The majority of the 23 musical productions as well as the ceremony at the 63rd GRAMMY Awards, broadcast live outside the Los Angeles Convention Center on March 14, utilized Shure Axient digital wireless systems and microphones.
The audience-free show combined a mix of performances with the outdoor ceremony for select artists who were on-hand to accept the awards. Throughout the ceremony, host Trevor Noah used an Axient Digital SM58 handheld microphone set to frequency diversity mode due to the notoriously difficult RF environment in downtown LA.
Dua Lipa, who won the GRAMMY for Best Pop Vocal Album, sported a blinged-out pink Axient Digital KSM9 handheld microphone and was joined on stage by DaBaby who used a nickel Axient Digital KSM8 handheld microphone for “Levitating.” Later Mickey Guyton, who already made history as the first Black woman nominated as a solo country artist, sang “Black Like Me” with an Axient Digital KSM9.
Meanwhile, Megan Thee Stallion used an Axient Digital SM58 Handheld Microphone for her rendition of “Body” and the GRAMMY-winning “Savage.” Stallion was later joined on stage by Cardi B, who donned a Shure TwinPlex headset microphone paired with the concealable Axient Digital Micro bodypack transmitter.
The show’s In Memoriam tribute included four performances, with Bruno Mars (Super 55) and Anderson Paak celebrating Little Richard, Lionel Richie (SM58) honoring Kenny Rogers, Chris Martin (SM58) and Brittany Howard (SM58) recognizing Gerry Marsden, and Brandi Carlile paying tribute to John Prine, one of the artists lost in 2020 to the coronavirus. At Grammys.com, visitors can see the names of nearly 1,000 people in the music industry, including Shure’s Mark Brunner, vice president of corporate and government relations, who passed away last year.
A notable addition to this year’s GRAMMY’s included The Academy recognizing several of the country’s independent music venues who have been greatly impacted by the pandemic this past year. Employees from the New York’s Apollo Theater, Nashville’s Station Inn, and the Troubadour and the Hotel Café (both in Los Angeles) were on hand to present awards throughout the night.
Finally, Lil Baby delivered a rendition of “The Bigger Picture” using a Beta 58A. “When it came to a mic choice for Lil Baby’s performance, going with Shure was a no brainer,” says Tim Hibbert, monitor engineer and broadcast mixer for the artist. “Whether on stage or on set, I can always rely on the stability of the Axient Digital series. Couple that with the sonic stability of a Beta 58A capsule…you have magic.”
