Music’s Biggest Night to Honor Their Own and Celebrate

Music’s biggest night isn’t over when the last award is handed out, not by a long shot. For the second year in a row, The Grammy Celebration Party will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center immediately following The 48th Annual Grammy Awards. The invitation-only event will be attended by Grammy winners and nominees, music industry executives and celebrities who attend the live telecast.

Commenting on the after-awards celebration, Neil Portnow, President of The Recording Academy, said,

Music’s Biggest Night is an international extravaganza that celebrates the year in music, but the festivities don’t end there. The evening continues with winners, nominees, VIPs, Academy members and enthusiastic music lovers at our Grammy Celebration, an elegant soiree where contemporary cuisine, distinctive design, and top-notch entertainment are the best way to top off a spectacular day. We never want Grammy night to end.

The Grammy Celebration Party will feature an all-star lineup of live entertainment including Earth, Wind & Fire with special guests Sleepy Brown, Will.I.Am (The Black Eyed Peas); and Big &Rich featuring Cowboy Troy. The event’s menu will feature more than 70 buffets with international fare and such desserts as turtle bars, mini-banana cream pies, apple galette, winter sundaes, crispy rice pudding, and an assortment of ACM’s famous cookies. Presented by Heineken, the party will also will feature wines and spirits provided by Patrón Tequila, Belvedere Vodka, Pyrat Rum, Forest Glen Wines and Domaine Laurier Champagne.

[ADBLOCKHERE] The Recording Academy has partnered with gifting company Distinctive Assets to create a specially designed area where guests will be able to preview luxury products such as a Privia digital piano package provided by Casio; his and her Oceanus and G-Shock watches; free Lasik surgery from Dr. Kerry Assil; a spring purse collection from Elliott Lucca; two tickets to the PAC 10 basketball finals in March, and a Verizon package including a Gateway laptop computer, just to name a few. Every guest in attendance will receive a parting gift courtesy of S Factor.

But still, behind the glamour and the glitz, the biggest question on the mind of those in attendance tonight has to be “whose going to win?”. The LA Times Awards site, The Envelope.com reports that Mariah is not the sure thing every one seems to think she is, reminding readers that she has lost every grammy race since winning for best new artist in 1990. Maybe she’s overdue?

According to The Envelope’s team of experts the battle for album of the year is a close one. Kanye West’s Late Registration has 9 to 5 odds, U2’s How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is a 2 to 1 favorite and Mariah Carey’s The Emancipation of Mimi has 12 to 5 odds.

Check out two of Blogcritic’s own writer’s predictions for the upcoming awards. Sterfish offers 2006 Grammy Award Predictions and Grammy Preview and Predictions is Chip Ross’ look at the awards.