by Sabah Karimi
The Grammy Awards ceremony recognizes the contributions and achievements of individuals in the music recording industry. At this annual event, awards are granted to artists and technical professionals for their creative and technical achievements. In addition to the best artist and best music for any given year, the organization behind the Grammy Awards distributes special merit awards. If you're curious about the event, take a look at the Grammy Awards guide below.
History: The Grammy Awards are presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and have been awarded to artists across a variety of genres since 1958. The awards ceremony was held in both New York City and Los Angeles until 1971, when Pierre Cossette bought the rights to broadcast the show on television. In 1973, CBS bought the rights to broadcast the show and moved it to Nashville, Tennessee. In later years, the Grammy Awards ceremony returned to Los Angeles.
Award fields: The Grammy Awards recognize albums, songs and performances in the following fields: General (Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist), Pop, Dance, Traditional Pop, Rock, Alternative, R and B, Rap, Country, New Age, Jazz, Gospel, Latin, American Roots, Reggae, World Music, Children's, Spoken Word, Comedy, Musical Show, Film, Television and Other Visual Media, Composing/Arranging, Package, Album Notes, Historical, Production -- Neo-Classical, Production -- Surround Sound, Production -- Classical, Classical and Music Video.
Ceremony: Since 2004, the Grammy Awards ceremony has been held in Los Angeles. Winners of the awards receive a Grammy, a golden gramophone. The awards ceremony is a formal event that includes live performances from select artists. It is televised, and awards are typically presented by musicians, movie stars and television celebrities.
Past winners: In 2009, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss won the Record of the Year Award for "Please Read the Letter." Other 2009 Grammy Award winners included Adele ("Chasing Pavements") for best Female Pop Vocal Performance, John Mayer ("Say") for best Male Pop Vocal Performance, Duffy ("Rockferry") for best Pop Vocal Album and Kings of Leon ("Sex on Fire") for best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group. Other past winners of the Grammy Awards have included the Dixie Chicks (2007), Beyonce (2004), Outkast (2004), Bruce Springsteen (2003), Sheryl Crow (2003), Radiohead (2001), LeAnn Rimes (1996), Toni Braxton (1993) and Natalie Cole (1991).
Other awards: The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences recognizes several other award categories, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, Trustees Award, Technical Grammy Award, Grammy Legend Award, Grammy Hall of Fame Award, Latin Grammy Awards and the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
