Grammy Award winner, singer and songwriter Alicia Keys has been tapped to host the upcoming 61st annual Grammy Awards telecast. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the 15-time Grammy Award winner made the announcement with a behind-the-scenes Youtube video posted to her social media channels “IT’S OFFICIAL! 15-time GRAMMY winner @AliciaKeys will host the 61st #GRAMMYs, marking her first time as master of ceremonies for Music’s Biggest Night,”.
The gig is a first for the Grammy winner who earned her first five Grammy Awards in 2002 for her debut album Songs in A Minor which was released in 2001. Her second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003), was also a critical and commercial success, spawning successful singles “You Don’t Know My Name”, “If I Aint Got You” and “Diary” and sold eight million copies worldwide. The album garnered her an additional four Grammy Awards. In her video announcement, Keys seemingly referencing the Recording Academy’s newly adopted tone after the organization faced criticism last year for its lack of diverse Grammy nominees — particularly its strikingly uneven male-to-female ratio in major categories such as record of the year and artist of the year.
As for what she has planned as host, Keys had this to offer in her official statement Tuesday: “I know what it feels like to be on that stage, and I’m going to bring that vibe and energy. I’m especially excited for all the incredible women nominated this year! It’s going ‘UP’ on February 10!”
The 2019 Grammys are set to air live Feb. 10 on CBS from the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.
Source: Hollywood Reporter