A party for our future? Jon Batiste, Sir Lucian Grainge, and Yungblud at ‘Sir Lucian Grainge’s 2026 Music Is Universal Artist Showcase’ at Nya Studios in Los Angeles on Saturday (Photo: UMG)
Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammy Gala at the Beverly Hilton was easily the swankiest affair in an overstuffed week of Grammy parties in LA. But might there be some competition ahead from an up-and-coming party host named ‘Sir Lucian’?
After a virtual shutdown in 2025, 2026 was the year the Grammy party came roaring back in Los Angeles — with soirees and shindigs peppering Tinseltown for most of the week. This was the year the music biz got its mojo back — with the parties proving far better than the Grammys event itself.
Reliable bash-throwers like BMG, Empire, Primary Wave, Spotify, MusiCares, and Warner Music Group came to the table with seriously-packed events and A-list musical celebs, while UnitedMasters dialed it to 11 with a Palladium party featuring BigXthaPlug and Clipse.
Slightly off the beaten path, Concord won points for the most original venue at the cavernous Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. Other ‘parties’ were better described as over-stuffed soirees, with companies like SESAC, DiMA, and Reed Smith tossing events that were surprisingly navigable and networking-friendly.
Music supervisors might go so far as to sync this week’s Grammy parade with the Vengaboys classic, ‘We Like to Party’ (and then perhaps get fired).
But yes, this is an industry that likes to get its party on — but no party was more coveted this week than Clive Davis’ supremely A-listed ‘Pre-Grammy Gala’ in Beverly Hills.
Davis, still hard-partying in his 90s, now has more than 50 of these legendary Grammy gigs under his belt.
This year, Barack Obama couldn’t make it — but he made sure to ‘dial it in’ with a video message to the attendees.
But those that were in attendance included Dave Grohl, Jack Antonoff, Stevie Wonder, Berry Gordy, Brandi Carlile, Art Garfunkel, Martha Stewart, Jelly Roll, Machine Gun Kelly, Lola Young, Madison Beer (with Chargers QB Justin Herbert), Tyla, Clipse, John Legend, Pharrell Williams, and the real-life performers behind HUNTR/X — among others.
Davis himself toasted the crowd in a sequined suit, while the City of Beverly Hills declared January 31st (the date of the event) to be ‘Clive Davis Day.’ If you’re hobnobbing here, and you’re likely a member of the music industry elite — though is UMG chief Sir Lucian Grainge cooking up his own branded bash for the ages?
Garnering less glitz — but certainly star-studded in its own right — was ‘Sir Lucian Grainge’s 2026 Music is Universal Artist Showcase’ at Nya Studios in LA.
Maybe the name needs some work.
But Grainge’s daytime Saturday event included mega-stars like Olivia Rodrigo, Yungblud, Jelly Roll, Jon Batiste, Samara Joy, Moneybagg Yo, Noah Kahan, Lola Young, Charley Crockett, Stephen Sanchez, and Fred Armisen, with a crowd of upper-tier UMG execs also on hand.
In terms of remote pipe-ins, Grainge’s gig featured Sir Paul McCartney, with Coke, Diageo, and Johnny Walker sponsoring the multi-hour event.
Random? Martha Stewart and Dhaval Bhanusali hanging at UMG’s Grammy afterparty at Nya Studios, LA (Photo: BFA for Universal Music Group)
Not too shabby a guest list — though not enough to overshadow the ultra-coveted Clive Davis affair. But might Grainge be cooking up a longer-term Grammy party namesake?
Clearly, the man is working this scene. Earlier in the week — that is, Monday before music’s biggest night — Grainge was already on the circuit at a Grammy kickoff event hosted by The Core Entertainment at the Peppermint Club in West Hollywood. That was a mere warm-up to Grainge’s self-titled event — not to mention a late-night UMG-hosted Grammy afterparty (also at Nya) featuring Shania Twain, Katseye, J. Balvin, and Lola Young, among dozens of others.
Also hanging at the afterparty? Martha Stewart, who was also spotted at Clive’s party mingling with the crowd. Seems totally random — but is it?
Up next: DMN’s post-Grammy coverage continues with a look at the show’s ratings, the ugly Trevor Noah vs. Trump situation, and a peek at ABC/Disney’s upcoming Grammy takeover in 2027. Thanks again for all the VIP invites!
