Rogers Media is airing the Grammy Awards on City on Sunday Jan. 26, marking the first time the media co has broadcast the music awards in 19 years. It previously ran on Global.

Rob Groen, director, marketing solutions, conventional television, Rogers Media, tells MiC the addition of the live awards show, much like its recent NHL contract announcement, works towards the goal of Rogers Media to add these sorts of big ticket, and “PVR-proof” events to its roster and activate around them across multiple platforms. The media co has the Grammy Awards contract for the next three years.

Main event sponsors L’Oreal Paris and Nissan began activating last Friday around the Grammy Nomination Concert on City, with brand sell and billboard ads during the broadcast.

Leading up to the awards in January, L’Oreal Paris will also be featured in special red carpet segments on City’s Breakfast Television as well as in executions in Rogers Media’s Hello! Canada and Flare.

On the night of the Grammys, L’Oreal Paris will be featured during City’s online and TV broadcast of Entertainment City Live at the Grammys, with a special correspondent from the brand on hand to discuss the red carpet looks from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Nissan is activating its sponsorship through traditional brand sell and billboard ads as well as a “Go Rogue at the Grammy Awards with City and Nissan” co-branded contest. The contest launched last week and runs until Dec. 29, asking Canadians to upload a video to Citytv.com for a chance to win a trip to the Grammy Awards. Unlike the typical journey, contest winners will drive down to the awards from Vancouver to Los Angeles in a 2014 Nissan Rogue as the Nissan Rogue Reporter, posting video blogs of their journey on a special website.

Promotion of the contest will run on City, and during in-show promotion during Breakfast Television.

Groen says there are still brand sell spots available during the broadcast of The Grammys on City.

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