Jhené Aiko to Host the 2021 Grammys Pre-Show, Which Will Open With a Marvin Gaye Tribute

Jhené Aiko has a song on her latest album Chilombo titled “Magic Hour”—and it looks like she’ll be the MC of several “magic hours” as the 32-year-old songstress has been confirmed as the host of the 63rd Annual Grammys Premiere Ceremony.

The premiere ceremony serves as a pre-show event leading up to the Grammy Awards telecast, which airs that same night.

Per the official Recording Academy press release sent to The Root:

Slated to perform are Nigerian singer, songwriter and rapper Burna Boy, jazz band Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science, blues musician Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, classical pianist Igor Levit, Latin electropop musician Lido Pimienta, singer, songwriter and performance artist Poppy and singer, songwriter and composer Rufus Wainwright.

Kicking off the event will be a tribute performance celebrating the 50th anniversary of the classic Marvin Gaye track “Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology),” produced and arranged by Cheche Alara. The special all-nominee ensemble performance will feature Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra, Thana Alexa, John Beasley, Camilo, Regina Carter, Alexandre Desplat, Bebel Gilberto, Lupita Infante, Sarah Jarosz, Mykal Kilgore, Ledisi, Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez, PJ Morton, Gregory Porter, Grace Potter, Säje, Gustavo Santaolalla (Bajofondo), Anoushka Shankar, and Kamasi Washington.

Aiko is among the esteemed nominees this year, scoring a nod for Best R&B Performance (“Lightning & Thunder” with John Legend) as well as her album Chilombo scoring nominations in the Best Progressive R&B Album and Album of the Year categories.

Though things will look a bit different than usual, the Grammys is still kicking off their traditional Grammy Week starting March 8 with an array of events (albeit, virtually), including The Inaugural Black Music Collective GRAMMY Week Celebration, which occurs on March 10.

The Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony will take place on Sunday, March 14, at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET, and will be streamed live internationally via GRAMMY.com. The 63rd Grammy Awards telecast will air live Sunday, March 14 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on CBS.