Submitting Eligible Recordings

Members of the Recording Academy and record companies submit recordings and music videos that have been released during the eligibility year. The Recording Academy receives over 20,000 entries annually. The eligibility year for the 2014 awards is October 1, 2013 through September 30, 2014.

Screening Process

Over 150 experts in a variety of music fields review entered recordings to make sure they meet the eligibility requirements and that they are placed in the proper categories for award consideration.

This is the point at which it is determined whether a recording is rock or jazz, pop or Latin, country or dance, etc. The placement of a recording in a category is not intended to make any judgment about the recording other than proper eligibility and category placement.

General Nominations

First-round ballots are sent to voting members of the association with lists of all of the eligible recordings in various fields. Members are instructed to vote only in their fields of expertise and they may vote in up to 20 genre fields. Currently there are 83 categories. The fields include Pop, Rock, Latin, Country, Jazz, etc. All voting members may select nominees in each of the 4 general categories - Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. Some categories are reserved for special nominating committees. The ballots are then tabulated by the accounting firm Deloitte.

To become a voting member of the association an individual may apply who is a music industry professional with creative or technical credits on six commercially released tracks (or their equivalent) in physically available music (e.g.

vinyl and CDs) or twelve tracks of music sold online. At least one of the qualifying tracks must have been released within five years of applying to be a voting member. The music must be currently available for purchase through recognized music retailers. The credits may include vocalists, conductors, songwriters, composers, engineers, producers, instrumentalists, arrangers, art directors, album notes writers, narrators and music video artists and technicians. Anyone nominated for a Grammy Award within the previous five years is automatically eligible to be a voting member.

If an individual does not meet the above criteria, they still may apply to be a voting member with endorsement from current Recording Academy voting members. They must be endorsed by at least two current voting members. The application is then reviewed by member services and may be sent to a local chapter committee for additional consideration.

Specific membership details are here.

Special Nominating Committees

Some craft and specialized categories are reserved from the general nominations voting. These nominees are selected by national nominating committees selected from among active members of the association in all of the Recording Academy's chapter cities.

Final Voting

Final-round ballots are sent to voting members of the association with the final nominees in all categories. This includes the nominees that are determined by special nominating committees. Members are allowed to vote for the selections to win awards in up to 20 genre categories plus the 4 general categories.

Award Announcements

Winners of the awards are not known until envelopes containing the names of winners are opened at the presentation ceremonies. The sealed envelopes are delivered by Deloitte. Approximately 70 Grammy Awards are presented in the afternoon before the main Grammy Awards show.  The remaining awards are presented in the live telecast.