Broadcast live from Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena for the second consecutive year, the 66th GRAMMY Awards was made possible by an expert production team that once again turned to Shure microphones.
“Shure’s Axient Digital wireless technology delivers the high-quality sound and reliability that our team depends on for the GRAMMY Awards,” shared Michael Abbott, Audio Producer for the 66th GRAMMY Awards show. “Their wireless, along with the wide variety of Shure mic capsules, ensures the artists sound their best for the live broadcast.”
To flawlessly broadcast the audio of music’s biggest night worldwide to an enormous 16.9 million viewers, a stalwart group of industry veterans, including Michael, relied on 28 channels of the Emmy Award-winning Shure Axient Digital Wireless Microphone System and eight channels of Axient Analog. Artists trusted Shure PSM 1000 in-ear monitoring with a total of 190 Shure bodypacks used throughout the evening.
Frequency coordination serves an essential role in managing the staggering amount of wireless used throughout the GRAMMYs. Working in the already frequency-dense downtown Los Angeles, Stephen Vaughn, Soundtronic’s RF Coordinator, oversaw this pivotal function with Axient Digital and, for monitoring, Wireless Workbench. The night’s crew also included Broadcast A1, Tom Holmes, and Music Mixers Eric Schilling and John Harris. Front of House was overseen by FOH Production Mixer and ATK Project Manager Jeff Peterson.
Many artists opted to perform with the most storied microphones from the 99-year history of Shure, including the SM58 and 565D, as well as the Company’s latest microphone innovation, the Shure KSM11.
Dua Lipa kicked off the festivities, performing a medley of her songs, including the new hit “Houdini,” while singing into a Shure KSM11 mic capsule. Later in the evening, Olivia Rodrigo would also use the KSM11 during the bloodsoaked performance of her hit, “Vampire.”
Performing her Record-of-the-Year-winning song “Flowers,” Miley Cyrus clutched a Shure 565SD, which perfectly matched her silver-tassel dress and Tina Turner energy. A high-spirited encore that concluded with Cyrus thrusting the durable mic to the ground.
For her “Kill-Bill-inspired” performance, SZA also trusted a classic Shure microphone – the SM58. Celebrating the tail-end of their residency at Las Vegas’ Sphere, U2 relied on Shure Axient Analog wireless and SM58 mic capsules.
For the GRAMMY Awards’ “In Memoriam,” the world was gifted a powerful performance from Jon Baptiste, Annie Lenox, and legends Stevie Wonder and Fantasia, both of whom also trusted SM58 microphones.
Burna Boy took to the stage with a custom red Shure KSM8 and supplied a medley of his catalog alongside 21 Savage and Brandy. Throughout his fourth time hosting the event, Trevor Noah traveled around the stage and audience with a wireless Shure KSM9.
Finally, Billy Joel performed his first new single in 30 years, “Turn the Lights Back On,” while singing into an SM58.
Each of these performances, also including Billie Eilish, Tracey Chapman, and Luke Combs, were made possible with Shure’s Axient Digital wireless technology, supplied by ATK and Soundtronics. ATK also provided IEMs as well as RF for all microphones.
