After being postponed several months due to Covid, the Grammys are back this Sunday in a new location: Las Vegas. And for the first time ever, Grammy Week will be coming to the metaverse. The Recording Academy, in partnership with Mastercard, will be hosting virtual activations from now until Sunday in a Las-Vegas themed experience on Roblox, marking the first brand-sponsored music experience on the platform.
Fans will be able to join for avatar meet and greets with artists including Glass Animals and Walker Hayes, mini games, chats, and opportunities to win prizes. Grammy-nominated Latin artist Camilo will be performing on Friday, becoming the first Latin artist to perform on Roblox. Mastercard branding and “sonic DNA” will also be integrated throughout the experience.
Awards ceremonies such as the Grammys and Oscars have been suffering from falling viewership over the past few years, and turning to a booming platform like Roblox is a new strategy on the part of the Academy to attempt to stay relevant and engage with more fans.
“We are thrilled to partner with Roblox for our first-ever official GRAMMY Week experience in the Metaverse," said Recording Academy Co-President Panos A. Panay in a statement. "We are always looking to innovate and reach music lovers wherever they are, and there is no better partner for us to accomplish this than Roblox. Online gaming platforms are quickly becoming one of the most important music discovery channels for tens of millions of fans.”
"When Roblox approached me, I immediately got very excited because this was the first time in my life that I would be doing something like this," added Camilo. "I'm also grateful that I'll be able to bring this unique experience to La Tribu, especially during GRAMMY Week. I was already incredibly honored to be one of this year's nominees, and to perform in a completely new way in the Metaverse brings it to a whole new level. I can't wait!"
The awards ceremony will take place on Sunday from 8-11:30pm ET and will be both broadcast on CBS and streamed live on Paramount+.