How Do the Grammy Awards Work?

With the beginning of the New Year comes the beginning of the various awards shows. One of the largest of those shows is that of the Grammy Awards. The Grammy Awards, which are simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences annually to recording artists that include musicians as well as to comedians and other individuals that record spoken word albums. Another highlight of the show is the showcase of music artists that perform in during the telecast.

The 2009 Grammy Awards will be presented on Sunday, February 8, 2009, and broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

The Grammy Awards were first awarded in 1958 and were then known as the Gramophone Awards. However, the first time that the live awards show was televised was in 1971. Prior to this, there was not actually a Grammy Awards show. The show was multiple, different music specials, which showcased the nominated artists and was called The Best on Record. Prior to the 1971 awards show, artists had the option to either travel to Los Angeles or New York, which were the two locations where the ceremonies were held. Winners would receive their awards at one of the two ceremonies. Since 1973, the Grammy Awards have aired on CBS. The process of nominating and winning is another question that many people have.

The nomination process is not done by the general public. Record companies are the first step in the process. The recording companies are allowed to nominate the recording artists that the company feels is deserving of such a nomination. There are then a group of about 150 music experts that have the responsibility of reviewing the recordings of the nominated artists to determine if the recordings are suitable for nomination and if they have been nominated in the appropriate categories which include 31 different recording fields.

Not just anyone is allowed to vote for the winners. Of the experts voting in the Grammy Award's nomination process, experts only have the ability to vote in the categories for which they have expertise. They are also allowed to nominate in the four general categories which are Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. These four categories can contain artists from any genre. They also nominate in a maximum of nine of 31 categories. Once the music experts have done their nominating of the recording artists, the final step is for those who are members of the Academy to vote on those artists who have been nominated. The members of the Academy vote in the same four general categories as the music experts and in no more than eight of the 31 categories. Once the members have voted, the winners are tallied by an accounting firm that has the responsibility of keeping the winners identities a secret until the live telecast in which the Grammy Awards are presented.

There are so many different Grammy Awards presented during the awards show that many of them are presented prior to the live telecast and are not seen by the viewing public. To a recording artist, a Grammy Award is the ultimate honor to receive as a result of their hard work in the recording world.

Sources:

Grammy, http://www.grammy.com, The Grammys

The Recording Academy, http://www.grammy.com/Recording_Academy/, The Grammys

Grammy Awards Voting Process, http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/Voting/, The Grammys