- The 65th Grammy Awards take place on Feb. 5, 2023
- The ceremony will commemorate 50 years of Hip Hop
- Here is a list of performers, including the newly announced Harry Styles, plus Steve Lacy, Lizzo, Bad Bunny, and more.
While some huge awards will be given out throughout the night of the 65th Grammy Awards, the stage is set for some epic performances from music’s biggest names. In the first round, the Recording Academy announced that Bad Bunny, Lizzo, Luke Combs, Mary J. Blige, and more will step into the spotlight at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena. Fresh off his farewell from The Daily Show, Trevor Noah is back as the host and will try to keep his excitement in check while he sees all these stars perform live.
“What many people don’t realize is how much work goes into the performances,” Trevor told Billboard in December. “Getting every single key right, every lighting cue perfect, choreographing all the moves between the cameras and the artists. Seeing the artists and how much they love what they’re doing — they’ll put so much time into that three- or four-minute performance. You don’t truly appreciate it until you get behind the scenes, and I think that’s what makes me enjoy the show even more.”
Beyoncé leads the 2023 nominations with nine. She’s already the most nominated female performer of all time and is currently tied with her husband, Jay-Z, for the most nominations (88, FYI.) If Beyoncé takes home four Grammys, she will become “the artist with the most GRAMMY wins in history.” Kendrick Lamar is behind Bey with eight nominations, while Adele and Brandi Carlile come in with seven.
Since that first slate of announcements, more have been added to the night’s schedule of performances. Here is a running list of performers at the 2023 Grammy Awards:
A Surprise Female Performer
“One of your favorite performers is a woman, and that woman is going to be performing at the Grammys,” Grammys host Trevor Noah told Janine Rubenstein on PEOPLE’s Every Day Podcast. “Then one of your other favorite performers is a man, and that man is going to be performing at the Grammys, and you’re going, ‘Oh, but that could be anyone. But you know, it’s not anyone though because you’ve been listening to their album the whole year and it’s been huge.”
Jay-Z, DJ Khaled, John Legend, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and Fridayy
The Hollywood Reporter says that Jay-Z will perform at the Grammys. He’s on “God Did,” DJ Khaled‘s multi-nominated track, and THR says Jay will perform that track at the ceremony. Shortly afterward, the Grammys’ official Instagram account confirmed the news.
A Grammy Awards Tribute To 50 Years Of Hip Hop
During the 65th Grammy Awards, the ceremony will take a moment to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop. August 11, 1973, is considered the birthday of the genre when DJ Kool Herc threw a party at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx, New York. Herc’s emulation of Jamaican DJs by “toasting” or talking over the records as they played is the start of the music that would evolve into hip hop.
To commemorate this occasion, the Grammys will host a massive performance featuring names from the genre’s past, present, and future. Produced by Questlove – who will serve as the musical director for the segment – and introduced by LL Cool J, the moment will feature Big Boi, Busta Rhymes with Spliff Star, De La Soul, DJ Drama, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Missy Elliott, Future, GloRilla, Grandmaster Flash, Grandmaster Mele Mel & Scorpio/Ethiopian King, Ice-T, Lil Baby, Lil Wayne, The Lox, Method Man, Nelly, Public Enemy, Queen Latifah, Rahiem, Rakim, RUN-DMC, Salt-N-Pepa and Spinderella, Scarface, Swizz Beatz, and Too $hort.
Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, & Chris Stapleton
Stevie Wonder will be on hand to perform at the 2023 Grammy Awards. He will join Smokey Robinson, the 2023 MusiCares Person of the Year, and Grammy-nominated Chris Stapleton for a performance.
Quavo, Kacey Musgraves, Sheryl Crow For In Memoriam
Following the loss of many major names over the past year, the Grammys will pay tribute to these fallen stars with their In Memoriam segment. During this, Kacey Musgraves will perform “Coal Miner’s Daughter” as a tribute to Loretta Lynn; Sheryl Crow, Mick Fleetwood and Bonnie Raitt will honor the late Christine McVie with “Songbird”; and Maverick City Music will join Quavo for “Without You” as they remember the life and legacy of the slain Takeoff.
Harry Styles
With six nominations under his belt, including Album, Song, and Record of the Year, Harry Styles is all over the 2023 Grammys. He will also be on hand at the 65th awards. On Sunday (Jan. 29), the Grammys announced that Harry will perform. He’ll likely sing “As It Was,” since it’s up for the aforementioned Song and Record of the Year.
Bad Bunny
Bad Bunny has three nominations going into the 2023 Grammy Awards, but he’s a heavy contender to sweep those categories. He’s up for Best Música Urbana Album for his chart-topping Un verano sin ti, which is also up for Album of the Year. His “Moscow Mule” song is also up for Best Pop Solo Performance. He’ll take the stage at the Grammy Awards, likely playing his nominated track.
Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige will also perform at the 2023 Grammy Awards, where she is nominated in six categories. It’s extraordinary to consider the iconic and immaculate Mary J. Blige as an underdog, but that’s how intense the competition is this year. Her “Good Morning Gorgeous” is up for Record of the Year, a category that features Kendrick’s “The Heart Part 5,” Harry Styles’s “As It Was,” and Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul.”
Mary J. Blige is also up for Album of the Year, Best R&B Performance (“Here With me”), Best Traditional R&B Performance (“Good Morning Gorgeous”), Best R&B Song (“Good Morning Gorgeous”), and Best R&B Album (Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe)).
Brandi Carlile
Brandi Carlile returns to the Grammy Awards, performing on the heels of her seven nominations. She’s up for Record of the Year (“You and Me on the Rock” ft. Lucius”), Album of the Year (In These Silent Days), Best Rock Performance (“Broken Horses”), Best Rock Song (“Broken Horses”), Best American Performance (“You And Me On The Rock” ft. Lucius”), Best Americana Roots Song (“You And Me On The Rock” Ft. Lucius”), and Best Americana Album (In These Silent Days).
Luke Combs
Luke Combs will bring some country flavor to the stage of the Crypto.com Arena. The modern country legend is up for multiple awards, including Best Country Song (“Doin’ This”), Best Country Album (Growin’ Up), and Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“Outrunnin’ Your Memory” with Miranda Lambert).
Steve Lacy
The Internet’s Steve Lacy had a banner year in 2022, releasing Gemini Rights, which spawned the hit single “Bad Habit.” He will perform at the 2023 Grammy Awards, where he’s nominated in four categories: Record of the Year (“Bad Habit”), Song of the Year (“Bad Habit”), Best Pop Solo Performance (“Bad Habit”), and Best Progressive R&B Album (Gemini Rights).
Lizzo
Lizzo heads into the 2023 Grammys with five nominations under her belt. She might leave the awards show with some extra gold after performing. She’s up for Record of the Year (“About Damn Time”), Album of the Year (Special), Song of the Year (“About Damn Time”), Best Pop Solo Performance (“About Damn Time”), and Best Pop Vocal Album (Special).
Sam Smith & Kim Petras
Fresh off their Saturday Night Live performance, Sam Smith and Kim Petras will make the Grammys get “Unholy” when they perform their viral duet. The song is up for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, going up against Coldplay + BTS (“My Universe”), ABBA (“Don’t Shut Me Down”), Camila Cabello with Ed Sheeran (“Bam Bam”), and Post Malone with Doja Cat (“I Like You (A Happier Song)”).
Keep checking back to see the list of performers as more are announced. And tune into HollywoodLife’s coverage of the 65th Grammy Awards on Feb. 5.