For the first time in 40 years, the show will not be produced by veteran Ken Ehrlich, who announced in 2019 he’d be stepping aside for longtime James Corden producer Ben Winston. Ehrlich brought such familiar signature touches — thematic medleys with generation-spanning duet partners, understated nods to the social cause of the moment, and a certain old-school showbiz razzmatazz — that it’s hard to imagine the Grammys without him.
More pointedly, the 2020 Grammys took place against an ugly backdrop of mismanagement allegations and longstanding accusations of gender and racial misrepresentation in the awards, the Recording Academy and the industry. This was capped by a blockbuster legal complaint filed against the Academy in January by ousted president/CEO Deborah Dugan, who was placed on leave just days before the show amid strongly worded but vague accusations of “misconduct.” She responded with multiple allegations, including of sexual discrimination and harassment by Academy official and industry power broker Joel Katz (the litigation is ongoing). In a long speech at Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy party, Diddy put the Academy “on notice.”