The 60th annual Grammy Award’s ceremony is coming up fast and so far, Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, SZA, Cardi B and more have been announced as performers. However, among the lengthy list of artists taking the stage, JAY-Z — who is up for eight awards — hasn’t been announced, leading many to believe the rapper is sitting this one out.
HITS Daily Double reported that “sources” told the outlet JAY-Z has decided not to perform at this year’s Grammy awards. On Jan. 27, a day prior to the annual event, JAY-Z will be honored with the Grammy Salute to Industry Icons Award for “his contributions as an industry trailblazer and music visionary.”
“JAY-Z also embodies the vibrant spirit of New York City and we couldn’t imagine a more fitting honoree as we return to Manhattan for this year’s GRAMMY Awards,” Neil Portnow, president/ceo of the Recording Academy said. JAY-Z leads the charge with eight Grammy nominations including album of the year, song of the year, best rap album, best rap song, record of the year, best rap/sung collaboration, best music video, and best rap performance.
Hov’s latest album didn’t only earn him Grammy nods; in addition to his Grammy nominations, JAY-Z and his mother, Gloria Carter, will be honored at this year’s GLAAD Media Awards for their 4:44 collaboration “Smile,” where Gloria shares her coming out story.
Billboard has reached out to JAY-Z’s reps for confirmation.
The 2018 Grammy Awards will be held at Madison Square Garden this Sunday (Jan. 28) and will air live on CBS beginning at 7:30 pm EST.
