By Sophia Christensen
The 63rd GRAMMY Awards are right around the corner, airing January 31, on CBS, meaning the nominations are out now. However, have you ever wondered how nominees and winners get selected at the Grammy Awards? Lucky for you, here is a little insight on how the voting process works. Only Recording Academy voting members are eligible to vote for the GRAMMY Awards. These voting members are artists, producers, and musicians, those involved firsthand with the creation of music. This means that GRAMMY winners are determined by the peers of artists, musicians, songwriters and producers. Recording Academy members are classified as either voting, professional, or student members. Voting members are artists, producers, and/or musicians; professional members are music industry professionals; and student members are those studying to be involved in the music industry. The Grammy Awards include 84 categories within 30 fields. Each field has a number of categories within it. Find out who is nominated in a few of the 84 categories in the nominees list below.
1. Record Of The Year
Award to the Artist and to the Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s) and/or Mixer(s) and mastering engineer(s), if other than the artist.
“BLACK PARADE”
Beyoncé
Beyoncé & Derek Dixie, producers; Stuart White, engineer/mixer; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer
“Colors”
Black Pumas
Adrian Quesada, producer; Adrian Quesada, engineer/mixer; JJ Golden, mastering engineer
“ROCKSTAR”
DaBaby Featuring Roddy Ricch
SethinTheKitchen, producer; Derek “MixedByAli” Ali, Chris Dennis & Liz Robson, engineers/mixers; Susan Tabor, mastering engineer
“Say So”
Doja Cat
Tyson Trax, producer; Clint Gibbs, engineer/mixer; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
“everything i wanted”
Billie Eilish
Finneas O’Connell, producer; Rob Kinelski & Finneas O’Connell, engineers/mixers; John Greenham, mastering engineer
“Don’t Start Now”
Dua Lipa
Caroline Ailin & Ian Kirkpatrick, producers; Josh Gudwin, Drew Jurecka & Ian Kirkpatrick, engineers/mixers; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer
“Circles”
Post Malone
Louis Bell, Frank Dukes & Post Malone, producers; Louis Bell & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
“Savage”
Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé
Beyoncé & J. White Did It, producers; Stuart White, engineer/mixer; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer
2. Album Of The Year
Award to Artist(s) and to Featured Artist(s), Songwriter(s) of new material, Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s), Mixer(s) and Mastering Engineer(s) credited with at least 33% playing time of the album, if other than Artist.
chilombo
Jhené Aiko
Fisticuffs & Julian-Quán Việt Lê, producers; Fisticuffs, Julian-Quán Việt Lê, Zeke Mishanec, Christian Plata & Gregg Rominiecki, engineers/mixers; Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo, Julian-Quán Việt Lê, Maclean Robinson & Brian Keith Warfield, songwriters; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer
Black Pumas (Deluxe Edition)
Black Pumas
Jon Kaplan & Adrian Quesada, producers; Adrian Quesada, Jacob Sciba, Stuart Sikes & Erik Wofford, engineers/mixers; Eric Burton & Adrian Quesada, songwriters; JJ Golden, mastering engineer
Everyday Life
Coldplay
Daniel Green, Bill Rahko & Rik Simpson, producers; Mark “Spike” Stent, engineer/mixer; Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters; Emily Lazar, mastering engineer
Djesse Vol. 3
Jacob Collier
Jacob Collier, producer; Ben Bloomberg & Jacob Collier, engineers/mixers; Jacob Collier, songwriter; Chris Allgood & Emily Lazar, mastering engineers
Women in Music Pt. III
HAIM
Rostam Batmanglij, Danielle Haim & Ariel Rechtshaid, producers; Rostam Batmanglij, Jasmine Chen, John DeBold, Matt DiMona, Tom Elmhirst, Joey Messina-Doerning & Ariel Rechtshaid, engineers/mixers; Rostam Batmanglij, Alana Haim, Danielle Haim, Este Haim & Ariel Rechtshaid, songwriters; Emily Lazar, mastering engineer
Future Nostalgia
Dua Lipa
Koz, producer; Josh Gudwin & Cameron Gower Poole, engineers/mixers; Clarence Coffee Jr. & Dua Lipa, songwriters; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer
Hollywood’s Bleeding
Post Malone
Louis Bell & Frank Dukes, producers; Louis Bell & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Louis Bell, Adam Feeney, Austin Post & Billy Walsh, songwriters; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
folklore
Taylor Swift
Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, producers; Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner, Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Jonathan Low & Laura Sisk, engineers/mixers; Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, songwriters; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer
3. Song Of The Year
A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.
“BLACK PARADE”
Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk & Rickie “Caso” Tice, songwriters (Beyoncé)
“The Box”
Samuel Gloade & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (Roddy Ricch)
“cardigan”
Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
“Circles”
Louis Bell, Adam Feeney, Kaan Gunesberk, Austin Post & Billy Walsh, songwriters (Post Malone)
“Don’t Start Now”
Caroline Ailin, Ian Kirkpatrick, Dua Lipa & Emily Warren, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
“everything i wanted”
Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
“I Can’t Breathe”
Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)
“If The World Was Ending”
Julia Michaels & JP Saxe, songwriters (JP Saxe Featuring Julia Michaels)
4. Best New Artist
This category recognizes an artist whose eligibility-year release(s) achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape.
Ingrid Andress
Phoebe Bridgers
Chika
Noah Cyrus
D Smoke
Doja Cat
KAYTRANADA
Megan Thee Stallion
5. Best Pop Solo Performance
For new vocal or instrumental pop recordings. Singles or Tracks only.
“Yummy”
Justin Bieber
“Say So”
Doja Cat
“everything i wanted”
Billie Eilish
“Don’t Start Now’
Dua Lipa
“Watermelon Sugar”
Harry Styles
“cardigan”
Taylor Swift
6. Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
For new vocal or instrumental duo/group or collaborative pop recordings. Singles or Tracks only.
“UN DIA (ONE DAY)”
J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny & Tainy
“Intentions”
Justin Bieber Featuring Quavo
“Dynamite”
BTS
“Rain On Me”
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande
“exile”
Taylor Swift Featuring Bon Iver
7. Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new traditional pop recordings.
Blue Umbrella
(Burt Bacharach &) Daniel Tashian
True Love: A Celebration Of Cole Porter
Harry Connick, Jr.
American Standard
James Taylor
Unfollow The Rules
Rufus Wainwright
Judy
Renée Zellweger
8. Best Pop Vocal Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new pop vocal recordings.
Changes
Justin Bieber
Chromatica
Lady Gaga
Future Nostalgia
Dua Lipa
Fine Line
Harry Styles
folklore
Taylor Swift
9. Best Dance Recording
For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances. Vocal or Instrumental. Singles or tracks only.
“On My Mind”
Diplo & SIDEPIECE
Diplo & SIDEPIECE, producers; Luca Pretolesi, mixer
“My High”
Disclosure Featuring Aminé & Slowthai
Guy Lawrence & Howard Lawrence, producers; Guy Lawrence, mixer
“The Difference”
Flume Featuring Toro y Moi
Flume, producer; Eric J Dubowsky, mixer
“Both Of Us”
Jayda G
Fred Again.. & Jayda G, producers; Fred Again.. & Jayda G, mixers
“10%”
Kaytranada Featuring Kali Uchis
Kaytranada, producer; Neal H. Pogue, mixer
10. Best Dance/Electronic Album
For vocal or instrumental albums. Albums only.
“KiCk i”
Arca
“PLANET’S MAD”
Baauer
“ENERGY”
Disclosure
“BUBBA”
Kaytranada
“Good Faith”
Madeon
11. Best Rock Song
A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Rock, Hard Rock and Metal songs. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.
“Kyoto”
Phoebe Bridgers, Morgan Nagler & Marshall Vore, songwriters (Phoebe Bridgers)
“Lost In Yesterday”
Kevin Parker, songwriter (Tame Impala)
“Not”
Adrianne Lenker, songwriter (Big Thief)
“Shameika”
Fiona Apple, songwriter (Fiona Apple)
“Stay High”
Brittany Howard, songwriter (Brittany Howard)
12. Best Rock Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new rock, hard rock or metal recordings.
A Hero’s Death
Fontaines D.C.
KIWANUKA
Michael Kiwanuka
Daylight
Grace Potter
SOUND & FURY
Sturgill Simpson
The New Abnormal
The Strokes
13. Best Alternative Music Album
Vocal or Instrumental.
Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Fiona Apple
Hyperspace
Beck
Punisher
Phoebe Bridgers
Jaime
Brittany Howard
The Slow Rush
Tame Impala
R&B
14. Best Rap Performance
For a Rap performance. Singles or Tracks only.
“Deep Reverence”
Big Sean Featuring Nipsey Hussle
“BOP”
DaBaby
“WHATS POPPIN”
Jack Harlow
“The Bigger Picture”
Lil Baby
“Savage”
Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé
“Dior”
Pop Smoke
15. Best Melodic Rap Performance
For a solo or collaborative performance containing both elements of R&B melodies and Rap.
“ROCKSTAR”
DaBaby Featuring Roddy Ricch
“Laugh Now, Cry Later”
Drake Featuring Lil Durk
“Lockdown”
Anderson .Paak
“The Box”
Roddy Ricch
“HIGHEST IN THE ROOM”
Travis Scott
16. Best Rap Song
A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only..
“The Bigger Picture”
Dominique Jones, Noah Pettigrew & Rai’shaun Williams, songwriters (Lil Baby)
“The Box”
Samuel Gloade & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (Roddy Ricch)
“Laugh Now, Cry Later”
Durk Banks, Rogét Chahayed, Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Ron LaTour & Ryan Martinez, songwriters (Drake Featuring Lil Durk)
“ROCKSTAR”
Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, Ross Joseph Portaro IV & Rodrick Moore, songwriters (DaBaby Featuring Roddy Ricch)
“Savage”
Beyoncé, Shawn Carter, Brittany Hazzard, Derrick Milano, Terius Nash, Megan Pete, Bobby Session Jr., Jordan Kyle Lanier Thorpe & Anthony White, songwriters (Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé)
17. Best Rap Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new rap recordings.
Black Habits
D SMOKE
Alfredo
Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist
A Written Testimony
Jay Electronica
King’s Disease
Nas
The Allegory
Royce Da 5’9