Grammy trophy presenters to include man, transgender woman
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Traditionally, only women have presented trophies at the Grammys, but at the 59th Grammy Awards ceremony this Sunday a man and a transgender woman will be among the presenters, Recording Academy President Neil Portnow announced Friday. "To be honest, the idea of a 'trophy girl' has felt antiquated for some time now," Portnow said in a statement. "Who wrote that rule anyway? The ability to present a trophy has nothing to do with one's gender."
Portnow explained the change wasn't intended to be "provocative or buck convention," The Associated Press noted, but to recognize that "music's universal power lies in its spirit of inclusion." The three trophy handlers for the 2017 Grammys are transgender model Martina Robledo, model and actor Derek Marrocco, and model and actress Hollin Haley.
The Grammys will be hosted by James Corden and air Sunday, Feb. 12 on CBS at 8 p.m. ET. There will be performances by Chance the Rapper, who is nominated for seven Grammy awards, as well as Beyoncé, Adele, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Metallica, and Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban.
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