Grammys stay on the Left coast

LOS ANGELES, California -- It's official: The City of Angels beat out Gotham for the honor of hosting the 2001 Grammys. Show officials announced Tuesday the Grammys will remain in Los Angeles for the third straight year.

CBS plans to air the 43rd annual Grammy Awards show on February 21 at the city's new arena, the Staples Center.

New York City previously hosted the show from 1996 to 1998. The final show the city hosted was marked by a highly publicized clash between New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Michael Greene, the head of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, which sponsors the awards show.

Greene was said to have made disparaging remarks to a mayoral assistant; in response, Giuliani said "We could replace the Grammys in about a day."

And Greene seems fine with that. "The Grammys have become an integral part of the cultural fabric of Los Angeles," he said at a press conference with Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan.

Two new categories have been added to the show: Best native American music album and best pop instrumental album, bringing the number of Grammy categories to 100.

Nominees for the awards will be announced on January 3.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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