How do the Grammys actually work?

The GRAMMY Awards: The most important award in the music industry

The GRAMMY Awards—or simply GRAMMYS—are considered the highest international award for artistic and technical achievements in the music industry. They are the Oscars of the music business and are aimed exclusively at music creators and industry professionals.

The entire GRAMMY Awards process is organized by the Recording Academy, a US private organization based in Los Angeles. On February 1, 2026, the GRAMMYS will be presented for the 68th time.

Step 1: Submission of works

Before we talk about awards, it all starts with submissions. Songs, albums, or music videos must have been released within a clearly defined period to be eligible. For the 2026 GRAMMYs, this period is between August 31, 2024, and August 30, 2025.

Only members of the Recording Academy or registered music companies are eligible to submit entries. Only the approximately 12,000 voting members of the Academy—all of whom are active professionals from various genres of music production—are eligible to vote.

Step 2: Formal review by the Recording Academy

After submission, an internal team at the Recording Academy reviews around 20,000 entries. This step is not about taste or quality, but solely about formal criteria and correct assignment to the respective categories.

Only when all requirements have been met do the works enter the actual voting process.

Step 3: First round of voting & nominations

In the first round of voting, members eligible to vote select which works are eligible for nomination within their respective fields. The Academy distinguishes between genre categories and the so-called General Field.

The General Field comprises six central categories:

Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist, Producer of the Year (Non-Classical), and Songwriter of the Year (Non-Classical).

These categories are particularly relevant because all voting members are eligible to vote here, regardless of their genre. This ensures broad, industry-wide participation in the most important awards.

The "Big Four" of the GRAMMYs

Within the General Field, four awards are considered particularly prestigious: the so-called Big Four. These include Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. Whoever wins here makes music history.

The nominations for the 2026 GRAMMYs have already been announced.

Record of the Year

This category honors a single photograph—including all individuals involved in its production.

Among the nominees for 2026 are DtMF by Bad Bunny, Manchild by Sabrina Carpenter, Anxiety by Doechii, WILDFLOWER by Billie Eilish, Abracadabra by Lady Gaga, Luther by Kendrick Lamar & SZA, The Subway by Chappell Roan, and APT. by ROSÉ & Bruno Mars.

Album of the Year

This is about the complete work: an album and all the creative and technical people behind it.

The nominees include the albums DtMF by Bad Bunny, SWAG by Justin Bieber, Man's Best Friend by Sabrina Carpenter, Let God Sort Em Out by Pusha T & Malice, MAYHEM by Lady Gaga, GNX by Kendrick Lamar, MUTT by Leon Thomas, and Chromakopia by Tyler, the Creator.

Song of the Year

The focus here is on the songwriters. The composition and lyrics are evaluated—not the recording itself.

The nominees are the songs "Abracadabra" by Lady Gaga, "Anxiety" by Doechii, "APT." by ROSÉ & Bruno Mars, "DtMF" by Bad Bunny, "Golden" by HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna & REI AMI, "Luther" by Kendrick Lamar & SZA, "Manchild" by Sabrina Carpenter, and "WILDFLOWER" by Billie Eilish.

Best New Artist

This award honors artists who have established themselves as independent acts for the first time during the evaluation period.

Nominated for 2026 are Olivia Dean, KATSEYE, The Marías, Addison Rae, Leon Thomas, sombr, Alex Warren, and Lola Young.

Final vote & award ceremony

After the nominees are announced, the second and final round of voting takes place. Members may vote in up to ten categories, including genre categories and the six general field awards.

An independent audit monitors the counting of votes to ensure fairness and transparency.

The big night of the GRAMMYs

The winners will ultimately be announced at the official GRAMMY Awards ceremony. In 2026, it will take place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

In addition to global prestige, nominees receive an official nomination medal. The winners take home the iconic golden gramophone trophy—and secure a permanent place in the history of the music industry.