It was wonderful having the Grammys is NYC this year. NUE kept busy bouncing around a slew of events and even putting on a few of our own.
Here are some of our favorite highlights:
🚆 We hosted an activation for one of our partners at Grand Central Station on the morning of the show.
👑 We once again teamed up with Tidal & Elliott Wilson to host CRWN, this time featuring Migos, whose album “Culture II” is No. 1 in the world right now.
📺 YouTube hosted a party where old school hip hop intersected with New York tech. We continue to see these two worlds growing closer and closer.
💳 MasterCard hosted a pop-up concert venue in the Meatpacking District, which featured intimate sets from SZA, Portugal. The Man, Dua Lipa & more. During the day they programmed insightful talks on the music business and where brands fit in.
👐 A perennial favorite, the Friends ‘N’ Family pre-Grammy party was a who’s who of everyone in the biz. I was especially humbled by the access to leading label execs. It always inspires me when I hear a record exec share their POV on music.
📈 The Nielsen Entertainment party was a melting pot of leading artists and brands. Hosted at The Pool, it included live performances by the 19-year-old phenom, Khalid.
🌊 My friends at Primary Wave put on a great party that celebrated the mix of music, tech, and culture that we’re so passionate about here at NUE.
❤️ MusiCares: Music industry heavy hitters came out for a great organization that provides support and community services to musicians in need of medical, personal & financial assistance. The grand award this year went to honoring Fleetwood Mac and the show featured performances by Lorde, Miley Cyrus, Zac Brown Band ++ many others with speeches from Bill Clinton and other titans of their industry in the building.
💿 Def Jam: A coming out party of sorts for Paul Rosenberg and his new regime. It was a hip-hop mash-up and once you got through the madness outside it was a good ol’ fashion house party vibe with old-school DJ’s spinning and attendees like Pusha T, Desiigner, Big Sean and music industry legends. There were over 4,000 RSVP’s for a 500 person venue. You do the math.
📻 Roots: At Gramercy Theater The Legendary Roots hosted epic night after epic night! We got a chance to see Dave Chappelle do his thing with a mix of fans and industry movers and shakers.
🏆 In terms of the show itself, despite ratings being down, there were a lot of powerful moments and there was a lot to celebrate in the music industry this year. I ended up at a viewing party hosted by Jake Udell & Moe, who manages Marshmello.
The lines between music and culture are continuing to blur, providing brands with endless opportunities to connect with people in powerful ways. We look forward to helping you meet your goals in 2018.
Until next Grammys,
– JesseK
Also published on Medium.