Grammy awards 2021 fall to an all-time low viewership, but top other pandemic-era awards shows
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According to Nielsen data, Sunday's Grammy broadcast on CBS was watched by 8.8 million live viewers, a 53-per cent tumble from last year's 18.7 million. That marks an all-time low for the ceremony, though it's a higher number than what the Golden Globes managed last month.
The 63rd Grammy Awards provided viewers with an array of historic milestones, especially for female artists, but drew less than half the viewership of last year's ceremony. This comes in continuation of an industry-wide trend of declining ratings for awards shows during and due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Nielsen data, Sunday's Grammy broadcast on CBS was watched by 8.8 million live viewers, a 53-percent tumble from last year's 18.7 million. That marks an all-time low for the ceremony, though it's a higher number than the Golden Globes managed last month (6.8 million viewers) or the Emmys in September (6.1 million viewers). The previous Grammys low was 17 million viewers in 2006.
Unlike the Golden Globes and Emmy Awards, this year's Grammys did not go to Zoom acceptance speeches, but made use of an outdoor, socially distanced set up in downtown Los Angeles for winners to claim their trophies. The show also featured a star-studded, performance-heavy lineup that included Harry Styles, Dua Lipa, BTS, and Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion. The Daily Show host Trevor Noah emceed the ceremony, which was delayed from its usual slot in late January or early February due to the pandemic.
Grammy Awards 2021: Beyonce, Taylor Swift create history; the full list of winners
Letting go of its perception of being 'old-school' when it comes to performances, this year's Grammys kept the glamour quotient to the maximum. The Grammys telecast also saw record-setting moments for both Beyoncé and Taylor Swift and was well-received by many critics and viewers weighing in on social media.
Beyoncé had four wins and became the most decorated woman in Grammys history. Her single 'Black Parade' took home the record-setting win for best R&B performance after she received honors for the best music video and shared best rap song and best rap performance with Megan Thee Stallion. The best rap performance award was also historical, with Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé becoming the first female pair to win the category for their remix of 'Savage.'
Grammy Awards 2021: Beyonce picks up her 28th award, creates history with most wins by a female artist
The next big awards show of the season will be the Oscars, airing April 25 on ABC.