NARAS ANNOUNCES DECEMBER SINATRA SPECIAL; NO MENTION OF GRAMMY NOMS

The Recording Academy, Ken Ehrlich and CBS are teaming up for the TV special Sinatra 100—An All-Star Grammy Concert, airing on Sunday, Dec. 6. The concert will be taped the previous Wednesday (12/2) at Wynn Las Vegas’ Encore Theatre. Tony Bennett, Garth Brooks, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Adam Levine, Carrie Underwood and Usher comprise the initial list of performers.

"My personal memories of Frank remind me that he was a class act who also knew how to have fun,” Ehrlich offered in the announcement. “That's what this celebration will be. By partnering with Steve Wynn and featuring Las Vegas as the backdrop, the evening will be a party the Rat Pack would be proud of." Academy chief Neil Portnow added that “It’s only fitting that we join the global celebration in honor of his 100th birthday." And CBS’ Jack Sussman echoed that sentiment in his quote.

The special will air in the same first-Sunday-in-December slot that had been occupied by the Ehrlich-produced Grammy Nominations Concert from 2008-13 and replaced last Dec. 5 by a hybrid Grammy noms/Christmas show. This morning’s announcement made no mention of nominations being revealed. Is the Sinatra special replacing the Grammy noms show, or will it encompass a reveal of the noms in a key category or two? NARAS ain’t sayin’—not yet, anyway.