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The Premiere Ceremony is an intrinsic part of the GRAMMY Awards experience.

While the main attraction contains performances by pop superstars, the beloved annual Premiere Ceremony celebrates categories deep in the nominations list — including those integral to the wider music canon and industry, as well as more niche and technical categories.

The Premiere Ceremony is where first-time GRAMMY nominees become first-time GRAMMY winners, where careers are made, and where dreams become reality. It’s all the more reason why the Premiere Ceremony is just as important and impactful as its flashier counterpart.

On Sunday, Feb. 5, witness the Premiere Ceremony in all its GRAMMY glory. The 2023 GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony will stream live on live.GRAMMY.com and on the Recording Academy’s YouTube channel starting at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT, just hours ahead of Music’s Biggest Night.

The 2023 GRAMMYs air afterward starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on the CBS Television Network and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+. And all throughout GRAMMY night, head to live.GRAMMY.com for even more exclusive, never-before-seen content, including red carpet interviews, behind-the-scenes content, and much more.

This year, City National Bank has signed on as the first-ever presenting sponsor of the GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony.

Here are five reasons why the Premiere Ceremony is not just worth watching; it’s vital to — and inseparable from — Music’s Biggest Night.

The Premiere Ceremony Paints The Entire Picture

Take a look at the 2023 GRAMMYs nominations list: the vast majority of GRAMMY Awards aren’t given out on the CBS telecast, but at the Premiere Ceremony.

The range of GRAMMYs categories covered at the Premiere Ceremony is vast: Jazz, Rock, Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music, and so much more.

Want to catch every nomination on the list — all the way to Best Music Film? Don’t miss the Premiere Ceremony!

The Performances Aren’t To Be Missed…

While Harry Styles, Bad Bunny, Mary J. Blige, Brandi Carlile, Luke Combs, Steve Lacy, Lizzo, Kim Petras, and Sam Smith are sure to bring the heat on the 2023 GRAMMYs stage, the Premiere Ceremony will offer equally luminous performances.

The Premiere Ceremony will feature an opening-number performance by Blind Boys of Alabama, La Marisoul from La Santa Cecilia, and additional surprise performers. Other artists scheduled to perform include current nominees Arooj Aftab, Madison Cunningham, Samara Joy, Anoushka Shankar and Carlos Vives.

All Premiere Ceremony performers are current nominees at the 2023 GRAMMYs, as are most presenters.

Together, they reflect a stunning array of categories. For more information about the performers and the GRAMMYs categories they represent, visit below.

Read More: The 2023 GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony To Feature Performances From Carlos Vives, Samara Joy, Madison Cunningham, Arooj Aftab & More; Presenters Include Babyface, Jimmy Jam, Malcolm-Jamal Warner & Others

…And Neither Are The Presenters!

Presenting the first GRAMMY Awards of the day include current GRAMMY nominees Babyface, DOMi & JD BECK, Myles Frost, Arturo O’Farrill, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and five-time GRAMMY winner and former Recording Academy Board of Trustees Chair Jimmy Jam. Recording Academy Chair of the Board of Trustees Tammy Hurt will provide opening remarks.

Current GRAMMY nominee Randy Rainbow will be the co-host. Additional talent and a co-host will be announced in the coming days.

You’ll Likely Discover New Jams

If you’re looking to expand your musical palette, the Premiere Ceremony is an incredibly handy route to do so.

Arooj Aftab and Anoushka Shankar will perform “Udhero Na,” bringing enveloping sounds of India and Pakistan to the stage. Need more R&B in your life? Babyface will perform “Keeps On Fallin'” with Ella Mai). Want to dive into vocal jazz? Samara Joy’s got you.

Don’t just view these performances through the lens of rising starpower, but a gateway for incredible music you may not be familiar with.

Expect The Unexpected

While the Premiere Ceremony’s hosts, presenters and performers are announced beforehand, there’s no accounting for the human, organic moments — musicianly alchemy, shocked reactions, emotional speeches, true GRAMMY moments — that transpire in real time.

Just as viewers can’t know who will take home a golden gramophone at the 2023 GRAMMYs, it’s anyone’s guess how the eventual winners will react on camera — and given how the litany of memorable prior Premiere Ceremonies went, this is bound to be a wonderfully unique experience.

Visit live.GRAMMY.com all throughout GRAMMY Sunday; it’s the dynamic online destination where you can experience Music’s Biggest Night in full.

See you not only at Music’s Biggest Night — but at the incredible Premiere Ceremony just before!

2023 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Complete Nominees List