No report deal, supervisor, or publicist?
No Gold or Platinum certification from the RIAA?
No music movies on YouTube with 1,000,000,000+ views?
You’ll be able to nonetheless win a Grammy, the most prestigious award within the music business. Sure, you!
A formidable variety of unbiased musicians win Grammy awards yearly, and on this step-by-step information, I’ll present you easy methods to:
- Turn into a voting member of the Recording Academy
- Be eligible for a Grammy nomination
- Run a “For Your Consideration” marketing campaign
- Enhance your probabilities of profitable
However earlier than we discover the chronological steps you need to take to win a Grammy, listed here are just a few big-picture issues to remember.
Neglect the televised awards
It is advisable have lifelike expectations.
The precise awards you most likely consider everytime you hear “Grammys” — Finest New Artist, Album of the Yr, and so on. — yeah, these are doubtless NOT the awards you’ll be capable of win as an unbiased musician.
The Grammy Awards course of is a small business unto itself, with its personal customs and networks of affect. And to place it merely: If it’s an award they announce on TV, that statuette might be going residence with a serious label artist.
Nonetheless, there are many different awards which are given out earlier within the night time earlier than the prime-time TV broadcast. Intention for THOSE awards!
WHY attempt to win a Grammy?
There are lots of causes you may want a Grammy, or perhaps a Grammy nomination.
Validation. Your pals, household, followers, and the broader business might take higher discover of your skills and achievements.
A celebration. Of your individual arduous work, and the assist your followers have shared with you.
A resumé-builder that opens new income alternatives, higher concert events, collaborations, or placements.
However be warned…
It nonetheless entails advertising
Everytime you need your music to achieve recognition, that you must get the eye of the fitting individuals. That often takes music advertising.
Within the case of the Grammys, you’re attempting to persuade a distinct type of particular person to like your music. You’re not in search of followers within the conventional sense.
As an alternative, you need the eye of voting members of the Recording Academy — most of whom are fellow music-makers and business professionals.
That’s going to take work. Within the type of a “For Your Consideration” marketing campaign that I’ll define later on this article.
You MUST observe the principles
There are lots of particulars, eligibility timelines, and deadlines. If you wish to win a Grammy, you must observe all the principles in the official rulebook.
One huge one: You CANNOT ask somebody to vote for you!
This course of isn’t for each artist
On condition that the Grammy course of entails advertising, networking, and potential promoting or PR bills, it’s not for everybody. It could actually take lots of money and time.
It’s additionally doubtless not for artists who’re firstly of their careers. “Finest New Artist,” in fact, goes to a debut act. However once you’re aiming for a extra area of interest, genre-based award, you usually tend to win as an unbiased artist in case you have a resumé of success and a optimistic popularity amongst your friends.
Lastly, try to be making nice music. A mediocre album will not be going to garner the respect (and votes) of Grammy members. So ensure that it’s a report you’re extraordinarily pleased with, with nice songs, preparations, performances, manufacturing, and mixing. Plus an incredible story. The story is usually the way you’ll appeal to preliminary consideration for the music.
A fast overview of the Grammy course of
What most individuals know of the Grammys is what they see on TV annually. However there’s lots that occurs within the yr prior, constructing as much as the large night time.
The method begins lengthy earlier than the awards present when members of the Recording Academy, media corporations, and report labels submit entries — about 20,000 entries per yr — throughout the OEP (on-line entry course of).
What makes a music or album eligible for a Grammy?
In keeping with the Grammy’s web site:
- Recordings have to be launched throughout the eligibility yr. For instance, for the 2025 Grammys, recordings launched between September 16, 2023 and August 30, 2024 are eligible.
- Recordings have to be obtainable for buy or streaming, and meet the business normal of 16-bit, 44.1 kHz.
- Every music should have correct metadata, together with songwriters and producers, and an Worldwide Customary Recording Code (ISRC).
- Albums should have a complete taking part in time of quarter-hour with no less than 5 tracks, or half-hour with no minimal variety of tracks.
- For albums, greater than 75% of the recordings have to be new and never beforehand launched.
Every submission is then screened by The Recording Academy Awards Division to verify its eligibility.
After that, genre-based screening committees — comprised of 300+ consultants — overview submissions to put them within the applicable class.
These teams don’t make essential or merit-based judgements at this level; they’re merely making certain the submissions are eligible and correctly categorized.
First-Spherical Voting for Grammys
Following that step, there’s the “First Spherical” poll. On this first spherical of voting, members of the Academy in good standing (which means they’ve paid their dues) undergo entries of their respective fields of experience, serving to to find out the 5 finalists in every class.
These voting members are, in keeping with the Grammys:
Lively artistic professionals concerned within the recording course of, resembling performers, songwriters, producers, and engineers.
Every voting member can vote in as much as ten classes throughout three style fields, plus the six classes within the “Common Discipline,” together with:
- Report of the Yr
- Album of the Yr
- Tune of the Yr
- Finest New Artist
- Producer of the Yr (Non-Classical)
- Songwriter of the Yr (Non-Classical)
In case you’d prefer to turn into a voting member of the Recording Academy, go HERE.
Remaining-Spherical Voting for Grammys
After the First Spherical voting determines the 5 finalists in every class, there’s a ultimate voting course of to resolve who wins the Grammy.
Once more, members are directed to vote solely in classes the place they’re friends of the nominees and have related genre-expertise.
The voting is managed by a agency (Deloitte & Touche LLP) who retains the outcomes secret till the day of the Grammy Awards, when sealed envelopes are delivered with the names of the winners.
NOTE: Sure “Craft” classes that acknowledge a really specialised discipline of experience have a barely totally different voting course of, so for all the small print, see the Grammy rulebook.
These envelopes carry us to the ultimate step within the course of…
The Grammy Awards Present
The recording with probably the most votes wins! Within the case of ties (fairly uncommon), the tied nominees are each thought of winners.
Nominees obtain a medallion and certificates. Winners are given the Grammy award statuette, so long as they comply with these phrases.
The subsequent present — the 67th Annual Grammy Awards — is occurring on February 2, 2025 on the Crypto.com Space in LA. It’s going to additionally air dwell on CBS.
Many of the awards are offered BEFORE the televised portion, however you may dwell stream the entire thing on dwell.grammy.com and YouTube.
Any recording that wins an award in 2025 could have entered the net submission course of the prior summer season (between July 17, 2024 – August 30, 2024), and could have had a launch date between September 16, 2023 and August 30, 2024.
Your step-by-step information to profitable a Grammy
Okay, now that you simply’re acquainted with the method at a excessive stage, let’s offer you a chronological motion plan.
Stage 1: Turn into a voting member of the Recording Academy
(24 months earlier than Grammy submission, if potential)
Not solely will this aid you to later submit your album for Grammy consideration, it’ll additionally offer you an insider’s have a look at all the course of.
As a voting member, you’ll higher perceive the timelines and necessities, and also you’ll have first-hand data of what will get the eye of voting members. This can empower you to run a simpler “For Your Consideration” marketing campaign a yr or two down the road.
- Community with current Grammy members. Attend Grammy meetups, each IRL and on-line. Get energetic in your native music scene and ask round to see who may already be a member.
- Get two sturdy suggestions from voting members. You’ll be able to’t simply “be part of.” And you’ll’t submit your self. You have to be really helpful to the Recording Academy by musical friends (so long as you meet these necessities). In the event that they’re current members, that’s greatest — and so they can fill out a advice for HERE.
- As soon as the Academy has acquired the 2 nominations, you may fill out an artist profile. It have to be accomplished by March 1st to be thought of for that yr’s class. You’ll get an e mail notification when it’s time to fill out the profile. Simply make sure each individuals who really helpful you for membership use the identical e mail deal with for you.
- A peer overview panel will then take into account you for membership. You’ll be notified by July if you’re accepted, and also you’ll have till that yr’s voting interval to just accept.
- If accepted, be energetic in all nomination and voting processes, in addition to any networking alternatives.
- Preserve paying your dues! You need to stay in good standing when it’s time to submit your individual music for a Grammy.
Stage 2: Pre-Launch Preparation
1. Plan for a Grammy-worthy album
(12-24 months earlier than Grammy submission)
- Choose the very best songs, gamers, engineer(s), and producer(s). Members of the Recording Academy are inspired to vote for music based mostly on excellence, not reputation. Ebook your artistic crew properly prematurely to make sure they’re obtainable.
- Collaborate with former Grammy-nominees and winners (if potential); chances are you’ll increase your music’s visibility and achieve perception in regards to the Grammy nomination course of.
- Analysis the Grammy classes most intently related together with your sound.
- Make clear your audience and style beforehand so your recording classes are centered in the fitting path.
2. Make the music
(6-18 months earlier than submission)
- Now it’s time to place your Grammy ambitions apart for a bit, and simply make nice music. Your pre-recording prep helped you create parameters for the challenge, however Grammy awards are finally given to artists who put the artwork first and made nice artistic decisions, not those who most intently adhere to current stylistic conventions.
- Be certain that your music is professionally blended and mastered.
- Create a visible id in your music, together with memorable album paintings, press images, and extra.
- Shoot behind-the-scenes video of your recording course of, in addition to interviews in regards to the which means of the songs, or anything that may assist inform the story of the music.
3. Construct an expert crew
(6-12 months earlier than submission)
- Don’t spend your complete finances on the recording. Save a large quantity of your finances to rent any administration consultants, promoters, PR consultants, or advertising companies that you simply need to assist your launch. In case your publicist has expertise working “For Your Consideration” campaigns on behalf of earlier Grammy-nominees, that’s an enormous profit right here.
- Work with these professionals to craft the story of your album. Whereas a few of your efforts can be centered on fan-facing promo, remember to write a model of your story that may attraction to voting members of the Recording Academy.
Stage 3: The music Launch Technique
(3-12 months earlier than Grammy submission)
1. Set a launch date inside the eligibility window
- That window has closed for the 2025 Grammy Awards, which suggests you’re now taking a look at 2026 or past.
- Plan your album or single launch early sufficient to permit ample time for promotion and engagement earlier than the subsequent OEP (“on-line entry course of”).
2. Distribute your music
3. Construct buzz
- Whereas Grammy voting is predicated on high quality and never reputation, the extra public consideration your music receives, the extra doubtless voting members can be to know who you’re. The extra conscious they’re prematurely, the much less work you’ll need to do in FYC introductions.
Stage 4: Submit your music for Grammy Consideration
(In the course of the subsequent OEP)
- Once more, pay shut consideration to all of the submission deadlines and eligibility standards. However as a member, you’ll most likely be properly knowledgeable. Often, the primary spherical of submissions begins in late summer season and closes in early fall.
Stage 5: Launch the “For Your Consideration” Marketing campaign
(When you’ve submitted your music)
Time to make voting members conscious of your music, and that you simply’d like them to pay attention and take it into consideration as they put together to solid their first-round ballots. To start:
1. Create a FYC touchdown web page in your artist web site.
It may be public (for comfort), however ought to NOT be accessible by way of the highest navigation bar. In different phrases, you need voting members to simply entry the web page, however it’s not meant for followers.
The web page ought to include:
- Grammy-related language resembling “GRAMMY®” or “GRAMMY Awards®” — so voting members know they’re in the fitting place
- Embedded behind-the-scenes video or promo reel
- A concise and fascinating story in regards to the music
- Brief artist bio with profession highlights
- Hello-res paintings and press images associated to the challenge
- Clear description of the music
- Checklist of collaborators and credit
- Hyperlinks to your album on streaming and associated content material (not simply Spotify!)
- Contact information for media inquiries
The web page ought to NOT:
- Include any trash-talking about different nominees, artists, or albums
- Exaggerate any particulars in regards to the challenge
- Use the Grammy emblem
- Embody a private signature or a direct request to vote for the challenge
Learn that final one once more. You CANNOT ask voting members to vote for you. You’ll be able to’t bribe them. No gifting. No vote-trading. You’ll be able to solely ask them to CONSIDER your music.
And though this information provides fairly thorough instructions, it’s at all times advisable to learn the most recent Grammy rulebook annually, as a result of there could also be different stipulations about whether or not or not you may point out gross sales numbers or streaming metrics, and so on.
2. Get the FYC messaging on the market
(Beginning in October)
You need related voting members to see your launch. In case you have an skilled publicist, they’ll be an enormous assist.
- Don’t spam or DM voting members. You’ll be able to run e mail and social campaigns geared toward voting members, however it should embody an opt-out (and observe all different Grammy guidelines).
- Leverage any business networks you’ve constructed up up to now — and remind them to take heed to your music, and please take into account it for the primary spherical of voting.
- Attend Grammy occasions and mixers.
- Run focused PR and advert campaigns specializing in FYC messaging in Billboard, Selection, and different commerce publications. In truth, Billboard has an annual print version devoted to FYC campaigns.
- Digital and print advertisements ought to look clear, use paintings that aligns with the FYC web page and album branding, have concise advert copy, spotlight why it deserves consideration inside the style, together with the music’s story or distinguished collaborators.
- Host your individual FYC occasion in case you have the cash. Once more, observe the Grammy guidelines as a result of you may’t bribe, reward, or commerce your means into votes.
- Checklist your music on the Recording Academy’s FYC web site for optimum visibility.
Then it’s time to watch voting, cross your fingers, and preserve getting the FYC phrase on the market!
Stage 6: Remaining Grammy Voting
(November – January)
You’ve been looking forward to these nominations. Did you obtain one? If that’s the case, it’s not time to relaxation. It’s time to step on the fuel in your ultimate consciousness marketing campaign main as much as the awards present.
- Change your messaging. Your FYC language might want to shift from outreach and introductions to a ultimate case in your music and story.
- However preserve a lightweight contact. Once more, no ASKING for votes. However now you can confidently place your self as a nominee within the ultimate spherical of consideration. Nonetheless, you continue to need to ensure that the message highlights the journey on the middle of your album, and the worth of your music, over any particular nomination, accolades, or metrics. Do not forget that voting members are principally artists themselves.
- Amplify your PR efforts by doing extra interviews, live performance dates, and so on.
Stage 7: Go to the present!
(February)
In case you can attend the Grammys in particular person, do it.
If not, there could also be Grammy-related occasions in your space.
However c’mon, for those who’re nominated for a Grammy, get to that awards ceremony to symbolize your work and achievement!
Have a short speech prepared in case you win. Don’t tempt the sound-person to begin taking part in music over your rambling remarks.
Stage 8: Afterwards
Whether or not you win or not, this second is value celebrating.
- Be ready for additional PR to speak in regards to the expertise.
- Do an audit in your net properties and press blurbs so as to add “Grammy-winning” or “Grammy-nominated” wherever it belongs!
- Don’t let your dues lapse. Preserve energetic within the Recording Academy so you may construct extra relationships, vote on subsequent yr’s nominations, and increase your individual probabilities of future recognition.
And that’s it!
This guidelines solely spans two full years. Straightforward. Haha.
Hopefully it’s been an excellent overview of all the pieces it takes to qualify for a Grammy.
Cleary that you must plan prematurely and be actively engaged within the Recording Academy.
So the very best place to start your Grammy journey is on the Grammy web site itself.