Joni Mitchell to Receive Gershwin Prize at All-Star D.C. Tribute Concert, PBS Broadcast to Follow

[MissMillie]

https://variety.com/2023/music/news/joni-mitchell-gershwin-prize-tribute-concert-washington-pbs-1235486919/

Joni Mitchell is set to receive the 2023 Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, an honor that will be bestowed at a tribute concert due to be filmed in Washington, D.C. on the first day of March, with a television premiere on PBS as that month comes to a close.

No performers have yet been announced for the March 1 live show, which will air on PBS March 31 at 9 p.m. ET. Ken Ehrlich, who served as the Grammys’ executive producer for three decades, will produce the show along with WETA in Washington and the Library of Congress.

“This is a very prestigious award,” Mitchell said in a simple statement. “Thank you for honoring me.”

It will mark the second year in a row that Mitchell has received one of the top honors available to any music artist, after she was feted this past spring as MusiCares’ Person of the Year at a dinner and concert prior to the Grammys. That all-star show was reportedly not filmed for broadcast purposes, so the Gershwin tribute will offer a chance for a much wider audience to see fellow artists perform her songs.

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Old news I guess, since this article was written in January. I just heard about it on NPR this morning and I'm thrilled. The concert is tonight, so I imagine they've decided who will perform. It will air on PBS later this month. (I'll have to find somewhere to watch it as my limited streaming services don't carry PBS.)

[2naSalit]

1. Just did a search for PBS...

And apparently, you can only watch what your local PBS station is showing. I couldn't find links or scheduling for anything other than the PBS station here.

[Doc Sportello]

3. The article said late March broadcast date

So I don't think it has been scheduled yet. I will be looking forward to it. What an amazing songwriter and performer.

[2naSalit]

4. She was one of...

The most important influences for me in art and music. She showed me that you can master more than one medium and not be pigeonholed into just one and even if you're a woman.

[2naSalit]

2. More - ? info...

But I am still looking for a link to the live event.

https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/joni-mitchell-to-receive-the-library-of-congress-gershwin-prize-for-popular-song/s/985859c0-9f94-4f39-b1f0-436a9a682a54

[SharonClark]

5. Fabulous lineup of artists.

The lineup will include performances by James Taylor, Brandi Carlile, Annie Lennox, Herbie Hancock, Cyndi Lauper, Marcus Mumford, Graham Nash, Diana Krall, Angelique Kidjo and Ledisi.

[2naSalit]

6. I know! I don't want to miss it!

She's one of my all time favorites!

I di notice that PBS wants you to subscribe and sign in and all that just to watch the majority of programs, otherwise you are confined to whatever your local station is showing that they don't make you subscribe to watch.

I'm not comfortable with that. It seems everybody begs or demands that you subscribe, why? Will I be charged a fee? Will I need to disclose personal info? Why is that necessary?

I view lots of content around the web but I find it off-putting, if I had to subscribe to everything I view, I'd never be able to keep track of them.

I just don't get the significance or the need for every case.

[Doc Sportello]

8. We're being $8 and $15 dollared to death with all the subscriptions

The channels like PBS and Pramount are creating "plus" channels to get more money from subscriptions. Same with sites like ESPN. We went from cable and satellite where you got all these but only paid more for a premium channel like HBO, to this where you can pay twice as much for the same services. I get the free or low-priced trials when I can for a month or three, binge watch the shows I want then drop them.

As far as local PBS stations I would imagine most all of them would carry this event because it will be a ratings boost. Also, as far as Joni and your other comment about her influence, David Crosby said that Blue was the best album ever when it comes to the rock/pop/folk genres. I'm sure if he were still alive and was healthy enough to attend he would be there. Whether he and Nash would greet one another would be another story.

[2naSalit]

9. I guess...

I'll hve to start looking into those free trials and drop them like you said. It's such a pain. I remember when you paid you electric bill and when you bought a receiver, radio or tv, you plugged it in and could watch what was available.

All this nickel and diming will catch up to them eventually.