Party List: 54th Grammys Guide 2011

RED CARPET; Who Wore What [LIVE]
Obsessed with Adele‘s custom Armani gown! Best she has ever looked — also wearing Louboutin heels. Not hating Fergie in Jean Paul Gaultier (usually can’t stand her outfits). Katy Perry in Elie Saab, eh. Nicki Minaj entered the Grammy’s in a red caped dress by Versace with a Pope…Ok. Not gonna lie — I was hoping she’d come in with  Sophia Grace and Rosey — but the two little ones were following close behind in pink tutus. Taylor Swift in Zuhair Murad. Ms. Riri aka Rihanna in Armani. Kelly Osbourne looks good in Tony Ward, Giuseppe Zanotti heels, and Pomellato jewels. Luv Jessie J‘s Julien Macdonald dress … v Grammy-appropriate & great for someone whose choices aren’t usually great. And WOW … Paris Hilton actually has a very gorg dress on by Basil Soda! #surprised. Alicia Keys and Rihanna are wearing the same Christian Louboutin pumps …  Snooki is wearing BeBe; how fitting! Jared, Nathan, and Caleb Followill (to die for) aka Kings of Leon are all in head to toe Gucci – including wifey Lily Aldridge! Gwyneth Paltrow in Stella McCartney, and … of course last but not least — Lady Gaga in custom Versace.

PERFORMERS
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Paul McCartney with Diana Krall, Deadmau5, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Rihanna + Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Chris Brown, The Beach Boys with Maroon 5 and Foster The People, Adele, and a late addition of Jennifer Hudson for the Whitney Houston tribute.

HOW IT WORKS
Peers vote for peers in the Recording Academy much like the Academy awards and the Oscars. Arrivals are dropped off on L.A. Live Drive and 11th Street just east of the 110 freeway. The red carpet opens at 3pm even though the ‘pre-telecast’ starts at 1pm. The vast amount of the awards are handed out at a slow pace through out the day during the pre-telecast — only about 10 awards are handed out during the actual show you will see on CBS at 8pm. ie. Skrillex and Adele have already won three Grammys awards by 5pm when the main show the world will watch tonight on CBS begins — and then CBS won’t air it until 8pst. Other winners so far include Kanye West, and Amy Winehouse whose parent accepted an award on her behalf.

PARTIES TONIGHT:
Official Grammys after party next door to Staples
Emi Grammy Carnival outside Capitol Records (Patron cotton candy anyone?)
Warner / InStyle party at Chateau Marmont
Sony at Cecconi’s
Tmobile Google Music Grammy event at private house in Hollywood Hills
Drake at Greystone Manor
P.Diddy Post Grammy Charity Event At The Playboy Mansion
Foo Fighters Post fete at Fig and Olive with guests like Paul McCartney and Johnny Depp
Deadmau5 Rihanna and Calvin Harris Grammy After Party at House of Blues

EARLIER THIS WEEKEND:
Mark Burnett X Hennessy party
Pre-Parties Hyundai + GRAMMYs RE:Generation World Premiere — Skrillex, Mark Ronson
Village Recording Studio honoring Jimmy Iovine
CAA at Sunset Towers
YMCMB at Paramount
Fashion Loves Music at Playboy Mansion
Friends and Fam Paramount
Clive Davis Annual Pre Grammy Soiree Tony Bennet, Dr. Dre, Diana Ross, Kelly Rowland, Wiz Khalifa, Barry Gordy, Britney Spears, Richard Branson, Skrillex, etc.

REHEARSALS & BACKSTAGE:

For 4 days before Grammy’s, the entire Staples Center turns into a little city of musicians, their entourages, security and event production teams. During, before and after rehearsals … talent and their entourage of agents, managers, friends and family get to go through a backstage lounge created for them (this year by an event production company that specializes in gift lounges called Distinctive Assets) that has things like hair products (a company called LASIO Professional Hair Care was the the headlining sponsor for the lounge — they make an excellent straightening iron with the temperature control on the inside, where they should be so you don’t accidentally press them while straightening your hair), nails (these people developed a nail gel — the new popular alternative to nail polish — made from pure gold dust — each nail we were told was the equivalent of $40 in gold), drinks (this year Pepsi was a major sponsor), and a DJ — and most importantly for musicians — shades! Just in case they forgot them and have a bright ride home; Solstice Sunglass Boutique and Safilo USA had a booth with tons of styles. Also apropro is New Era who make sports team hats — the Grammy’s being held at the Staples Center, home of the Lakers, had everyone in the spirit for gold and purple.

Talent highlights in the backstage lounge include: Nicki Manaj, Chris Brown, Amber Rose & Wiz Khalifa, Neil Patrick Harris, Jane Seymour, Penny Marshall, Skylar Grey, Rami Jaffee of the Foo Fighters (who won 4 Grammys), and more.

NOTES from backstage:

Chris Brown slipped on a pair of Carrera sunglasses before rushing out the door from the Solstice Sunglass Boutique and Safilo USA suite. Recently the singer has been romantically linked to his previous girlfriend Rhianna again, so perhaps he was in a hurry to see her?

Never too late for shades? As Nicki Manaj stylist kept frantically calling her for a scheduled fitting back at their hotel, the mellow pop star couldn’t resist the trays of sunglasses that were presented to her in the parking lot of the Staples Center after her rehearsal for the Grammy Awards. Sitting in the driver seat of her pink Bentley, the singer used the visor mirror for reflection and to make her selection, and finally chose a pair of hot pink Kate Spade cat eye sunglasses that match her car exactly. She sufficed her sunglass fix by also throwing in a pair of white Carrera shields and Alexander McQueen coral aviators.

Couple Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose picked the same old-school Carrera 86 aviators — the two seemed completely happy and very into each other. As a true lover for all sunglasses, Amber turned around in a pair of Tommy Hilfiger shades and said “Babe what do you think?” Wiz replied with a wink, “Everything looks good on you!”

Neil Patrick Harris, Rihanna, Dave Koz, LL Cool J, Chris Brown, and DeadMau5 were among the celebrities who picked up New Era Caps — Neil Patrick Harris picked a few Detroit Tigers caps and a grey LA Dodgers cap. Grammy performer Rihanna came in with a few friends and they picked up Snapback LA Dodgers Caps.

Grammy host LL Cool J perused through the New Era suite but knew exactly what he was looking for – a 7 7/8 NY Yankees cap stating, “Of course I know my size, and of course I know New Era!”

Chris Brown came fresh off the Grammy stage arriving in style with his crew. He and his crew browsed through the hats ultimately deciding on a Red Sox, Tigers, and Knicks cap among many others. As for the latest New Era OTT Hoodie, Brown raved, “That’s off the hook!”

“I’ve only heard of New Era about 10,000 times, I go to the store in Toronto all the time” remarked world renowned DJ deadmau5 who later joked, “You know what they say about big heads? Big Hats!”

WINNERS – PARTIAL LIST 2012

Album of the Year – Adele, 21
Record of the Year – Adele, “Rolling in the Deep”
Song of the Year – Adele, “Rolling in the Deep”
Best New Artist – Bon Iver
Best Pop Solo Performance – Adele, “Someone Like You”
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance – Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse, “Body and Soul”
Best Pop Instrumental Album – Booker T. Jones, The Road From Memphis
Best Pop Vocal Album – Adele, 21
Best Dance Recording – Skrillex, “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites”
Best Dance/Electronica Album – Skrillex, Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album – Tony Bennett & Various Artists, Duets II
Best Rock Performance – Foo Fighters, “Walk”
Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance – Foo Fighters, “White Limo”
Best Rock Song – Foo Fighters, “Walk”
Best Rock Album – Foo Fighters, Wasting Light
Best Alternative Music Album – Bon Iver, Bon Iver

Best R&B Album – Chris Brown, F.A.M.E.
Best Rap Performance – Kanye West & Jay-Z, “Otis”
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration – Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie, “All Of The Lights”
Best Rap Song – “All Of The Lights” (Performed by Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie)
Best Rap Album – Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Best Country Solo Performance – Taylor Swift, “Mean”
Best Country Duo/Group Performance – The Civil Wars, “Barton Hollow”
Best Country Song – Taylor Swift, “Mean”
Best Country Album – Lady Antebellum, Own The Night
Best Spoken Word Album – Betty White, If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t)
Best Comedy Album – Louis C.K., Hilarious
Best Musical Theater Album – The Book of Mormon
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media – Boardwalk Empire: Volume 1
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media – Alexandre Desplat, The King’s Speech
Best Song Written For Visual Media – Tangled, “I See The Light”
Best Historical Album – Paul McCartney, Band On The Run
Best Short Form Music Video – Adele, “Rolling in the Deep”
Best Long Form Music Video – Foo Fighters, Foo Fighters: Back And Forth