If you’re like me, nothing confuses you more than the Grammy Awards. Though a statement like this is expected from a music snob like me, who guffaws at mainstream music, my queries are more to do with the rules and regulations of this annual ceremony than as to why another banal pop artist is nominated for album of the year. That is a different column altogether.

No, my fair readers. I’m sure you can relate to my bewilderment when looking at the nominations year after year. Questions like “What’s the difference between record of the year and album of the year?,” “How is that artist nominated this year when their album came out in 2008?,” and “How are the winners chosen?” These uncertainties throttle my brain every year as I peruse the nomination list. I’m sure I’m not alone in my confusion.

Let’s face it, the Grammy Awards have always seemed rather out of touch with music. Just look at the last two years for example. Herbie Hancock and Alison Krauss & Robert Plant took home best albums of the year? I’m sure I wasn’t alone in letting out a big “HUH?!!” at the television screen. Who wins over who is going to be a constant debate among viewers. There are still grumblings over Jethro Tull beating out Metallica for best hard rock/metal album in ’88, and this year the whining and moaning have already started to clog the blogs, with Lady Gaga being excluded from best new artist category and the late Michael Jackson not being nominated for his This Is It album. So it’s my mission to make some sense out of these nonsense decisions.

When researching the ins and outs, rules and regulations and constant changes by the Recording Academy, it turns out that I’m not just a dim viewer with standard questions. The Grammy Awards’ rules read like a chemistry textbook to me. So confusing!

I’ve decided to get down to the nitty-gritty of this annual award show and break down their convoluted system into less-confusing terms. Hopefully my Grammy 101 guide will help everyone understand the basics of this utterly annoying show.

 

Eligibility
This could possibly be the most mind-boggling rule that the Grammy Awards have, not because it changes all the time or is complicated, but because it just doesn’t make sense that the eligibility timelines are the way they are. Let me explain.

Take a look at this year’s nominees. Do a lot of them look familiar? Does it seem like some of the albums came out ages ago? Weren’t some even nominated at LAST year’s awards? Yes, yes and yes.

For instance, British singer Adele was nominated at last year’s award show for best new artist, song of the year, record of the year and best female pop performance, AND this year’s award show for best female pop performance – both for the same album. Huh? I know!

Though Beyoncé’s I Am...Sasha Fierce’s mind-boggling 10 nominations this year raises a few eyebrows artistically, the most confusing part is the fact that this album was released in 2008. 

To answer these questions, look below for the Grammy Awards eligibility rules.

- According to the Grammys website, for the 52nd annual Grammy Awards albums must be released between Oct. 1, 2008 and Aug. 31, 2009.
- Recordings must be in general distribution in the United States.
- The eligibility period shifted this year from Sept. 31, 2009 to Aug. 31, 2009 because of the change in the Grammy Award televised ceremony which was moved from the first Sunday in February to the last Sunday in January. According to Recording Academy head Neil Portnow, the four-week shortening eligibility period was to have the proper amount of time to vet and go through all the processes that require manpower.

This is why Beyoncé’s album, which was released on Nov. 18, 2008, can be nominated in the 2010 awards. It was released within the eligibility period. This also means that any album which was released after Aug. 31, 2009, won’t be eligible until 2011 (including Michael Jackson’s This Is It album).

This is the MAJOR problem with the Grammys appearing out of touch. Beyonce’s album was great, sure. But it had its time in the spotlight. We’ve moved on. She’s moved on. By having this gigantic window of eligibility, it makes albums which seemed to have been released ages ago old news. Solution? Follow every other award show like the Oscars and make the eligibility period within one year. Geeez!

How can Adele be nominated in the same category (best female pop performance) two years in a row? Easy. Best female pop performance isn’t for an album release but for a single or track released in the eligibility period. For the 2009 ceremony, she was nominated for the track “Chasing Pavements,” which was released within the time period. This year she is nominated for “Hometown Glory,” which was a single track released separately from her album 19 within this year’s time period. Got it?

Now for the Lady Gaga mess.

How can Lady Gaga not be nominated for best new artist?
I know, I know. Of course she should be nominated for best new artist! In 2009, she became a pop culture zeitgeist, scored multiple No. 1 singles and sold more than 1.53 million copies of her debut The Fame. However, because her single “Just Dance” was nominated last year for best dance recording, she is ineligible for the best new artist category according to Grammy regulations, which are these:

“Best New Artist is a new artist who releases, during the Eligibilty Year, the first recording which establishes the public identity of that artist.”

That means an artist who has previously received a nomination at a prior ceremony cannot be in the running for best new artist at future Grammys, unless the artist was a “non-featured” performer on the previously-nominated track, such as a minor guest on a song.

According to Entertainment Weekly’s Music Mix blog, Recording Academy chief Neil Portnow was considering changes to the best new artist category, saying “the awards and nominations committee meets to review the rules every year. We change the rules frequently. We recognize that situation is not perfect, and we are looking at ways to figure it out.”


What is the difference between album of the year and record of the year?
This question has made me scratch my head every year, and the answer is quite simple.

According to Grammy.com, the record of the year category is awarded to the performer and the production team of a single song. Album of the year category is awarded to the performer and the production team of a full album.

OK, then what is the difference between record of the year and song of the year?
Good one. While record of the year is awarded to the performer and production team of a single song, song of the year is awarded to the writer or composer of a single song.

How are the nominees and winners selected?
Phew! This is a doozy so hold on tight.

Again, according to Grammy.com (such an informative site!), the nomination process begins with members and record companies submitting entries which are then screened for eligibility and category placement. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences voting members then participate in the nominating process and the final voting process.

After the submissions are reviewed by more than 150 experts in various fields to make sure each entry is eligible, the first-round ballots are sent to voting members. These members are directed to only vote in their fields of expertise, and may nominate in the four general categories (record of the year, album of the year, song of the year and best new artist) and in no more than nine of the 29 fields. The votes are tabulated. The five recordings that earn the most votes become the nominees.

The final-round ballots are sent to voting members of the Recording Academy. They then vote for the winner of the categories and do not know who the winner is until the televised ceremony.

Grammy Interesting Facts
Did you know...

- Georg Solti holds the title for winning the most Grammy awards, with 31. He is an orchestral and operatic conductor. Quincy Jones is second with 27 wins and Alison Krauss is third with 26 wins.
- There are currently 29 fields and 109 categories within those fields, including categories I didn’t know existed such as best historical album, best musical show album and best spoken word album, which includes nominees like Michael J. Fox for his album Always Looking Up. Believe it or not, actor Johnny Depp is nominated for best album notes for the release of Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson – Music from the Film.
- The first Grammy Awards were held on May. 4, 1959, with only 22 given out.
- The Grammys were originally launched to ward off the threat of rock ‘n’ roll explosion. The best rock and roll recording category wasn’t added until 1962.
- The first Grammy for a rap performance went to DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (Will Smith) in 1989.
- In 1989, Milli Vanilli became the first artists stripped of their Grammy.
- LeAnn Rimes is the youngest person to win a top Grammy, in 1997 at the age of 14.
- Only three artists have won best new artist and record of the year in one year – Sheryl Crow, Christopher Cross and Norah Jones.
- Sinead O’Connor is the only artist to refuse a Grammy for her album I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got in 1990.
- Carlos Santana and Michael Jackson are tied for the most wins in one year – eight.

The Grammy Awards air Sunday Jan. 31 at 8 p.m. ET, on Global/CBS.

 

Do you have any Grammy questions I can answer? Who do you want to win this year? Do you think the Grammys are out of touch? Any thoughts or questions? Email me at jessica.russell@tvguide.ca.

 

JESSICA’S JUKEBOX: FRESH TUNES YOU GOTTA HEAR

Los Campesinos! – Romance Is Boring (Arts & Crafts)
It’s hard to imagine Welsh septet Los Campesinos’ rambunctious, sing-along, indie-pop style teetering on the more serious side if you’ve become accustomed to their hyperactive dance parties on their previous two albums. But, don’t worry. The Campesinos crew could never make an album that’s all tucked-in-shirts and buttoned-up collars. On Romance is Boring, though the mood is very much angsty with frustrated lyrics of lost love and death over more structured punk-rock layers, their raucous, jangly pop anthems and twee thrills still poke through on bouncy jaunts like “Who Fell Asleep In” and “There Are Listed Buildings.” This third album is a welcomed evolution showing the band brooding and taking a more mature approach to their music.
Recommended if you dig...Violent Femmes or the Smiths.

Magnetic Fields – Realism (Nonesuch/Warner)
Magnetic Fields has always been a band that's never remained stagnant. Always transitioning, always moving on to the next version of themselves. On this anticipated ninth album, leader Stephen Merritt and his merry band depart from their Jesus & Mary Chain shoe-gaze tribute on their fantastic 2008 album, Distortion, and venture into more acoustic ‘60s style folk songs. What hasn’t changed is Magnetic Field’s method of creating lush, playful wall of sounds that coat each song and Merritt’s Leonard Cohen drone acts as the tour guide. Merritt calls this album a “kaleidoscope approach to a genre” and that element of surprise is behind each track, keeping listeners on their toes, eager to find what’s going to happen next.
Recommended if you dig...Joy Division or Phil Spector.

Owen Pallett – Heartland (Domino Records)
Canadian maestro Owen Pallett may have changed his stage name from Final Fantasy back to his given name, but thank goodness not much else was altered when it comes to his immaculate opus. In a way, Pallett is baring his true self and becoming more human by not hiding behind a persona and this translates beautifully on this followup to his Polaris Prize-winning album He Poos Clouds. Heartland finds a perfect balance between Pallett’s symphonic compositions (lead by his masterful violin playing) and eccentric sensibilities. His eerily operatic vocals always turn his songs into a Broadway production and the theatrical elements on here are truly a creation of genius.
Recommended if you dig...Hidden Cameras or Sufjan Stevens.

 

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