Image Source: Eva Rinaldi / CC by 2.0
The Grammy Awards witnessed a significant increase in viewership in 2024 as the world continues to recover from the effects of the pandemic, reaching a peak not seen since 2020.
According to Nielsen data, the 66th Grammy Awards on CBS drew in 16.9 million viewers, marking a 34% rise from the previous year’s 12.4 million viewers. The show’s livestream on Paramount+ also experienced a substantial increase in viewership, up by 173% compared to the previous year’s online audience. With delayed viewing taken into account, the total viewership of the Grammys is expected to surpass 17 million.
The peak viewership for the 2024 Grammys occurred during the In Memoriam segment, which featured performances by Stevie Wonder, Annie Lennox, Jon Batiste, and Fantasia Barrino, attracting 18.25 million viewers from 9:45 to 10 PM ET. This year’s viewership numbers far exceeded those of the 2021 and 2022 shows, both of which had around 9.5 million viewers each.
However, despite the growth, this year’s numbers still fall short of the pre-pandemic audiences, with 2020 seeing 18.8 million viewers and 2019 with 19.9 million. Nevertheless, the 2024 Grammys signify a positive trend as the entertainment industry continues its recovery post-pandemic.
Additionally, the red carpet event associated with the Grammys also experienced growth in viewership, reaching 1.5 million viewers, up from 1.1 million in the previous year and marking the largest audience since 2020.
Hosted by comedian Trevor Noah for the fourth consecutive year, the ceremony took place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The star-studded event included performances by Billy Joel, Burna Boy, Joni Mitchell, SZA, U2, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Travis Scott, Olivia Rodrigo, and Luke Combs featuring Tracy Chapman.
Aside from the musical performances, the 2024 Grammys were notable for various memorable moments: Jay-Z called attention to the exclusion of his wife Beyonce from the Album of the Year category, Taylor Swift announced a forthcoming album release in April while accepting her award for Best Pop Vocal Album, and there was an incident involving rapper and award recipient Killer Mike being detained and questioned following an alleged altercation.