What is a Grammy? A quick history of the prestigious music award
There are four major awards that creatives can achieve in their lifetime. The coveted "EGOT" distinction stands for "Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony." Those who claim this quartet of awards are in outstanding company in the entertainment industry.
The "Grammy," or "G," honors those in the music industry, celebrating excellence across genres and the globe. Its annual ceremony recognizes many categories, with this year's 67th Grammy Award ceremony on Feb. 2 featuring 94 distinct awards.
But how did the Grammy trophy become the most revered symbol of musical achievement? Here is a history lesson on the golden gramophone.
What is a Grammy?
The Grammy Awards are an annual ceremony that recognizes music industry professionals for their achievements during a specific eligibility period. At this year's ceremony, recordings were to have been released between Sept. 16, 2023 and Aug. 30, 2024 in order to be nominated.
The Recording Academy presents the awards, with its categories honoring producing, songwriting and performing. The awards span genres, including pop, jazz, electronic, rock, R&B and reggae. Other distinctions include awards for album packaging, instrumental composition and arrangement.
The "Big Four" Grammy categories fall in the general field and are considered to be the most prestigious and notable awards. They include:
- Album of the year
- Record of the year
- Song of the year
- Best new artist
Who votes on the Grammys?
The Grammy Award winners are chosen by the Recording Academy's members, meaning the award show is peer-voted.
According to the Recording Academy, the voting process begins when artists and music professionals submit their work for consideration. The submissions are screened "by more than 350 experts" to confirm eligibility and category placement.
Voting then takes place, and "to ensure the quality of voting, members are directed to vote only in those fields in which they are peers of the nominees," the Recording Academy states, meaning members are encouraged to cast their 10 allotted votes only in the categories they are most familiar with. So, pop producers are asked to vote on awards such as best pop solo performance and hip-hop artists to focus on awards like best rap album. All members can cast votes in the Big Four general categories.
Once final rounds are finished, ballots are tabulated by independent accounting firm Deloitte & Touche LLP.
The winners are announced live during the Grammy Awards ceremony.
When was the first Grammy Awards?
The first Grammy Awards ceremony took place on May 4, 1959 and honored those who released music in the previous year.
There were 28 categories awarded, including three of the current Big Four. Record of the year and song of the year both went to Domenico Modugno (as well as Franco Migliacci in the latter category) for "Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu (Volare)," while Henry Mancini won album of the year with "The Music from Peter Gunn."
The best new artist category was first awarded at the 2nd annual Grammy Awards ceremony, going to Bobby Darin.
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