The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards) are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States in recognition of outstanding achievements in the music industry. The awards ceremony features performances by prominent artists. Some of the awards are also presented in a widely-viewed televised ceremony.
The awards were instituted in 1958. The first live Grammys telecast was in 1971 on ABC. The first Grammy Award telecast took place on the night of November 29, 1959. It was an episode of the NBC anthology series Sunday Showcase. Until 1971, awards ceremonies were held in both New York and Los Angeles, with winners accepting at one of the two.
Pierre Cossette bought the rights to broadcast the ceremony from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and organized the first live telecast. CBS bought the rights in 1973 after moving the ceremony to Nashville, Tennessee. The award ceremony is generally held in February.
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The 52nd Grammy Awards ceremony is scheduled to be held on January 31, 2010. The trophies are manufactured exclusively by Billings Artworks in Ridgway, Colorado. All are handmade and assembled. The Grammy is assembled in pieces and finally given gold plating. The trophies used for the broadcast are called “stunt” Grammys.
The main awards are given for Record of the Year(to the performer and the production team of a single song), Album of the Year (to the performer and the production team of a full album), Song of the Year (to the writer(s)/ composer(s) of a single song), Best New Artist (to a performer who releases the first recording which establishes the public identity of that artist).
Other awards are given for performance and production in specific genres, as well as for other contributions such as artwork and video. Special awards are also given out for more long-lasting contributions to the music industry. Nominations are made by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and record companies. More than 150 experts from the recording industry review the work.
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This is done only to determine whether or not a work is eligible or entered into the proper category for official nomination. Members can vote only in their fields of expertise. Some artists have expressed personal issues with the nature of the Grammys. Singer Maynard James Keenan, of progressive metal band Tool did not attend the Grammys ceremony to receive the award.
Critics claim that the Grammys do not represent adequately the sentiments of the public. They also claim that such award shows are an attempt by the recording industry to pat them on the back while advertising their products through the nomination and award process.