Grammy Awards

Kobe Bryant loomed large in the minds of all the musicians at the Grammy Awards -- which was evident in Alicia Keys' touching opening tribute to the late NBA legend.

This year's host started Sunday night's show with some solemn words for the crowd, acknowledging Kobe's death right off the bat by saying that everyone there was feeling "crazy sadness" ... adding that L.A., the U.S. and the world had lost a great one.

She went on to say, "We're literally standing here heartbroken in the house that Kobe Bryant built." The Grammys are being held at the STAPLES Center ... so she's correct there. The building even lit up his two jerseys in the rafters as AK spoke.

Alicia asked the audience to hold Kobe, Gianna and all the other victims in the helicopter crash in their thoughts, prayers and spirits as their families mourned. Then came a huge moment ... she brought out Boyz II Men and sang "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye."

Just outside, fans were paying their respects to their hometown hero ... but some weren't so happy the Grammys were continuing at all. You can hear several people shouting, "F**k the Grammys!" in what appeared to be a spontaneous protest of sorts.

Demi Lovato made an emotional return to music in a performance that brought tears to the singer's eyes and the audience members to their feet.

Demi premiered her new single "Anyone" Sunday night at The Grammy Awards. Lovato needed to restart the song as she got choked up during her first attempt. She was then able to power through the performance to a standing ovation.

TMZ broke the story ... Demi wrote "Anyone" just 4 days before her overdose and hospitalization back in 2018. The song's lyrics are powerful and mention how Demi was in a tough state, reaching out for help ... but couldn't get it.

Sources close to Demi tell us the single is just the tip of the iceberg for her plans in 2020. We're told an entire album is on the way, and there have also been talks for a tour.

Nipsey Hussle was honored at the Grammys by some of music's biggest stars ... a tribute that also included a shout-out to Kobe Bryant.

DJ Khaled, John Legend, YG and others took the stage Sunday to remember the rapper with an emotional performance. YG, who was arrested Friday in L.A. made his first public performance since the incident ... but did not make any mention of what happened.

At the end of the tribute, a graphic of both Kobe and Nipsey was projected on the stage and DJ Khaled took the mic to remember Kobe.

TMZ broke the story ... Kobe, his 13-year-old daughter and 7 other people were killed in a helicopter crash Sunday in L.A. Bad weather conditions are a possible cause of the crash. The impact of his death has been felt across the world ... and Grammy host Alicia Keys took a moment to honor Kobe at the beginning of the show.

It's Grammy day, and before Hollywood accepts their golden gramophones ... they wanted to stunt a little bit on the way in. And stunt they certainly did.

The best in the music biz were all on hand Sunday at the STAPLES Center, where stars like Lizzo, Rick Ross, Billie Eilish, Finneas O'Connell, Ozzy Osbourne, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Skrillex, Ariana Grande, Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus, Iggy Pop, YBN Cordae, Sophie Turner, Joe Jonas, Nick Jonas, Priyanka Chopra, Billy Porter, Chris Brown and more.

A lot of the outfits were safe -- standard award show garb -- but others were out there. Among the more non-conventional/political looks ... Joy Villas "Trump 2020" dress, Megan Pormer's "No War 💖 Iran" gown and Ricky Rebel's "Impeach This" ass cheek statement.

If you thought their entrance was something, get a load of how they used their fashion behind the scenes. Definitely more movement than the usual posing on the way in.

Of course, Sunday's proceedings come right on the heels of the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant ... and it's being held at the same place he played for years, no less.

A bunch of fans have gathered outside of STAPLES and created makeshift memorials for him. Definitely a solemn day in the sports world and beyond, but the Grammys must go on.

The show must go on for YG ... according to his lawyer, anyway, who says the guy WILL perform at the Grammys after all, this following his arrest and release.

YG's attorney, Joe Tacopina, tells TMZ ... YG is moving forward with his Grammy Awards performance Sunday night, which had already been in the books before he got hauled in by cops last week on suspicion of robbery and bonding out the same day on $250k bail.

The rapper's performance is supposed to be in honor of the late Nipsey Hussle -- which Tacopina and others, including The Game, thought might've been behind the arrest.

We still don't know what the robbery allegation stems from, but YG's Escalade was involved in a high-speed chase back in July that left a 65-year-old man dead. The MC denied he was anywhere near that scene at the time ... it's unclear if the two cases are related.

Looks like YG's following in the footsteps of his fellow artist Young Thug -- who was also put in cuffs last year right before his Grammys performance, but was then released.

Cardi B looked amazing at Clive Davis' pre-Grammy bash Saturday night, and her hubby was more than happy to sample the goods!

Cardi hit up the annual bash at the Bev Hilton Hotel and wore a super NSFW dress, to Offset's resounding approval.

Offset and Cardi are nominated for Best Rap Performance for "Clout."

She's won a Grammy last year for Best Rap Album, and she definitely won at Clive's party.

Diddy railed on the Grammys Saturday, saying it's turned a blind eye to black artists ... notably, hip-hop artists.

Ironically, Diddy unloaded on the Grammys during his acceptance speech for receiving an Industry Icon award. It all went down at Clive Davis' pre-Grammy gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

As you know, TMZ broke the story ... Whitney Houston died the evening of the same annual party back in 2012 when she was found in her bathtub at the Beverly Hilton, dead from an OD.

As for Diddy, he gave an acceptance speech that was interminably long -- 50 minutes, seriously. It ended at 12:30 AM, and toward the end is when Diddy set his sights on the folks who run the Grammys.

Among many other things ... Diddy said, "Truth be told, hip-hop has never been respected by the Grammys. Black music has never been respected by the Grammys."

As for Diddy's record ... 3 Grammy wins and 13 noms.

Ne-Yo is feeling a little less proud of the Grammys he believed were well-earned -- because much as it pains him, he admits the recent claims of vote-rigging are entirely possible.

We got the R&B superstar at LAX and with this year's award show -- the 62nd annual -- about to go down, we had to ask about the new controversy sparked by ousted Recording Academy president and CEO Deborah Dugan.

If ya missed it, she blew the whistle on what she claims is a deeply broken process of selecting Grammy winners. In a formal complaint, she claimed it's all rigged and accused Recording Academy committee members of throwing bones to certain artists due to personal or business relationships.

Ne-Yo didn't pull punches and told us exactly why it seems plausible to him. That said, he made it clear he hopes there were NO shady dealings behind his 3 Grammys.

Ne-Yo won two Grammys for his song "Miss Independent," and another for his 2008 album, "Because of You."

Jay-Z and a ton of other stars showed out for the annual Roc Nation Brunch this weekend -- but there's one person who's noticeably missing so far ... Lauren London.

Celebs like Jay, Diddy, DJ Khaled, Megan Thee Stallion, Miguel, Meek Mill, Winnie Harlow, Ella Mai, Usher, Kelly Rowland, June Ambrose, Robert Kraft, Mike Rubin, G-Eazy, Machine Gun Kelly, Lil Rel Howery, La La Anthony and several others were in attendance Saturday for the pre-Grammys shindig. They held one last year too ... it was also star-studded.

It looks like folks are still trickling in, but so far ... there's no sign of the late Nipsey Hussle's girlfriend, who came with him last year before his untimely death about two months later.

She's kept a relatively low profile in the wake of her partner getting gunned down in cold blood -- but LL has surfaced online with a few clothes and sneaker campaigns.

Speaking of that, we're seeing the colors of the event match Beyonce's ADIDAS x Ivy Park drop. Oh, and one other person, we're not seeing quite yet ... Bey herself.

Demi Lovato's new single -- which she'll debut at the Grammys -- will reveal what she was going through before suffering an overdose ... but she says it's only a fraction of her story.

Demi opened up about the meaning of the song, called "Anyone," to Apple Music's Zane Lowe. The singer tells Lowe the reason it's so special is because listening back to it ... she realized it was a "cry for help."

We broke the story ... Lovato wrote and recorded the song just 4 days before she OD'd in July 2018, and vowed during her recovery to perform it first if she ever got another chance.

Lovato says she's surprised people close to her who were familiar with "Anyone" didn't also see that something was wrong and try to get her some help.

Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer is taking his L in court in stride -- saying he's not leaving the band, and even though he won't be on the drums ... he'll be front and center for their Friday night gig.

Joey was out Thursday night at a pre-Grammy party in WeHo where a throng of fans showered him with love. Joey snapped selfies and signed autographs ... and overall looked to be in a pretty good mood.

The camera guy asks Joey if he plans to rejoin the band after its 2 Grammy gigs ... prompting the rock star to give a quick-witted answer, followed by a huge smile. He added that despite the judge ruling he can't play with Aerosmith this weekend ... he'll be at Friday night's MusiCares Person of Year Gala -- and he explains why.

It's not like Joey's crashing it either, he's been invited to attend ... regardless of the legal battle with his bandmates.

TMZ broke the story ... Joey got shut down in court after a judge ruled against him joining the band for their Grammys performance. Remember, he sued the band as a last-ditch effort to return to his "rightful place" with Aerosmith ... but the judge sided with the band's reasoning for keeping him out -- he's too rusty.

We obtained a video of Joey trying to join the band's Grammy rehearsal in L.A. last weekend, but he was denied entry. Joey tells TMZ seeing a fill-in drummer playing on stage at two premiere events honoring the band he's been a part of for 50 years is extremely hurtful.

Demi Lovato's upcoming Grammys performance will mark the fulfillment of a promise she made to herself after nearly dying from an overdose ... so expect it to be very emotional.

The singer will perform at Sunday's award show ... her first live performance since suffering the OD in July 2018, and TMZ's learned the song she's chosen is deeply connected to that scary ordeal.

Our Grammys sources tell us ... Demi wrote and recorded the song 4 days before her overdose, and the lyrics will reflect her state of mind during that time in her life.

We're told it's a "big ballad style" tune, and Lovato vowed while she was recovering in the hospital for months ... it would be the first song she'd perform at a big venue if she ever got the chance again.

Sunday will be that big moment ... and she's taking advantage of her comeback opportunity. Along with performing the track on a huge stage, our sources say she'll be releasing the single after the show. We're not sure what the title is yet.

Demi's Grammys gig will kick off a music revival for her. As we've reported ... she's also going to be singing the National Anthem one week later at Super Bowl LIV, and she plans to release a full-length studio album in the first half of 2020.

Ariana Grande appears to have buried the hatchet with the Recording Academy because she's ready to take the stage at this year's show ... even though there were issues last year.

The 'Thank U, Next' singer made the announcement Saturday, saying she was officially booked to perform at the 2020 Grammy Awards later this month. She wrote on Instagram, "OFFICIAL: #ArianaGrande will perform at the #GRAMMYs Jan. 26!"

Attached was a promo shot of her with the Grammy logo in the corner, and the words "GRAMMY PERFORMER" emblazoned along her back. So yeah, it's definitely happening.

What's interesting ... Ariana had a big beef last year with the Grammys' longtime executive producer, Ken Ehrlich, who publicly made it seem like Ariana had backed out of last year's show because she was too frazzled and unorganized to pull it together on short notice.

We heard from people connected to the situation that characterization simply wasn't true -- in fact, we were told it was Ken who'd put her in an impossible spot by not allowing her to perform her biggest hit single at the time, "7 Rings," and then later recanting.

By the time Ken realized it'd be better to have AG perform than not, our sources told us he came back to her with the offer to do "7 Rings" when it was too late ... she'd already made up her mind on not doing the show at all, and that's how it ultimately played out. We're told the whole thing left a bad taste in Ariana's mouth, so she just watched from home.

Now, it looks like that's all water under a bridge -- and the reason might be more obvious than you'd think. Earlier this year, Ken announced he's hanging it up after this year's show, so it appears the direction of things is about to change hands -- if it hasn't already.

In Ariana's case ... probably for the better.

There is no substitute for J Lo in her famous green Grammy gown -- although Fashion Nova's trying to knock it off ... according to Versace which is suing over what it calls a straight-up rip-off.

Versace's filed suit over several of its designs, but most notably Jennifer's jungle print gown from the 2000 Grammy Awards. In the suit, the Italian design house calls out Fashion Nova for the whole fast-fashion movement -- a nice way of saying copycats -- which launched on its site in 2013.

Versace's legal diss of FN includes calling it a "serial infringer specializing in 'fast-fashion' knock-offs." Ooooh, burn.

And, there's plenty of name-dropping too -- Versace points out its designs have adorned the likes of Princess Diana, Princess Caroline (royalty burns hurt the worst), Elton John, Lady Gaga and Liz Hurley. Translation: Who you got, Fashion Nova? IG Model Who??

According to the suit, Fashion Nova's already been sued at least 8 times for this kind of alleged offense, including one from Adidas.

Versace says it fired a warning shot back in July 2019, officially putting FN on notice, but says nothing's changed, so now we're going to court.

Lizzo has many reasons to be happy ... so a trip to The Happiest Place on Earth was in order.

The Record of the Year nominee and her sister had a fun evening out with friends Thursday at Disneyland to celebrate both her sister's birthday ... and Lizzo's 8 Grammy noms.

We're told the group had a blast all over the park hitting up popular rides like Space Mountain, It's a Small World, the Matterhorn Bobsleds ... and even made their way over to Disney California Adventure for Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout!

Even better ... Lizzo and company splurged for a VIP tour guide so they didn't have to wait in any long lines.

At one point the "Truth Hurts" singer took a break to check her phone and enjoy a chocolate-covered frozen banana ... with Minnie Mouse ears on and everything.

And if you're wondering about the woman in the sexy Santa outfit on her sweatshirt ... it seems Lizzo's promoting a raunchy new single called "Christmas Time" by celeb hairstylist, Shelby Swain.

Great addition to your feel-good holiday playlist ... along with pretty much all of Lizzo's songs, of course.

Singer Peabo Bryson suffered a mild heart attack over the weekend and is currently in the hospital ... TMZ has learned.

A rep for Peabo tells TMZ ... the Grammy-winning balladeer was at his home in Georgia early Saturday morning when he suffered the mild heart attack. We're told Peabo's currently responsive and both his medical team and family are optimistic he'll make a speedy recovery.

The rep tells us, "At this time, privacy is requested; however, the thoughts and prayers of friends and fans are welcomed and appreciated.”

Peabo, of course, won two Grammy Awards in 1992, one for his performance of the song "Beauty and the Beast" with Celine Dion and another in 1993 for "A Whole New World" with Regina Belle. The "Aladdin" theme song was so huge back in the day ... it toppled Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" from Billboard's Hot 100 chart in March 1993. Both tracks also took home Oscars for Best Original Song.