Grammys live updates: red carpet watch, plus who is likely to win

It's time for the Grammys! And we're bringing you live updates and our most unfiltered reactions.

The 66th annual awards show kicks off tonight (8 EST/5 PST) on CBS and Paramount+ with Showtime, now that we're finally through the nearly three-hour "premiere" ceremony of lesser awards. (Hey, good things come to those that wait, right? Let's hope.) Soon we'll be getting to the main course: music's biggest night, with performances by Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Dua Lipa and more.

So what's happened so far? Well, Joni Mitchell won another Grammy (and pulled our heartstrings along the way), Jack Antonoff gave a sweet shoutout to the one and only Taylor Swift and Michelle Obama casually made Grammys history (even though she skipped the ceremony).

We'll be updating this story throughout the night with even more juicy details. In the meantime, here are your burning questions, answered.

Leave it to Taylor Swift to zig when we all thought she would zag. After seeming to tease the re-recording of her album “Reputation” with a website crash earlier today, she ended up revealing she’s dropping a new album entirely instead. “This is my 13th Grammy, which is my lucky number,” Swift said, after winning best pop album for “Midnights. “I know the way the Recording Academy voted is a direct reflection of the passion of the fans. So I want to say thank you to the fans by telling you a secret that I’ve been keeping from you for the last two years, which is that my brand new album comes out April 19. It’s called 'The Tortured Poets Department.' I’m gonna go and post the cover right now backstage." Well, OK then!

Lainey Wilson joined Karol G and Miley Cyrus in the Grammy first-timers club. During her acceptance speech for best country album for "Bell Bottom Country," Wilson, a fifth generation farmer's daughter from a town of 200, gave a winding extended metaphor about how making an album is a lot like farming, or something like that. “Sometimes when you find the right farming community, you can find the harvest of a lifetime," she said. I have never farmed before, but I trust her completely.

Killer Mike's triumphant run at the Grammys took a turn after the rapper was handcuffed. Shortly after winning three awards during the pre-show ceremony, he was escorted out of the Crypto.com arena in handcuffs by a squad of police officers, video shared by The Hollywood Reporter's Chris Gardner on X shows. It's unclear if the rapper was arrested or will return for the live ceremony. USA TODAY has reached out to reps for Killer Mike, the Recording Academy and the Los Angeles Police Department. Killer Mike won Grammys for best rap song and best rap performance for his song "Scientists and Engineers" and best rap album for "Michael."

More: Killer Mike escorted out of Grammys in handcuffs after winning 3 awards

Let's go, Karol G! The Colombian singer and songwriter became a first-time Grammy winner, taking home the trophy for best música urbana album for her album "Mañana Será Bonito." "I promise you to give you my best always, and I hope this is the first of so many," she said onstage. It's been less than an hour, and we've already seen career firsts for two major artists. At this rate, who knows what will else will happen?

Miley Cyrus almost misses first Grammys win due to Los Angeles rain

Miley Cyrus spoke on behalf of all Los Angeles residents when she quipped she almost missed her first ever Grammys win due to heavy rain traffic. “This is just too iconic,” she said onstage beside Mariah Carey, accepting the award for best pop solo performance for “Flowers." “I just got stuck in the rain in traffic and thought I was going to miss this moment.” Anybody who has ever braved an LA freeway during a light drizzle knows exactly what she’s talking about. The win came after a career eight nominations for Cyrus, six of which are from this year.

More: Miley Cyrus just won the first Grammy of her career

At the Golden Globes, you could practically hear a pin drop when host Jo Koy made a joke about the frequent Taylor Swift cutaways at NFL games. That joke didn't seem to land with the pop star then, who took a cold sip from her cup while staring daggers at the comedian. Lucky for Trevor Noah, Swift seemed to have found her sense of humor in time for the Grammys, laughing when he joked that every time he mentions Swift's name, the broadcast should cut to a former NFL player. The camera then focused on a befuddled Terry Crews. Noah stayed mostly complimentary throughout his opening monologue. Was he pandering a little to the A-listers? Sure, but it was no disaster, which, in the realm of award shows, should be counted as a win.

More: Grammys host Trevor Noah defends Taylor Swift over NFL scrutiny

Boy I hope. Swift's website crashed Sunday afternoon for about two hours, with Swifties believing the site was riddled with Easter eggs teasing the announcement of the re-release of her sixth album "Reputation (Taylor's Version)." Swift's website appeared to show an error message hours before the Grammys. The first line was "Error 321 Backend fetch failed." Error 321 is a communication error that would appear on a fax machine with a poor telephone line connection. "I'm sorry, the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now" is a line from Swift's track "Look What You Made Me Do," the lead single on "Reputation." Consider those dots, connected.

Taylor Swift website crashes, sending fans on frantic hunt for 'Reputation' Easter eggs

With his win for best producer of the year, non-classical, Jack Antonoff joined Babyface as the only person to win the category three times in a row. During his acceptance speech, which rounded out the premiere ceremony, Antonoff thanked his wife Margaret Qualley and others who have supported him in his career, including his collaborator Taylor Swift. "We made a song called 'Out of the Woods' for '1989,' and, when I was waiting for that call that says, 'OK, now this goes to some big-name person,' she said, 'Let's mix this...,' " he said. "I love you to death, Taylor."

That’s double-Grammy-winner Michelle Obama to you! The former first lady took home the Grammy for best audio book, narration and storytelling recording for “The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times.” It’s the second time she’s won a Grammy (she won in 2020 for "Becoming), making her the only former first lady with two wins.

Joni Mitchell wins Grammy, will be first-time performer

Yes, which is good news, especially for anyone who failed to secure tickets to her Hollywood Bowl performances in Los Angeles later this year. (I promise I'm not bitter or anything.) It's bound to be a special show on Sunday, too. Mitchell, 80, who suffered a brain aneurysm in 2015 that left her temporarily unable to walk or talk, will be performing for the first time ever at the Grammys. During the premiere ceremony, she won for best folk album for "Joni Mitchell at Newport (Live)." Walking out onto the stage with a cane, Mitchell beamed at the crowd before giving a brief, humble thank you.

It’s the calm before the storm inside the massive white tent housing the Grammys red carpet, anyway. Outside, the downpour that meteorologists have promised all week has commenced. We are in the sweet spot on the carpet between artists attending the Grammys pre-show and the televised ceremony, and a few notable faces, including Josh Groban, boygenius and Victoria Monét, have made quick appearances. With two hours to go until the ceremony, things are certain to start heating up soon. –KiMi Robinson

Who is hosting the Grammys?

Trevor Noah, again. It’ll be the comedian’s fourth time as emcee of the Grammys. Noah hosted “The Daily Show” for seven years before his departure in late 2022. Still, the comic hasn’t left the spotlight, nabbing an Emmy in the variety/talk series category last month.

More: Trevor Noah returns to host 2024 Grammy Awards for 4th year in a row

The Beatles may have broken up about five decades ago, but they still can’t stop winning Grammys! The group won best music video at the premiere ceremony for their 1966 song “I’m Only Sleeping,” which got an official music video in November 2022. “I can’t believe I get to say this: I’d like to thank John, Paul, George and Ringo!” the video’s director Em Cooper exclaimed in her acceptance speech.

What was that? You thought the Barbenheimer double features had finally come to an end? Well, think again: “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” which dominated theaters last summer, won back-to-back at the Grammys premiere ceremony. “Barbie the Album” won best compilation soundtrack for visual media and “Oppenheimer” for best score soundtrack for visual media. Billie Eilish and Finneas also made an early appearance to accept their award for best song written for visual media for their “Barbie” song “What Was I Made For?” “Making this song saved me a little bit,” Eilish said of the soft ballad in their acceptance speech.

More: You might be way behind on the Oscars. Here's how you can catch up.

Well, that got started with a bang! If downtown Los Angeles was feeling sleepy amid this uncharacteristic rain, it better be awake now after the opening number of the premiere ceremony. J. Ivy, Pentatonix, Larkin Poe, Jordin Sparks and Sheila E. took the stage for a rousing set that seemed to jolt the theater awake, ending with a booming drum solo from Sheila E. while Sparks belted for her life. Let’s hope that energy lasts, because the Grammy ceremonies are going to unfold over for the course of the next nine hours.

The ceremony will be held in downtown Los Angeles at the Staples Center − er, I mean, the Crypto.com Arena.

The Grammys will air live on CBS and stream on Paramount+ with Showtime (8 EST/5 PST).

I mean, she is the biggest name in music right now, and she's a nominee, so, it'd be a shock not to see her there. According to a TikTok of the Grammys seating arrangement shared by CBS, Swift is set to share a table at the ceremony with Lana Del Rey.

A whopping six times! Will she win? And, more importantly, is she planning a “Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” announcement if she does? Swifties certainly hope so.

Reportedly not. Yes, it's a bummer; but, honestly, she's given us so much this year, the woman deserves to sit back and relax.

Literally so many people. Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Dua Lipa, Burna Boy, Luke Combs, Travis Scott, Billy Joel, Joni Mitchell and SZA are all locked in. Will there be any surprise appearances? Stay tuned.

Will we see Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce together at the Grammys?

Probably not. Though he's Swift's beau, Travis Kelce has said he'll skip the Grammys to practice for the Feb. 11 Super Bowl (which apparently is like the Grammys, but for football, or something like that.)

Will Jason Kelce be at the Grammys?

His brother Jason probably won't be there, either. According to The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network, he'll be on the other side of the country in Orlando, Florida, playing in the NFL's Pro Bowl.

Who votes for the Grammys?

The Illuminati − just kidding (kind of). Voting members of the Recording Academy do. These members, according to the organization's website, "are composed of a pool of vetted and venerable performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, instrumentalists, and other creators currently working in the recording industry."