RonF Posted July 25, 2003 Report Share Posted July 25, 2003 After hanging around these boards for a few years, I've come to realize that the "awarding" of the Grammys is often tainted with influence, money and politics but who nominates artists for Grammy awards? Just industry people or do recording artists get to play a role too? How does it work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christiern Posted July 25, 2003 Report Share Posted July 25, 2003 (edited) After hanging around these boards for a few years, I've come to realize that the "awarding" of the Grammys is often tainted with influence, money and politics but who nominates artists for Grammy awards? Just industry people or do recording artists get to play a role too? How does it work? Artists and record companies submit entries for consideration in the various categories. Panels of people representing various areas of music then go through the submissions to determine if they are eligible. Next, the membership receives lists of eligible releases and votes on nominations in categories to which they relate--for ex. engineers vote in the technical category, artists vote on covers, etc. When you get the final list of nominees, you are restricted to a handful of categories, the idea being that you vote in areas of your own expertise. Unless it has changed, to be eligible for NARAS membership one must have credit on six releases as artist, producer, liner-note writer, graphic designer, engineer, etc. I cancelled my NARAS membership several years ago, so the procedure may have changed, but that's the way it was when I was a voting member. Companies that have a large number of eligible voters on staff stand a better chance of winning, since most people will vote for a release in which they have some involvement, and it is not uncommon for companies to make "suggestions." Sometimes labels that are otherwise competitors get together and do a rig of sorts. I recall being in the office of Columbia's VP of promotion when he called his counterpart at Atlantic to suggest that he have his people vote for a Columbia release in a category whose nominees did not include Atlantic products. In turn, he would have his people do the same for Atlantic. It's a nasty business, really, but I think it's impossible to devise a truly equitable, merit-based system for bestowing these things. Edited July 25, 2003 by Christiern Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted July 25, 2003 Report Share Posted July 25, 2003 If I'm not mistaken, isn't there at least one Grammy winner, right here on this board??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christiern Posted July 25, 2003 Report Share Posted July 25, 2003 If I'm not mistaken, isn't there at least one Grammy winner, right here on this board??? Were it not for my Grammys, I would be reluctant to voice my criticism of NARAS (as I have done on a couple of occasions), lest it be interpreted as the uttering of a bitter deject (I know how certain posters have a tendency to read posts and invent twisted motives. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonF Posted July 25, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2003 Thanks for the info Chris. I was hoping you might see this thread and respond. So who appoints the panels that review the nominations? Is that all done within the National Academy for Recording Arts and Sciences? And would there be a seperate panel for blues, folk, jazz, world etc., etc? Seems like there's plenty of room for influence from the very start. Yikes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christiern Posted July 25, 2003 Report Share Posted July 25, 2003 Thanks for the info Chris. I was hoping you might see this thread and respond. So who appoints the panels that review the nominations? Is that all done within the National Academy for Recording Arts and Sciences? And would there be a seperate panel for blues, folk, jazz, world etc., etc? Seems like there's plenty of room for influence from the very start. Yikes! I served for 3 years (with Dan Morgenstern, Bob Porter, Ira Gitler and Phil Schaap) on a jazz panel whose members were selected by George Simon, then head of the NY chapter. There were also jazz chapters in LA and Memphis, I believe. Sometimes, rather than eliminate it, we moved a misplaced entry to a more appropriate category, and this same panel also dealt with blues. BTW I was never aware of any influence being exercised at that level--except for the occasional verging-on-pop item, our options were pretty straightforward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonF Posted July 25, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2003 BTW I was never aware of any influence being exercised at that level--except for the occasional verging-on-pop item, our options were pretty straightforward. That's reassuring! Thanks again. B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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