Grammys to showcase artist collaborations

Next month's Grammys will feature a series of duets between nominees, keeping up the award ceremony's knack for attention-grabbing collaborations, the Recording Academy announced Wednesday.

Live performances at the February 15 gala in Los Angeles will include a song bringing together English pop star Ellie Goulding and the American R&B singer Andra Day, who released her first full album last year and received two Grammy nominations.

Sam Hunt, a country singer who is in the running for Best New Artist, will perform with a more established country star -- Carrie Underwood.

And two artists who are competing against each other for Best New Artist -- British singer and guitarist James Bay and US singer Tori Kelly -- will share the stage together.

The Recording Academy earlier announced solo performances from artists including Kendrick Lamar, the rapper who leads the Grammys in nominations, and English ballad singer Adele, whose latest album has broken sales records but was released too late for Grammy contention.

The music industry's biggest night has long emphasized exclusive performances and collaborations in the quest for a television audience.

Last year's ceremony included a performance that brought together young English soul singer Sam Smith, the night's big winner, with R&B great Mary J. Blige.