Grammy Award for Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year | |
---|---|
Description | Quality vocal or instrumental recording tracks |
Country | United States |
Presented by | National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences |
First awarded | 1959 |
Currently held by | Childish Gambino, "This is America" (2019) |
Website | grammy.com |
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to sales or chart position."[1][2] The Record of the Year award is one of the four most prestigious categories at the awards (alongside Best New Artist, Song of the Year and Album of the Year) presented annually since the 1st Grammy Awards in 1959. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guide, the award is presented:
for commercially released singles or tracks of new vocal or instrumental recordings. Tracks from a previous year's album may be entered provided the track was not entered the previous year and provided the album did not win a Grammy. Award to the artist(s), producer(s), recording engineer(s) and/or mixer(s) if other than the artist.[3]
Since the 55th Grammy Awards in 2013, mastering engineers are considered nominees and award recipients in this category.[4]
Record of the Year is related to but is conceptually different from Song of the Year or Album of the Year:
- Record of the Year is awarded for a single or for one track from an album. This award goes to the performing artist, the producer, recording engineer and/or mixer for that song. In this sense, "record" means a particular recorded song, not its composition or an album of songs.
- Song of the Year is also awarded for a single or individual track, but the recipient of this award is the songwriter who actually wrote the lyrics and/or melodies to the song. "Song" in this context means the song as composed, not its recording.
- Album of the Year is awarded for a whole album, and the award is presented to the artist, producer, recording engineer, and mastering engineer for that album. In this context, "album" means a recorded collection of songs (a multi-track LP, CD, or download package), not the individual songs or their compositions.
History and description
The Record of the Year awards have been awarded since 1959.[5] It is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards. Despite both the Song of the Year award and Record of the Year being awarded for a single or for one track from an album, this award goes to the performer and production team of the song whereas the Song of the Year award goes only to the composer(s) of the song. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guide, the award is given for commercially released singles or tracks of new vocal or instrumental recordings. Tracks from a previous year's album may be entered provided the track was not entered the previous year and provided the album did not win a Grammy Award to the artist(s), producer(s), recording engineer(s) and/or mixer(s) if other than the artist. Associate producers and executive producers are not eligible".[6]
The honorees through its history have been:
- 1959–1965: Artist only.
- 1966–1998: Artist and producer.
- 1999–2012: Artist, producer, and recording engineer or mixer.
- 2013–: Artist, producer, mastering engineer, and recording engineer or mixer.
Thirty-one of the winning songs have also won the award for Song of the Year.
The category will expand to include eight nominees in 2019.[7]
Achievements
Tom Coyne holds the record for most wins in this category as a mastering engineer at four times (2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018). Coyne is the only person to win the award four consecutive years (2015–2018).[8] Paul Simon has won three times, more than any other artist ("Mrs. Robinson" in 1969, "Bridge over Troubled Water" in 1971, and "Graceland" in 1988).[9] Tom Elmhirst has won three times as an engineer/mixer (2008, 2012 and 2017).[10]
Roberta Flack was the first artist to win Record of the Year in two consecutive years for the years 1973 ("The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face") and 1974 ("Killing Me Softly with His Song").[11] This happened again when the group U2 won for the years 2001 ("Beautiful Day") and 2002 ("Walk On"), the only occurrence of an artist winning the award two consecutive years with records from the same album.[12]
Other artists to receive two Grammys for Record of the Year are Henry Mancini ("Moon River", "Days of Wine and Roses"); Art Garfunkel ("Mrs. Robinson", "Bridge over Troubled Water"); The 5th Dimension ("Up, Up and Away", "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In"); Eric Clapton ("Tears in Heaven", "Change the World"); Norah Jones ("Don't Know Why", "Here We Go Again"); Mark Ronson ("Rehab", "Uptown Funk"); Adele ("Rolling in the Deep", "Hello"); and Bruno Mars ("Uptown Funk", "24K Magic").
Frank Sinatra has the most nominations for Record of the Year for an artist and a male artist with seven nominations ("Witchcraft", "High Hopes", "Nice 'n' Easy", "The Second Time Around", "Strangers in the Night", "Somethin' Stupid" (with Nancy Sinatra), and "Theme from New York, New York"); he won the award once in 1967 for "Strangers in the Night".[13] The Beatles have the most Record of the Year nominations for a group; they had four nominations ("I Want to Hold Your Hand", "Yesterday", "Hey Jude", and "Let It Be") but never won the award.[14] Barbra Streisand and Beyoncé have the most Record of the Year nominations amongst female artists with five nods. Streisand has been nominated ("Happy Days Are Here Again", "People", "Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)", "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" (with Neil Diamond), and "Woman in Love") but has never received the award.[15] Beyoncé was nominated for "Say My Name" as part of Destiny's Child and four times as a solo act with "Crazy in Love", "Irreplaceable", "Halo", and "Formation".[16]
Christopher Cross is the first artist to receive the Grammy Award for Record of the Year as well as for Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist in one ceremony. Adele is the first female artist to receive the award for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist, nonconsecutively. Only six artists took the Record of the Year and Best New Artist awards during the same ceremony: Bobby Darin ("Mack the Knife" in 1960), Christopher Cross ("Sailing" in 1981), Sheryl Crow ("All I Wanna Do" in 1995), Norah Jones ("Don't Know Why" in 2003), Amy Winehouse ("Rehab" in 2008), and Sam Smith ("Stay with Me" in 2015).
The person to appear on the most consecutive Records of the Year was Hal Blaine, the prolific studio drummer who played on six consecutive winners from 1966 to 1971: "A Taste of Honey", "Strangers in the Night", "Up, Up and Away", "Mrs. Robinson", "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In", and "Bridge Over Troubled Water."
Process
Members of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences nominate their choices for record of the year. A list of the top twenty records is given to the Nominations Review Committee, a specially selected group of anonymous members, who then select the top five records to gain a nomination in the category in a special ballot.[17] The rest of the members then vote a winner from the five nominees.[18] In 2018, it was announced the number of nominated tracks will be increased to eight [19]
Recipients
- An asterisk (*) indicates this recording also won Song of the Year.
^[I] Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.
References
- General
- "Past Winners Search". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved March 4, 2011. Note: User must select the "General" category as the genre under the search feature.
- Specific
- ^ "Overview". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
- ^ "Grammy Awards at a Glance". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
- ^ "Category Mapper". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "The Recording Academy Announces Board Of Trustees Meeting Results". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. June 8, 2012. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
- ^ "GRAMMY REWIND: 1ST ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS". The Recording Academy. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
- ^ "Category Mapper". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
- ^ Recording Academy Announces 61st GRAMMY Awards Update
- ^ Tom Coyne at Grammys
- ^ Paul Simon at Grammys
- ^ Tom Elmirst at Grammys
- ^ Roberta Flack at Grammys
- ^ U2 at Grammys
- ^ Frank Sinatra at Grammys
- ^ The Beatles at Grammys
- ^ Barbra Streisand at Grammys
- ^ Beyoncé at Grammys
- ^ Behind Grammy's Closed Door
- ^ Wyman, Bill (February 11, 2011). "The Grammys: the secret committee that alters the membership's nominations". Slate.com. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
- ^ Mench, Chris (June 28, 2018). "The Grammys' General Field Categories Will Expand From Five To Eight Nominees Next Year". Genius.com. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 1959 (May)". IndiaServer. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 1959". IndiaServer.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 1961". IndiaServer.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 1962". Awards & Shows.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 1963". IndiaServer.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 1964". IndiaServer.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 1965". IndiaServer.
- ^ "Grammy Awards Nominees 1966 - Grammy Award Winners 1966". www.awardsandshows.com. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 1967". Awards & Shows.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 1968". IndiaServer.
- ^ "Grammy Awards Nominees 1969 - Grammy Award Winners 1969". www.awardsandshows.com. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 1970". IndiaServer.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 1971". IndiaServer.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 1972". IndiaServer.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 1973". IndiaServer.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 1974". IndiaServer.
- ^ "Grammy Awards Nominee 1975 - Grammy Award Winners 1975". www.awardsandshows.com. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 1976". IndiaServer.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 1977". IndiaServer.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 1978". IndiaServer.
- ^ "Grammy Award Nominees 1979 - Grammy Award Winners 1979". www.awardsandshows.com. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Grammy Awards: Record of the Year". Rock on the Net. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
- ^ "The 37th Grammy Nominations". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. January 6, 1995. p. 1. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ "List of Grammy nominees". CNN. January 4, 1996. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ Campbell, Mary (January 8, 1997). "Babyface is up for 12 Grammy awards". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ "40th Annual Grammy Award Nominations". Digital Hit. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
- ^ "1999 Grammy Nominees". NME. IPC Media. November 27, 1998. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "42nd Annual Grammy Awards nominations". CNN. January 4, 2000. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "43rd Grammy Awards". CNN. February 21, 2001. Archived from the original on November 6, 2008. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Complete List Of Grammy Nominees". CBS News. January 4, 2002. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ "45 Grammy Nom List" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 26, 2012.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "They're All Contenders". The New York Times. December 5, 2003. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ "Grammy Award nominees in top categories". USA Today. Gannett Company. February 7, 2005. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ "The Complete List of Grammy Nominations". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. December 8, 2005. p. 1. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ "49th Annual Grammy Awards Winners List". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on July 10, 2009. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Grammy 2008 Winners List". MTV. February 10, 2008. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ "Grammy 2009 Winners List". MTV. February 8, 2009. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
- ^ "The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards Nominees List". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on June 18, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "53rd Annual Grammy Awards nominees list". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
- ^ "2011 – 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards Nominees And Winners: General Field". The Recording Academy. November 30, 2011.
- ^ "Dan Auerbach, Fun., Jay Z, Mumford & Sons, Frank Ocean, Kanye West Lead 55th GRAMMY Nominations". Retrieved December 30, 2012.
- ^ "Jay Z Tops 56th GRAMMY Nominations With Nine". Retrieved December 6, 2013.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 2015: The Complete Winners List". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
- ^ Billboard.com, 7 December 2015
- ^ Billboard.com, 6 December 2016
- ^ Field Grammy.com, 28 November 2017
- ^ "61st Annual GRAMMY Awards". GRAMMY.com. Retrieved December 7, 2018.