HOLLYWOOD - The 2008 Grammy Awards look set to become another casualty of the Hollywood writers strike, after Writers Guild of America (WGA) union members insisted the music ceremony was "unlikely" to receive a waiver.
The annual event is under threat of cancellation after celebrities like Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, 50 Cent and Jon Bon Jovi pledged their allegiance to the WGA members, who have been on strike since November over royalties.
They have reportedly vowed not to cross picket lines, echoing the stance of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) members, which resulted in Sunday's Golden Globes being reduced to a simple news conference.
And on Monday, WGA spokesman Gregg Mitchell announced, "While no guild decision has yet been made regarding the Grammys, if a waiver is requested for the Grammys, it is unlikely to be granted."
The Grammy Awards honor the work of musicians in the recording industry, and while the WGA's announcement will have no effect on the majority of artists, several of the nominees, such as Timberlake, Beyonce, Queen Latifah and Jack White, have appeared in movies or TV. It is also understood that members of the SAG who had been invited to present awards will not be attending the event as a result of the WGA's refusal to issue a waiver, according to industry magazine Variety.
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