Grammys Creep Up From Last Year in Early Ratings

Music’s Biggest Night aired two weeks later this time around

Post Malone Grammy Awards
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Hey, the Grammys didn’t decline year over year in TV ratings! At least, not yet.

According to the earliest-available Nielsen ratings, Music’s Biggest Night on CBS ticked up almost 1 percent (0.79%, to be a bit more specific) from 2018’s comparable overnight numbers. We know, that’s not exactly a huge, confidence-inspiring increase — but growth is growth, and such positive momentum is also extremely rare for an awards show in today’s television landscape.

The Grammy Awards got a 12.8 rating/22 share in the 56 metered markets last night. That initial tally just barely beats last year’s 12.7/21.

This time around, the Grammys aired two weeks later on the calendar. The 2018 celebration ran on Jan. 28.

We’ll know the actual audience and demo totals for Sunday’s Grammys in a few hours. When dealing with live TV, it is important to wait for time zones to be factored in. The fast-national broadcast ratings we regularly report just after 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT will not include such adjustments.

Country star Kacey Musgraves and rapper Childish Gambino were Sunday’s two biggest winners, taking home four gold gramophones each. “A Star Is Born” star Lady Gaga and Roots performer Brandi Carlile earned three wins apiece. Click here to see who else took home trophies last night.

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