Grammy Awards: 5 local reasons to watch

Friday February 8, 2013 11:00 AM By Chris Serico

Photo credit: Getty Images | Taylor Swift peforms at ABC News' "Good Morning America" studio in Times Square. (Oct. 23, 2012)

Many of those attending and being honored during Sunday's Grammy Awards ceremony have strong ties to the Hudson Valley.

Here are five regional reasons to watch the broadcast, which will air starting at 8 p.m. on CBS:

1. Taylor Swift's performance: In her first Grammy Awards appearance since her summer romance with Bedford resident Conor Kennedy, which version of Swift will we see? The wallflower? The wide-eyed doe, surprised by her own success? Unlikely. Expect confidence and attitude to spare when Swift, the only announced performer with a Hudson Valley connection, takes the stage. In addition, don't count on a sappy, woe-is-me-ballad from the thrice-nominated Swift, especially since her anthemic "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" is up for Record of the Year.

2. Local nominees in rap, pop and alternative categories: For his rap collaborations, Scarsdale homeowner Jay-Z is up for six Grammys, four for his work with Kanye West on "Watch the Throne." His wife, Beyoncé, is nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance for her hit, "Love on Top." Björk, who has called Palisades home, earned nods for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Recording Package for her 2011 album "Biophilia."

3. Even more Beyoncé: Fresh off her high-energy Super Bowl halftime show, Beyoncé will take the stage in more subdued fashion as a presenter Sunday night. (Can't get enough of her? Wait a few more days and you can catch her HBO documentary, "Life is But a Dream," premiering at 9 p.m. Feb. 16.)

4. Local nominees you won't hear on most radio stations: Because of the Tony Awards, it's easy to forget that the Grammys also honor the best of Broadway. New Rochelle native Alan Menken earned his 11th overall Grammy nomination as a producer of the cast recording of "Newsies," and Westchester County's Kelli O'Hara received a nod as principal soloist for the cast recording of the Broadway musical "Nice Work If You Can Get It." In nonmusical categories, Jimmy Fallon, a former Saugerties resident, is up for Best Comedy Album for "Blow Your Pants Off," and former President Bill Clinton, of Chappaqua, received a nod for Best Spoken Word Album for "Back to Work." Some of those nominees likely will learn whether they won before Sunday night's national broadcast, but you'll know what to listen for if the announcer says, "In ceremonies held earlier ..."

5. Tributes to local icons who have died: Elton John, T Bone Burnett and Mumford & Sons are part of an all-star band slated to perform "The Weight" as a tribute to longtime Woodstock resident Levon Helm, The Band singer and drummer who died in April. To honor the legacies of other Hudson Valley music icons who died in 2012, the ceremony's memorial montage likely will include clips of Bronxville native and Mount Vernon-raised Dick Clark, who hosted "American Bandstand," and former Bard College student Adam "MCA" Yauch of the Beastie Boys.

Which Grammy Award nominee is your favorite? Let us know in the comments section below. And stay connected to Newsday Westchester during and after Sunday night's broadcast, when we'll provide comprehensive coverage of the night's events.

Tags: Scarsdale , Grammys , Grammy Awards , Beyonce , Jay-Z , Taylor Swift , Alan Menken , Jimmy Fallon , Bill Clinton , Levon Helm , Dick Clark , Adam Yauch , Westchester , Rockland , Hudson Valley , music , Grammy Awards , Grammys