Grammy Award
Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in musical recordings, is one of four major music awards shows held annually (the others being the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music Awards, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony). However, the Grammys (usually held in February as the last of the "big three" music awards shows--the others being the BMAs and the AMAs) is the approximate equivalent, in the music world, to the Oscarss.Like the Oscars, the Grammys, currently with a total of 105 categories within 30 fields of music (such as pop, gospel, and rap), are voted by peers - in this case voting members of the Recording Academy - not upon popularity (as with the BMAs and the AMAs) but by merit.
The awards are named for the trophy given for them, a small gilded statuette of a gramophone. The awards ceremony features performances by prominent artists, and some of the more prominent Grammys are presented in a widely-viewed televised ceremony.
The Grammy voters tend to be conservative, and are marketed to by record companies, who place great stock in some types of artists winning Grammys (accurately but cynically put as those which sell to "teenage girls and housewives"). Therefore, the main Grammys tend to go to either well-established acts or those which fall into the above categories. Hence, the Grammys are not taken seriously by some musicians or music fans.
In fact, some of the greatest acts in music history (such as Elvis Presley and The Rolling Stones) have only been awarded very few Grammys. On the other hand, The Beatles have won more Grammys than Elvis and The Stones combined. For example, they won for 1966's Song of the Year ("Michelle"), 1967's Album of the Year (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band), and for 1996's The Beatles Anthology.
Of the "big three" music awards shows, the Grammys are the highest rated. Some music fans believe that the competition between these awards shows (and the controversies that come with it) only press the need for a unified awards system.
The Grammys currently air on CBS.
Awards include:
AlternativeBlues
Children's
Classical
- Best Orchestral Performance
- Best Classical Vocal Performance
- Best Classical Performance, Operatic or Choral
- Best Opera Recording
- Best Choral Performance
- Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist or Soloists (with or without orchestra)
- Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra)
- Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra)
- Best Small Ensemble Performance (with or without conductor)
- Best Chamber Music Performance
- Best Classical Contemporary Composition
- Best Classical Album
- Best Classical Crossover Album
- Best New Classical Artist
Composing and arranging
- Best Instrumental Composition
- Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (now in the "Film/TV/Media" field)
- Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (now in the "film/TV/media" field)
- Best Arrangement
- Best Instrumental Arrangement
- Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)
- Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices
- Best Female Country Vocal Performance
- Best Male Country Vocal Performance
- Best Country Performance, Duo or Group - Vocal or Instrumental
- Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
- Best Country Collaboration with Vocals
- Best Country Instrumental Performance
- Best Country & Western Recording;
- Best Country & Western Single;
- Best Country Song
- Best Country Album
- Best Bluegrass Album
- Best New Country & Western Artist;
Disco
Film/TV/Media
- Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
- Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (previously in the "composing and arranging" field)
- Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (previously in the "composing and arranging" field)
- Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording
- Best Traditional Folk Album
- Best Contemporary Folk Album
- Best Native American Music Album
- Best Gospel Performance
- Best Gospel Performance, Traditional
- Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary
- Best Gospel Vocal Performance, Female
- Best Gospel Vocal Performance, Male
- Best Gospel Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group, Choir or Chorus
- Best Soul Gospel Performance
- Best Soul Gospel Performance, Traditional
- Best Soul Gospel Performance, Contemporary
- Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female
- Best Soul Gospel Performance, Male
- Best Soul Gospel Performance, Male or Female
- Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group, Choir or Chorus
- Best Inspirational Performance
- Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album
- Best Rock Gospel Album
- Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album
- Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album
- Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album
- Best Gospel Choir or Chorus Album
Jazz
- Best Jazz Performance by a Soloist
- Best Jazz Performance by a Group
- Best Jazz Performance Solo or Small Group
- Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
- Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female
- Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male
- Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group
- Best Jazz Instrumental Solo
- Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group
- Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band
- Best Jazz Fusion Performance
- Best Original Jazz Composition
- Best Jazz Vocal Album
- Best Contemporary Jazz Album
- Best Latin Jazz Album
- Best Latin Pop Performance
- Best Tropical Latin Performance
- Best Mexican-American/Tejano Music Performance
- Best Latin Rock/Alternative Performance
- Best Tejano Music Performance
- Best Salsa Performance
- Best Merengue Performance
Music Video
New Age
Packaging and Notes
- Best Album Package - Incl. Album Cover, Graphic Arts, Photography
- Best Recording Package - Boxed
- Best Album Notes
Pop
- Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
- Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
- Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
- Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
- Best Pop Instrumental Performance
- Best Pop Vocal Album
- Best Dance Recording
- Best Pop Instrumental Album
- Best Contemporary Song
- Best Contemporary Vocal Performance, Female
- Best Contemporary Vocal Performance, Male
- Best Contemporary Vocal Performance By a Group
- Best Contemporary Instrumental Performance
- Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical
- Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical
- Best Classical Engineered Recording
- Classical Producer Of The Year
- Remixer Of The Year
- Best Female R&B Vocal Performance;
- Best Male R&B Vocal Performance;
- Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal;
- Best R&B Song;
- Best R&B Album;
- Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance;
- Best Female Rap Solo Performance
- Best Male Rap Solo Performance
- Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
- Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
- Best Rap Song
- Best Rap Album
Rock
- Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
- Best Male Rock Vocal Performance
- Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance
- Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
- Best Hard Rock Performance
- Best Metal Performance
- Best Rock Instrumental Performance
- Best Rock Song
- Best Rock Album
Trad Pop
- Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance