2018 Grammys In Memoriam Montage Excludes K-Pop Star Jonghyun
During its In Memoriam segment tonight, the 60th Annual Grammy Awards paid tribute to a number of late artists and music industry personnel who passed away over the course of this past year, but missed one very beloved artist: K-pop star Jonghyun.
Though the Recording Academy doesn't typically acknowledge global artists in its tribute to deceased musicians, the international scope and impact of Jonghyun's tragic December 18 passing had some fans wondering if the South Korean star would be included during the moment.
According to Grammys executive producer Ken Ehrlich, "Out of the hundreds of artists and industry professionals who may have passed away, only about 50 can make it into the montage itself—and each can only be displayed onscreen for a few seconds. Who makes it in is decided by a committee of about 12 or 13 people from the recording academy, just one more way that the ceremony tries to make the system democratic and objective—and driven primarily by musical influence."
Unfortunately, the SHINee singer was not selected for inclusion in the In Memoriam montage, prompting mixed reactions from fans:
However, the segment was still a touching, tender moment during a show that included social and political statements.
First, country superstar Chris Stapleton and Lifetime Achievement honoree Emmylou Harris joined onstage for an emotive, folksy rendition of 1994's "Wildflowers," in tribute to Tom Petty, who passed away on October 2, 2017.
Following "Wildflowers," the In Memorium aired, honoring some of music's brightest fallen stars, including Chuck Berry, David Cassidy, Fats Domino, The Cranberries frontwoman Dolores O'Riordan, Gregg Allman, Joni Sledge, Chris Cornell, Jerry Lewis and Chester Bennington.
Afterwards, Khalid, Logic and Best New Artist winner Alessia Cara performed their poignant 2017 hit, "1-800-273-8255."