Inside the Billboard + NMPA Grammy Week Showcase: Noah Kahan, Kelsea Ballerini & More
As always, NMPA president David Israelite kicked off its annual Grammy week showcase (in partnership with Billboard) with a gentle reminder: The bar will close during performances, and guests are expected to remain silent.
It’s all part of the NMPA’s ethos to better support songwriters, and throughout the night, attendees also had the pleasure of watching songwriters support one another. At one table sat Jack Antonoff, Lana Del Rey and Kelsea Ballerini. Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson and hit songwriter Jessie Jo Dillon were seated to their right, with Dan Nigro and Chappell Roan seated just behind and Leon Thomas and his mother nearby.
Throughout the intimate and star-studded evening on Wednesday (Jan. 31), the audience was treated to performances by best new artist nominees Jelly Roll and Noah Kahan, rising pop star Conan Gray and country star Kelsea Ballerini — plus an impassioned speech from Del Rey about Vanguard Award recipient Antonoff, during which she couldn’t help but announce her upcoming country album Lasso, out this September.
Kahan, who was being honored with the Rising Star award, joked before his set that “I’ve been around longer than this [award title] would suggest … Don’t tell the Grammys.” Later, Nigro contested his own award title, saying, “I don’t consider myself a hitmaker” — though his track record on the charts proves otherwise.
Dillon — who is Grammy nominated for songwriter of the year alongside Edgar Barrera, Shane McAnally, Justin Tranter and Theron Thomas — summarized the evening best while accepting her Breakthrough Songwriter award. “There is no music without songs and no songs without songwriters — and we deserve to be compensated fairly.”
As for each performer, they all shared a similar sentiment about the life-changing power of a hit — and how they would never have gotten there where they are today without their incredible and trusted co-writers.
“Our community is really interesting and there’s a lot of anxiety sometimes,” shared Antonoff during the night’s final speech. “I feel very very proud to be here.”
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Lana Del Rey
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Lana Del Rey speaks onstage at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Jelly Roll
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Jelly Roll performs at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Jack Antonoff
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Jack Antonoff speaks onstage at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Chase Stokes & Kelsea Ballerini
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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David Israelite
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA David Israelite speaks onstage at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Leon Thomas
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Leon Thomas attends the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Lainey Wilson & David Israelite
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Lainey Wilson and David Israelite at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Conan Gray
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Conan Gray performs at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Leon Thomas
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Leon Thomas speaks onstage at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Noah Kahan & David Israelite
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Noah Kahan and David Israelite at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Kelsea Ballerini
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Kelsea Ballerini performs at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Lana Del Rey
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Lana Del Rey at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Conan Gray & David Israelite
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Conan Gray and David Israelite at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Kelsea Ballerini
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Kelsea Ballerini speaks onstage at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Jelly Roll
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Jelly Roll at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Jessie Jo Dillon
Image Credit: Nick Agro for NMPA Jessie Jo Dillon speaks onstage at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Jack Antonoff & David Israelite
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Jack Antonoff and David Israelite at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Dan Nigro
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Dan Nigro speaks onstage at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Kelsea Ballerini & Jessie Jo Dillon
Image Credit: Nick Agro for NMPA Kelsea Ballerini and Jessie Jo Dillon at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Golnar Khosrowshahi
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Golnar Khosrowshahi and guest at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Dan Nigro & David Israelite
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Dan Nigro and David Israelite at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Mike O’Neill, Elizabeth Matthews & David Israelite
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Mike O’Neill, Elizabeth Matthews and David Israelite at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Chase Stokes & Kelsea Ballerini
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Jelly Roll & David Israelite
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Jelly Roll and David Israelite at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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Mitch Glazier
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA Mitch Glazier and guest at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.
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David Israelite & Kelsea Ballerini
Image Credit: Nick Agrò for NMPA David Israelite and Kelsea Ballerini at the NMPA + Billboard Grammy Week Showcase at EDEN Sunset in Los Angeles, CA on January 31, 2024.