Adele shone at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday night, grabbing awards for Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, Song of the Year and more. Though the singer had a terrific night, ABC did not: The show hit a new record low for the number of viewers, with 11.3 million tuning in. (2014’s Emmys had 15.6 million viewers.)
The Emmy numbers follow a trend for slumping awards shows. The [2016] Oscars hit an eight-year low this year, and the Grammys hit a seven-year low. MTV’s “ Video Music Awards” lost a third of its audience last month compared with the year before.
With the buzz of last night’s ceremony still on our minds, entertainment fans can look forward to the 89th Academy Awards on Feb. 26—as TV executives anxiously wait to see whether viewer numbers can be regained.
Whether you’re writing an article about takeaways for PR pros from an awards show that has already passed or reporting predictions about the upcoming Oscars, these AP style tips can help you craft stellar copy.
Show names and abbreviations
It’s important to call each awards show by its proper name, but they all have acceptable shortened terms on second reference.
Primetime Emmy Awards are also known as Emmys. Academy Awards are also known as Oscars. #APStyleChat
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) January 10, 2017
Globes is acceptable on second reference for the Golden Globe Awards. #APStyleChat
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) January 10, 2017
Speaking of Grammys, the plural of Grammy Awards is Grammys. Also Grammys on second reference. #APStyleChat
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) January 10, 2017
The post-show celebration Governors Ball has no apostrophe. That's true for the Oscars and the Emmys. #APStyleChat
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) January 10, 2017
Presenters, attendees and quotations
When describing an awards show’s presenters and what they said (or flubbed), AP Stylebook has a few tips to follow:
Host is the preferred term for master of ceremonies for an awards show. #APStyleChat
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) January 10, 2017
Use trophy presenters to describe the people who bring award show trophies to winners, then escort them off the stage. #apstylechat
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) January 10, 2017
A speaker stands behind a lectern, on a podium or rostrum, or in the pulpit. #APStyleChat
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) January 10, 2017
If you’re mentioning a nominated artist, use a hyphen in the compound modifier:
We would hyphenate as a compound modifier: the Emmy-nominated actor. #APStyleChat https://t.co/JSjbSTVwc7
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) January 10, 2017
When offering a quote, the use of a comma or a colon before it depends on its structure. (If it’s a particularly lengthy quote, you might want to use a block quote.)
Use a comma to introduce a one-sentence quotation: He said, "Golf is fun." Use a colon to introduce quotations of more than one sentence.
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) January 25, 2017
[RELATED: Learn 10 punctuation essentials in this free download.]
Red carpet and fashion
Covering the red carpet for the Emmys or Oscars? It doesn’t have to be that color to receive the designation:
The red carpet is where guests arriving at award shows strut finery, greet fans and give interviews. #apstylechat
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) January 10, 2017
Red carpets can be green, as they are for the Grammys, as well as other colors. #apstylechat
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) January 10, 2017
Don’t use the term “nude” when you can substitute a more precise term for the color of clothing:
Avoid the term nude as a description of a color. Use more specific terms, such as champagne and sand. #APStyleChat
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) February 7, 2017
Doing so can avoid confusion over what constitutes “nude”:
Nude can mean many different colors depending on the skin tone. #APStyleChat https://t.co/JBUzo8hyug
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) February 7, 2017
If you are writing a piece about “La La Land”—or would simply like to emulate its dancing stars—the shoes Emma Stone wore are called “spectator shoes.”
Emma Stone puts on spectator shoes to dance in "La La Land." They are a two-toned style of shoe. #APStyleChat
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) February 7, 2017
Speaking of colors:
The color is spelled gray, not grey. #APStyleChat
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) February 7, 2017
It might sound like jargon, but “swag” is the appropriate term to use when describing the free gifts participants receive:
Free stuff at gift suites and in gift bags given to presenters and other award-show participants is sometimes called swag. http://pic.twitter.com/Cy1MgBprdG
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) January 6, 2017
Whether it’s describing ostentatious swag or an attendee’s over-the-top wardrobe, “froufrou” is the word you’ll want to use:
The word froufrou means fussy or showy dress or ornamentations. It is one word, no hyphen. #APStyleChat
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) February 7, 2017
Reactions and behavior
Hoping for an upset during this year’s Oscars? If you’re writing about an actor’s or actress’s composure during such a situation, used “fazed,” not “phased”:
Faze means to embarrass or disturb: The snub did not faze her. Phase denotes an aspect or stage: They will phase in a new system.
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) February 2, 2017
If you’re describing the inebriation levels of dejected losers or exultant winners, keep your use of the term “drunk” correct with this tip:
Drunk is the spelling of the adjective used after a form of the verb "to be": He was drunk. Drunken is used before nouns: a drunken driver.
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) January 23, 2017
The AP doesn’t weigh in on acceptance speeches per se, but when the music starts to play, wrap it up and get off the stage.
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