Sounds like its Grammy Season!

It’s that time of the year again! Grammy season is in full swing; musicians, producers, and music lovers anxiously await the award ceremony on Feb. 2nd. The Academy created the Grammy Awards in 1959 to honor the music industry’s best artists and performances. The Grammys are regarded by many as the most prestigious and significant awards in the music industry worldwide.

The Grammy Awards didn’t always have the name it has now, it was originally called the Gramophone Awards, and the trophy was a gilded gramophone. The name may have changed, but the trophy remains almost the same. Another difference from that first Grammy Awards night is the location. Two ceremonies were held simultaneously on the same day; one in the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, and the other in the Park Sheraton Hotel in New York City. As interesting as it was to have two ceremonies in different locations, the Academy eventually switched to one in 1971. This year’s Grammys will be at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, as it has been multiple times over the last 20 years. 

When the Grammy Awards were first introduced, 28 different categories were available for artists to be nominated in. In 2009, the number reached its highest level with 110 categories. The number of Grammy categories fluctuated greatly over the last 20 years. In 2011 the Recording Academy announced a major overhaul of many categories. In 2012, the number of categories fell from 109 to 78. Some were discontinued, others were merged or renamed. The Academy announced a few changes in 2013, including the addition of three new categories: Best Classical Compendium, Best Latin Jazz Album and Best Urban Contemporary Album. Since then, the number of categories has increased and this year there are 94. 

The Grammy Award voting process is more detailed than some might think. The process begins with musicians and record companies submitting entries, which are then screened for eligibility and category placement. Next, the submissions are sent to be reviewed. Reviewing sessions include more than 350 experts in various fields to ensure that entered recordings meet specific qualifications and have been placed in appropriate categories. The purpose of screenings is not to make artistic or technical judgments about the recordings but rather to make sure that each entry is eligible and placed in its proper category. First-round ballots are sent to voting members. To help ensure the quality of the voting, members are directed to vote only in their areas of expertise. They may vote in up to ten categories across up to three genres, plus the six categories of the general awards; such as Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best New Artist, Producer Of The Year and Non-Classical and Songwriter Of The Year. Then, final nominations are determined by committees of voting members from all of The Academy’s Chapter cities who are actively working on the craft they are judging. Finally, Academy voting members vote in up to ten categories across up to three fields in the genre to determine the winners.

Trevor Noah is hosting the 2025 Grammys for his 5th consecutive year. However, Noah isn’t the only celebrity fans are excited to see on the Grammy stage. This year the Grammy’s will be graced by the performances of Benson Boone, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, Doechii, RAYE, Sabrina Carpenter, Shakira & Teddy Swims. Fans are raving over this lineup. Many female music artists had a great year of music and it paid off because, for the first time in history, only female artists were nominated for best pop vocal album. Last year at the 66th Grammy Awards, women won in all major categories for the first time. Many listeners are celebrating this achievement for women in the music industry. If you are curious if the artist you are rooting for will win, or if you like celebrating the music industry, make sure to watch the ceremony this Sunday!

(Featured image source: The Grammy Awards Website)