Ratings were up significantly as Grammy Awards producer Ken Erlich staged a more performance-driven broadcast this year, with 2 million more viewers tuning in to the Feb. 8 ceremony than last year.
The show featured more performances and fewer televised awards.
Ratings for the 51st Grammy Awards were up 23 percent among viewers ages 18 to 34. The show, which was broadcast on CBS and took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, attracted an estimated 19.1 million viewers – a figure higher than it’s been for three out of the past four years.
By comparison, last year’s show, with 17.2 million viewers, was the least-watched Grammy Awards show since it was first televised in the mid-1970s.
This year’s performers included Radiohead with the USC marching band, as well as Jay-Z, T.I., Lil’ Wayne, Adele, Kanye West and a very pregnant M.I.A.
Chris Brown and longtime girlfriend Rihanna bailed on the Grammys at the last minute, but Justin Timberlake, Al Green, Boyz II Men and Keith Urban filled in for their performance slots by singing Green’s classic hit, “Let’s Stay Together.”
There were also performances by U2, Stevie Wonder with the Jonas Brothers, Paul McCartney, Carrie Underwood, Katy Perry, Kid Rock, Sugarland, Jennifer Hudson and Taylor Swift with Miley Cyrus.
A Four Tops tribute featured Duke Fakir (2009 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree and original member of the Four Tops), Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx and Ne-Yo.