The Shure Mics and Technology Behind the Magic of the 2024 GRAMMY Awards

 Miley Cyrus performs onstage during the 66th GRAMMY Awards on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
(Image credit: John Shearer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

The 66th GRAMMY Awards are in the books, and for yet another year, Shure was part of the technology that allowed for another successful show. For everything from live performances, speeches, and plenty of good-natured razzing from the night’s host, Trevor Noah an expert production team trusts Shure wireless technology to make these memorable moments come to life.

“Shure’s Axient Digital wireless technology delivers the high-quality sound and reliability that our team depends on for the GRAMMY Awards,” shared Michael Abbott, audio producer for the 66th GRAMMY Awards show. “Their wireless, along with the wide variety of Shure mic capsules, ensures the artists sound their best for the live broadcast.”

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To flawlessly broadcast the audio of music’s biggest night worldwide to an enormous 16.9 million viewers, a stalwart group of industry veterans, including Abbott, relied on 28 channels of the Shure Axient Digital Wireless Microphone System and eight channels of Axient Analog. Artists used Shure PSM 1000 in-ear monitoring systems during their performances, with a total of 190 Shure bodypacks used throughout the evening. 

Frequency coordination serves an essential role in managing the staggering amount of wireless used throughout the GRAMMYs. Working in the already frequency-dense downtown Los Angeles, Stephen Vaughn, Soundtronic’s RF Coordinator, oversaw this pivotal function with Axient Digital and, for monitoring, Wireless Workbench. 

“Shure’s Wireless Workbench and Axient Digital prove themselves year after year on the GRAMMY stage,” shared Vaughn. “Tools, like Wireless Workbench, give me reliable control and flexibility in LA’s challenging RF environment.”

“Shure is the gold standard when it comes to microphones. They have proven that in my 20-plus years in the industry,” shared Jamie Pollock, front of house (FOH) music engineer for the 66th GRAMMY Awards. “I use their products in the studio, on the road, and at large-scale live events such as the GRAMMY Awards.”

The night’s crew also included Broadcast A1, Tom Holmes, and Music Mixers Eric Schilling and John Harris. Front of house was overseen by FOH production mixer and ATK project manager Jeff Peterson. Other microphones used included the SM58 (used by SZA and others) and 565SD (used by Miley Cyrus in her performance of "Flowers" among other performances), as well as the Company’s latest microphone innovation, the Shure KSM11, used by the likes of Dua Lipa and Olivia Rodrigo. Celebrating the tail-end of their residency at Las Vegas’ Sphere, U2 relied on Shure Axient Analog wireless and SM58 mic capsules.

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Each of these performances, also including Billie Eilish, Tracey Chapman, and Luke Combs, were made possible with Shure’s Axient Digital wireless technology, supplied by ATK and Soundtronics. ATK also provided IEMs as well as RF for all microphones. 

“At Shure, we develop the innovative technology our customers need to take their creativity to the world’s largest stages. We’re grateful to have our gear deployed by the talented production team and artists who brought the 66th GRAMMY Awards to life,” shared Jenn Liang-Chaboud, Manager of Entertainment Relations, at Shure.

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