HOLLYWOOD—The 56th Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 26 with host LL Cool J. What used to be a conservative award show was full of surprises. Husband and wife team, Beyonce and Jay-Z opened the show with a performance of “Drunk in Love.” Unlike last year, CBS didn’t issue a wardrobe advisory. Beyonce’s outfit was extremely hot. Hubby Jay-Z won the award for best rap/sung collaboration for “Holy Grail,” featuring Justin Timberlake.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis took a bold stand for marriage equality in the midst of the debate over gay marriage. During the performance of the rap ballad written by the ascendant Seattleduo in support of same-sex unions, 33 couples, gay and straight were wedded in the aisles of the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Queen Latifah, authorized by the state of California, conducted the ceremony. Other incredible performances included former Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with country veterans Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson and Blake Shelton. It was amazing to watch Yoko Ono in the audience with her son.

The Grammys are always consistently entertaining, full of glitz, glamour and fashion. Alicia Keys wore an Armani halter gown that was extremely sexy. Katy Perry’s stunning sheer gown came straight off the runway from Valentino’s opera-themed haute couture collection. Robin Thicke’s wife, actress Paula Patton wore a beaded Armani, part zebra, part lion. Madonna and son wore matching Ralph Lauren tuxedos, hats and serious bling. The Grammys are the granddaddy of all music awards. The Grammy is shaped like the old-fashioned phonographs, the  “gramophone.” Jay-Z even commented that his daughter would use it as a “sippy cup.” It was a powerful, dynamic show, possibly one of the best Grammys I’ve seen.

From the West Coast to the East Coast, many celebrities will be flocking to the Super Bowl for the game on February 2, which will be played at the Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The last time I checked it was in Jersey, not New York like many are claiming. While New York is expecting more than a million people to visit Super Bowl Boulevard, in NYC until February 1, it’s truly a business. T-shirts, key chains, cups, you name it, the selling of merchandise in honor of the 48th Super Bowl is everywhere. The giant XL VIII Roman numerals are everywhere, even at 42nd Street as a backdrop for photos. Fans can stop for an autograph, at a stage. The stage will also display the Vince Lombardi Trophy, awarded each year to the Super Bowl champions, named after the man considered one of the most successful coaches. Concerts will be held on the stage each evening, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. It’s truly a Super Bowl week.

Everyone is getting into the Super Bowl spirit, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which normally has paintings and artifacts, will have an exhibit of vintage football cards called Gridiron Greats till February 10. Even the first football cards ever produced featuring legendary coaches will be on display. Parties are everywhere, before the game, If you want to party with models from Sports Illustrated, Brooklyn Decker, Bar Rafaeli, Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio will be at the Liberty Theater at Times Square, but you will have to fork over, $950 for the cheapest tickets; that will get you one night of open bar and sushi, but $16,500 will get you a mezzanine VIP table with five bottles of alcohol for you and nine of your closest pals. The Super Bowl is always the very best reality television, a real-time game of crushing blows, knife-edge suspense and anguished looks- and that’s just from the commercials.

Rose’s Scoop: Good Luck to both the Broncos and the Seahawks. Bartenders in the tri-state area have been coming up with creative ways to enhance your taste buds, from the “Manning-Up” to “The Sherminator.”

By Rose Quintiliano