The Grammy Awards present fewer awards than most major award shows, allowing them to put the music — and entertainment — in the spotlight
Related: See who’s nominated for a Grammy
In one key respect, though, the Grammys have seemingly become the enviable model of a modern awards ceremony, largely because the awards themselves co-exist more organically with entertainment and live performances. Although the Recording Academy presents more than 80 awards each year in a wide variety of categories, the telecast that airs on CBS features only about 10 of those presentations, squarely putting the emphasis on a concert-like atmosphere that highlights unique combinations of talent and tributes.
Other major awards, by contrast, present two dozen or more trophies, as well as honorary awards. With the pressure to keep viewers engaged, that has produced tension about streamlining the process by racing through it or even presenting awards off air during commercial breaks in order to squeeze what is theoretically more engaging content into the presentations.
