14 DAY TRIAL // This year’s Grammy Awards, which aired live on Sunday night on CBS, was the most watched Grammys since 2004, with a little over 28 million people tuning in to see the red carpet entries and, above all, the big winners of the night. 2010 also marked a 35% percent rise in audiences, which has prompted Variety to say that, while traditional ceremonies of the type are losing viewers, the Grammys are actually thriving.
“This year’s Grammys seemed to have something for everyone, and it showed in the stellar ratings perf of CBS’ 3 1/2 hour telecast, the most-watched Grammycast since 2004. Viewership of Sunday’s music kudofest was up by double digits in key demographics across the board, including a 35% hike in total viewers from last year’s telecast to an average of 25.8 million viewers, according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen. Viewership peaked in the 8:30-9 p.m. half-hour at 28.3 million,” Variety writes.
And with good reason were ratings up: aside from crazy, outlandish fashion both on the red carpet and on the big stage, fans were also treated to a handful of extraordinary performances from A-list performers. These included a mid-air jaw-dropping performance by Pink, Beyonce rocking the house to a new version of “If I Were a Boy,” Taylor Swift in duet with Stevie Nicks, Gaga sharing the stage with iconic Elton John, Lil Wayne joining forces with Eminem, Drake and Travis Barker to close the show, and a very touching all-star tribute to Michael Jackson.
“The mainstream appeal of top nominees such as Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Green Day and the promise of elaborate perfs from those contenders as well as hitmakers Lady Gaga and Pink likely helped CBS pack the house. The Eye net also gave a massive promo push to the 3D tribute segment to Michael Jackson and its generational pairings such as Swift and Stevie Nicks and Elton John and Lady Gaga. From the perspective of TV viewers, its all about the performance – not the awards themselves,” the same publication further writes.
Granted, the awards also played their part, even if not with all members of the audience, especially as Beyonce set a new record for numbers of wins by a female performer in a single night: 6 awards in major categories. Still, the biggest win went to Taylor Swift, who took home Album of the Year for “Fearless.”