Michael Jackson may go to Grammys - or is it a stunt?

Rumours are swirling in Los Angeles that Michael Jackson will make an appearance at the Grammys on February 10, two days before the release of his 25th anniversary 'remake' of Thriller, still pop's biggest selling album ever, having sold more than 104m copies worldwide over a quarter of a century. Whether Jackson will really show up – and overshadow every other performer invited - or whether it's a marketing ploy by Sony to drum up interest in the Thriller remake, remains to be seen. What is definite is that the Grammys will now go ahead as normal following a deal struck between the striking Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Recording Academy which runs the Grammys.

It was agreed last week that striking writers would not picket the
music awards, but the WGA and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) were pressuring Grammy invitees who work as actors as well as singers to stay at home. This has now been resolved and the likes of Beyonce, Justin Timberlake and Queen Latifah are cleared to attend.
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Acts lined up to perform at the Grammys include Carrie Underwood, Aretha Franklin, the Foo Fighters, John Paul Jones, Rihanna and a reunion from funk group The Time. As for the likely winners, Kanye West leads all Grammy nominees this year, with eight nods. Amy Winehouse is the other top nominee, with six. Winehouse has said she intends to attend, despite question marks over her visa and the status of her rehab efforts.

With the Grammys getting the go-ahead, all eyes turn to the Oscars. For now, Academy Award organisers insist the show won't be stopped, but the WGA has signaled no intention of granting a waiver, as it did to the Recording Academy, and SAG has said actors won't be crossing any picket lines. Hollywood's biggest night of the year remains in serious doubt.