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Grammys Returning to New York Next Year


The music industry's best-known honors, the Grammy Awards, are returning to New York City in February 2003 after a four-year absence.

The annual televised ceremony relocated to Los Angeles four years ago after a very public fight between former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and the head of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which sponsors the awards.

But that was then and this is now. The September 11 attacks on New York's World Trade Center damaged the city's economy and the new mayor, Michael Bloomberg, invited the awards group to come back.

The head of the Recording Academy, Michael Green, says the group has been negotiating the show's return to New York for 18 months. But he admits a warm reception from top New Yorkers influenced the final decision. "The other thing you cannot hide from is when the new mayor of New York calls you the week he is elected and then the U.S. Senator Charles Shumer, calls, it is good to be wanted," Mr.Green said.

The 45th annual Grammy ceremony will take place at Madison Square Garden on February 23. The ceremony honors top recording artists and behind-the-scenes talent, such as producers and engineers. But the big draw is the appearance of music world stars. This year U-2, Alicia Keyes, James Taylor, Eric Clapton, Janet Jackson, Gladys Knight, Dolly Parton and Destiny's Child were among the winners. Grammy officials say more than 1.7 billion people in 175 nations watched the 2002 ceremony.

The show adds an estimated $40 million to the coffers of the host city.

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