There are four major awards that creators can win in their lifetime. The coveted “EGOT” distinction stands for “Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony.” The winners of these four awards are among the distinguished peers in the entertainment industry.
The “Grammy” or “G” honors those in the music industry and celebrates excellence in the genre and around the world. The annual awards ceremony honors many categories, with 94 different awards being presented at this year’s 67th Grammy Awards ceremony, which will be held on February 2nd.
But how did the Grammy trophy become the most revered symbol of musical achievement? Here’s a history lesson on the golden gramophone.
What is the Grammy Award?
The Grammy Awards are an annual awards ceremony that recognizes music industry professionals for their achievements during a specific eligibility period. Recordings of this year’s ceremony were to be released for nominations between September 16, 2023 and August 30, 2024.
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The Recording Academy awards awards in categories that recognize production, songwriting, and performance. The award genres range from pop, jazz, electronic, rock, R&B, and reggae. Other honors include awards for album packaging, instrumental composition and arrangement.
The “Big Four” Grammy categories fall under the general category and are considered the most prestigious and notable awards. They include:
Best Album of the Year Best Record of the Year Best Song of the Year Best New Artist
Complete list of 2025 Grammy nominations: Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, and more nominees
Who votes for the Grammy Awards?
Grammy Award winners are chosen by members of the Recording Academy. In other words, this award show is done by peer voting.
According to the Recording Academy, the voting process begins when artists and music professionals submit their work for consideration. Entries will be reviewed “by more than 350 experts” to confirm eligibility and inclusion in the category.
Voting then takes place, and “to ensure the quality of the vote, members are instructed to vote only in the same area as the candidate,” the Recording Academy said, with members using their allotted 10 votes to: You are encouraged to vote only in the following areas: The categories they are most familiar with. So pop producers are being asked to vote for awards like Best Pop Solo Performance, and hip-hop artists are being asked to focus on awards like Best Rap Album. All members can vote in the Big 4 general categories.
After the final voting period, the ballots will be counted by independent accounting firm Deloitte & Touche LLP.
Winners will be announced live during the Grammy Awards ceremony.
When was your first Grammy Award?
The first Grammy Awards ceremony was held on May 4, 1959, and recognized those who had released music during the previous year.
28 categories were awarded, including three of the current Big Four. Both Record of the Year and Song of the Year went to Domenico Modugno (Franco Migliacci in the latter category) for “Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu (Volare)”, while Henry Mancini won for “The Music From”. It won the Best Album Award. Peter Gunn. ”
Bobby Darin won the Best New Artist category for the first time at the 2nd Grammy Awards.
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