List of Grammy Award categories

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The Grammy Awards are awarded in a series of categories, each of which isolate a specific contribution to the recording industry. The standard awards list nominees in each category from which a winner is selected. Grammy categories have been added and removed over time.

Contents

Changes in recent years[edit]

2012

On 6 April 2011 the Recording Academy announced a major overhaul of many Grammy Award categories.[1] In 2012, the number of categories fell from 109 to 78. Some categories were discontinued, others were merged or renamed.

2013

On 8 June 2012, the Academy announced a few changes as of 2013, including the addition of three new categories: Best Classical Compendium, Best Latin Jazz Album and Best Urban Contemporary Album. This meant the number of categories in 2013 rose to 81.

According to the Academy, the Best Classical Compendium is "for an album collection containing (...) newly recorded material of performances (vocal or instrumental) by various soloist(s) and/or ensemble(s) involving a mixture of classical subgenres."[2] Albums entered in this category cannot be entered in other classical album categories, but individual tracks can.

The intent for the newly formed Best Latin Jazz Album is "to recognize recordings that represent the blending of jazz with Latin, Iberian-American, Brazilian, and Argentinean tango music."[3]

The new Best Urban Contemporary Album category is for albums with contemporary songs derivative of R&B. It is for artists who blend contemporary styles with R&B music, such as urban (euro)pop, urban rock and/or urban alternative.

Other changes for the 2013 Grammy Award season were:


2014

From 2014, there will be further changes. One is the introduction of a new category, Best American Roots Song, which will encompass all of the subgenres in the American Roots Music field such as Americana, bluegrass, blues, folk and regional roots music. The award will be presented to the songwriter(s). The Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance category, introduced in 2012, will be split and will recognise metal performances only. Hence it will be renamed Best Metal Performance (returning to the situation prior to 2012). Hard rock performances will now be screened in the Best Rock Performance category, thus losing its own genre award. The two Music Video categories will be renamed. The Best Short Form Music Video will become the Best Music Video category, while the Best Long Form Music Video will now be known as Best Music Film. The rules and description of these two categories will not change.

Special awards[edit]

There are special awards which are awarded without nominations, typically for achievements of longer than the past year, which the standard awards apply to:

  • Lifetime Achievement Award is a Special Merit Award presented to performers (and some non-performers through 1972) who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording.
  • Trustees Award is a Special Merit Award presented to individuals who, during their careers in music, have made significant contributions, other than performance (and some performers through 1983), to the field of recording.
  • Technical Grammy Award is a Special Merit Award presented to individuals and/or companies who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.
  • Grammy Legend Award is a Special Merit Award is presented to individuals or groups for ongoing contributions and influence in the recording field; it was inaugurated in 1990.
  • Grammy Hall of Fame Award was established in 1973 to honor recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance that are at least 25 years old. Winners are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of the recording arts.
  • The MusiCares Person of the Year Award was established in 1991 to recognize a musician who has made an outstanding contribution to music and in addition has been active in works of philanthropy. This award is presented by the MusiCares foundation annually.

General Field[edit]

The General Field (also known as the 'Big Four') are four standard awards for musical works which do not restrict nominees by genre or some other criterion:

  • Record of the Year is awarded to the performer and the production team of a single song.
  • Album of the Year is awarded to the performer and the production team of a full album.
  • Song of the Year is awarded to the writer(s)/composer(s) of a single song.
  • Best New Artist is awarded to an artist without reference to a song or album.

Genre-specific awards[edit]

(As of the 2014 Grammy Awards season)

Pop[edit]

Previously Awarded:

Traditional Pop[edit]

Dance/Electronica[edit]

Rock[edit]

Previously Awarded

Alternative[edit]

R&B[edit]

Previously Awarded

Rap[edit]

Previously Awarded

Country[edit]

Previously awarded

Jazz[edit]

Previously awarded

New Age[edit]

Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music[edit]

Previously Awarded

Latin[edit]

Previously awarded

American Roots Field[edit]

Previously Awarded

Reggae[edit]

World Music[edit]

Previously Awarded

Spoken Word[edit]

Previously Awarded

Children's[edit]

Previously Awarded

Comedy[edit]

Previously Awarded

Musical Theater[edit]

Previously awarded

Music for Visual Media[edit]

Composing/Arranging[edit]

Previously Awarded

Crafts[edit]

Previously Awarded

Production/Engineering[edit]

Previously Awarded

Classical[edit]

Previously Awarded

Music Video/Film[edit]

Previously Awarded

Defunct fields[edit]

Disco[edit]

Folk[edit]

Polka[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Recording Academy Awards Category Restructuring
  2. ^ | Recording Academy Press Release
  3. ^ Recording Academy Awards Category Restructuring
Grammy Awards categories
General
Pop
Dance/Electronica
Rock
Alternative
R&B
Rap
Country
Jazz
Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music
Latin
American Roots
Music for Visual Media
Composing/Arranging
Crafts
Production/Engineering
Classical
Music Video
Others
Special Awards
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