, Salt-N-Pepa and DJ Spinderella, Scarface, Swizz Beatz, and Too $hort. Will Smith was reportedly supposed to be part of the concert, but he had a conflicting obligation with the “Bad Boys 4” production schedule.
