4 Grammy campaign stops that could pay dividends for artists like Brandi Carlile, Wet Leg, Conan Gray and more

When you talk about award shows, you have to talk about campaigning, by which artists are able to get their material out there in hopes that voters become more familiar with them and their craft. This year a few methods, both new and old, stand out as great ways of getting on the radar during Grammy season.

“Tiny Desk Concert”

NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concert” remains the best campaigning method right now. The intimate online series provides artists an opportunity to showcase their talent in a more intimate setting where their musicianship can be more easily appreciated. The series especially appeals to musicians, which is obviously more effective when it comes to Grammy campaigning since the Recording Academy is made up of industry professionals, and it has helped many surprise nominees like Anderson .Paak in 2016 and Jacob Collier in 2020.

This year their viral concerts have included JID, Tems, Domi and JD Beck, Camilo, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and Wet Leg.

Grammy Museum

With events going back to some semblance of normal amid the pandemic, the Grammy Museum has restarted its exciting private concerts featuring some of the top artists of today. In previous years the likes of Lana del Rey, Taylor Swift, and Vampire Weekend all held Grammy Museum concerts before getting big nominations. While you’re not assured a Grammy windfall, it’s a good way to get your music to Grammy voters present in the room, and there’s typically a Q&A to talk more about the artist’s creative process.

This year some of the artists who have done shows or will do shows include Conan Gray, MUNA, Ingrid Andress, and Lucius, among many others.

Televised Performances

As per usual, artists tend to go to major TV shows in order to promote their work. It’s a good way to get your music more attention from the general public and from Grammy voters. For example, artists like Wet Leg, Phoebe Bridgers, Dove Cameron, and Doechii have performed their songs on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” while others like Ghost, Offset, and Charlie Puth have gone to “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” There’s also “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” which has hosted big names this year like Jack White, Stephen Sanchez, and Tank and the Bangas. Finally, another coveted televised spot is “Saturday Night Live,” especially the upcoming first episodes of the fall season.

Visual Media

Last but not least, it seems like visual media is a good way of campaigning this year. For example, Brandi Carlile is releasing “In the Canyon Haze,” a music performance film for one night in multiple theaters across America on September 28, just a couple of weeks before voting starts on October 13. Another awards darling employing this technique is Adele, who hosted a celebrated “One Night Only” special that won five Emmys recently. Additional awards may not be far behind.

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