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(FROM VARIETY) – The Writers Guild of America announced on Monday (Jan. 14) that it would not grant a waiver for the Feb. 10 CBS telecast of this year's Grammy Awards. ''While no guild decision has yet been made regarding the Grammys, if a waiver is requested for the Grammys, it is unlikely to be granted,'' said WGA spokesman Gregg Mitchell. The announcement means Screen Actors Guild members would have to cross a WGA picket line to attend. SAG has already indicated that it will not cross the picket line for awards shows, a decision that forced the Golden Globes to scale back their event to a one-hour newscast, which did very poorly in the ratings, and has some wondering about the fate of the upcoming Oscars telecast.
Since the Grammys honor musicians, not actors, it is unclear how much impact the WGA's decision will have on the show, though the dozen or so actors who typically present awards would not be involved. Last year, Quentin Tarantino, Luke Wilson, Nicolas Cage, Terrence Howard, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Rock, and David Spade appeared on the show. This year's nominees also include a number of musicans who have appeared in movies or TV, among them Justin Timberlake, Queen Latifah, Tim McGraw, Beyonce, Jack White, Jon Bon Jovi, and Fantasia. Among the Grammy nominee musicians who have historically refused to cross a picket line are Bruce Springsteen, the Beastie Boys, Joni Mitchell, John Mellencamp, and Steve Earle. And, obviously, writers would not contribute to the ceremony's script, though compared to other awards shows, the Grammys are a performance-heavy event. (Variety)
