Country music’s rising star Jimmie Allen is among the various artists to perform at the 2022 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony.
According to Variety, the GRAMMYs premiere ceremony is a pre-telecast afternoon event. During which the majority of the award shows’ winners are announced. It will take place on the afternoon of April 3rd at the MGM Grand Conference Marquee Ballroom in Las Vegas. Former Jeopardy! guest host, LeVar Burton will host the event.
Speaking about hosting the afternoon event, Burton stated, “I’m excited to host this celebration of the best performers across genres and art forms. I am incredibly honored in particular to be represented in the Best Spoken Word category this historic year. With a cohort of five other outstandingly talented Black men. Along with the words of the late great Congressmen, John Lewis.”
Along with Jimmie Allen, those performing at the GRAMMYs event are Allison Russell, Ledisi, Mon Laferte, and Curtis Stewart. Allen is notably a nominee for this year’s New Artist category. The GRAMMYs will be live on CBS and Paramount+ on the evening of April 3rd.
Jimmie Allen Opens Up About GRAMMYs Nomination
During a recent interview with Billboard, Jimmie Allen discussed his exciting GRAMMYs nomination and what it means to him. “With the GRAMMY nomination, I was talking to a friend of mine, a writer in pop and R&B. He said, ‘This nomination is bigger than you because you are a Black man from Delaware having success in country music.”
Jimmie Allen also noted that his friend believes the GRAMMY nomination came from his success in country music., “‘A genre of music that you don’t really associate Black people with too much. Win or lose, you have the ability here to inspire people that want to do something[similar]. But they don’t see a lot of people look like then.’ That’s when it really hit me how big this nomination was.”
While also discussing his collaboration with Brad Paisley for Freedom Was a Highway, Jimmie Allen revealed, “I wrote that song about growing up in my hometown and recorded it solo over a year before it was on [Bettie James]. I’ve been listening to Brad’s music for years. So, I reached out and he said yes.”
Jimmie Allen stated that to have Brad Paisley on the song meant a lot to him. “And shout out to country radio for playing it. Because in country music, without country radio, we don’t have a career. There wouldn’t be no GRAMMY nomination without country radio.”
In regards to other artists that he wants to collaborate with, Jimmie Allen added, “I want to get Will [Smith] back to rapping. I already have a song written that I need to get Drake on. Shania Twain, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder… a lot of artist are chasing down artists that are hot right now. But there’s something about working with artists that inspired the artists we listen to today.”
