2012

The official after-party for 5,000 guests took to the Los Angeles Convention Center with a Rio carnival theme. The colorful look was inspired by the travels of the Recording Academy's Branden Chapman, who is among the co-producers of the event with Along Came Mary. "Last year following the awards, I traveled to Argentina and Brazil, ending the experience with a few nights in Rio de Janeiro during carnival," he said. "The culture is extremely vibrant, and the celebration is like no other. Trying to harness this into one space and time was a challenge, but witnessing it first hand left me awestruck and inspired for this year’s theme."

Near the party's entrance, a model in Brazilian costume wore a prop headdress that seemed to extend almost to the ceiling.

MasterCard Worldwide brought artists to the MasterCard stage, as well as in the MasterCard Jazz Lounge. Performances included Kenny Loggins, OneRepublic, DJ Michelle Pesce, and members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Waste Management returned as a sponsor of the after-party and collected all recyclable materials in keeping with the Recording Academy's green initiatives. ShowPro handled the lighting and video production, and ATK Audiotek took over the sound production for the bash.

Working with the Recording Academy's producers, Along Came Mary transformed the vast convention space, the size of three football fields, with dancers, acrobats, aerialists, projections, elevated lounges, and floor-to-ceiling water walls.

Performers shimmied on every available surface. Furthering the Brazilian theme was Along Came Mary's menu, which included a churrascaria station and versions of other traditional Brazilian dishes. About 500 servers and 400 culinary staff were on hand to execute the catering, which sprawled over 50 buffets.

The central decor piece was a 60-foot-long, multitiered stationary float covered with glittering fabric. Decor elements soared to 25 feet in the air from the structure, which doubled as a two-sided projection screen and carry 30 costumed performers, dancers, and drummers. Entertainment Plus Productions handled the performance art choreography for the event.