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The Grammy awards are given every year for outstanding contribution in the record industry.
History of Grammy Awards
Instituted by the US-based National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), Grammy Awards were first given in the year 1958.The awards were earlier known as the Gramophone Awards due to its statuette which was a small, gilded gramophone.
Initially, only some portions of the award ceremony were telecast on television, the first telecast being on the NBC's 'Sunday Showcase' on November 29, 1959. Interestingly, award ceremonies were held in New York and Los Angeles till 1971 and the winners could accept their awards at any of the two places.
It was the year 1971 when the Grammy awards were telecast live for the first time by Pierre Cossette who had purchased the rights for broadcast of the ceremony. In the year 1973, CBS bought the telecast rights of the award ceremony, which is generally held in February.
Gramophone trophy
Manufactured by Billings Artworks in Ridgeway, CO, the trophies are made by hand and assembled. Interestingly, the trophies which are used at the time of award ceremony are ''stunt'' or dummy Grammies. The actual Gramophone trophies are kept in the studio of Billings until the recipients are announced. After the recipients of the award are announced, their name is engraved on the trophy and personally delivered at their doorstep of the recipients.
Grammy Award Categories
Grammy Awards are given for excellent contribution to several genres of music is it for the performance or production. Four awards, which come under the category of 'General Field', are the most popular ones. These four awards are Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. While Record of the Year and Album of the Year is given to the performer and production team of a single song and full album respectively, Song of the Year is given the song's writer(s)/composer(s). Special awards are also given for more long-lasting contributions made to the music industry.
Nomination process
The Recording Academy and record companies send their nominations for various award categories, which are reviewed by over 150 experts from the industry. The review is done to ensure that all the entries meet specific requirements and are put in the proper categories.
In the first round, voting members are sent the list of entries in all the fields, except those voted by special nominating committees. These ballot papers are then sent to Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, an independent accounting firm, for tabulation. Members can vote
only in the fields in which they have expertise. Also, members can nominate in the four general categories and nine of the 31 fields on their ballots.
In special categories, national nomination review committees, comprising of representatives from all of the Academy's Chapter cities, decide the final nominations.
In the second stage, voting members are sent the lists of the finalists in all the categories, including special categories. The members can vote for the four general categories and eight of the 31 fields. The ballot papers are again sent to Deloitte for tabulation. The names of the recipients of the Grammy Awards are given by Deloitte in sealed envelopes and are not disclosed until the presentation ceremony.
Criticism
Grammy Awards have been at the receiving end of criticism from many quarters. While some critics say that the awards are biased and given to favorites of the members of the Recording Academy and Record companies to promote them, others believe that awards are aimed at appeasing all as there are so many categories, including jazz, country, rock, soul and classical.
2006 Grammy Awards
U2 dominated the 2006 Grammy Awards by bagging Album of the Year and best rock album for 'How to dismantle an atomic bomb', Song of the Year for 'Sometimes you can’t make it on your own' and Best rock song for 'City of blinding lights'. Kelly Clarkson won the Best female pop vocal for 'since u have gone' and best pop vocal album
for 'breakaway'.
Record of the year went to 'boulevard of broken dreams' by Green Day while a Best new artist award was won by John Legend.
2007 Grammy Awards
Dixie Chicks grabbed three of the most popular awards by bagging Record of the year and Song of the Year for 'not ready to make nice' and Album of the year for 'taking the long way'. Best new Artist award went to Carrie Underwood while John Mayer won two awards -- Best male pop vocal for 'waiting on the world to change' and Best pop vocal album for 'continuum'. Christina Aguilera got the Best female pop vocal for 'ain’t no other man'.
2008 Grammy Awards
Held on February 10, 2008 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, the 50th Annual Grammy Awards was dominated by 24-year-old Amy Winehouse, who got five awards in one night. Amy Winehouse won three of the most popular awards -- Record of the year and Song of the Year for 'Rehab' and Best New Artist. Other awards which went into her kitty included Best female pop vocal performance for 'Rehab' and Best pop vocal album for 'Back to black'. Album of the year was given to 'River: the Joni letters' by Herbie Hencock. Justin Timberlake won the Best male pop vocal performance for 'What goes around comes around'. | 
