How To Get Nominated For A Grammy

How Do You Submit Your Music to the Grammys? Grammy-Nominated Producer James McKinney Explains

Posted by Shanon Lee on Feb 23, 2015 08:00 AM

James McKinney (heart). (Image via grammy.com)

Information technology goes without saying that a Grammy is the most prestigious accolade in the recording manufacture. But how practise you commencement your journey down the path to a golden gramophone? Grammy-nominated producer, label-owner, and songwriter James McKinney has built his career working with indie artists. His co-writing, co-production, and performance contributed to Carolyn Malachi's 2011 Grammy nomination, and Wayna's and Kokayi's Grammy nominations in 2009.

Every bit a member of the the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), aka The Recording Academy, for over seven years, McKinney has served on the national lath equally an contained producer. Have you always wondered how to submit your music for consideration? In this interview, he breaks downward the process.

What are the eligibility requirements?

You lot accept to be a member of The Recording Academy to personally submit your music. Even so, a member tin can submit music for not-members. Joining The Recording University was the best professional conclusion I e'er made for my career. I became a voting fellow member because I had a number of published recordings, but there are dissimilar levels based on your ain musical state of affairs. Just visit grammy.org and apply for membership.

NARAS wants to include artists that are committed to recording and performing music as their career, not but as a hobby. If the commitees run into that you made one album ten years agone, or if yous're actively performing just don't have whatsoever recording feel, you lot may not exist approved for membership. The principal thing to worry about is making certain yous're presenting yourself as a professional person. Have a professional website, marketing materials, recordings, and everything you should have as a professional recording artist.

Note: For the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, the last solar day to become an eligible member (a member with paid ante) was July 31, 2014. Eligible albums had to be released between October. ane, 2013 and Sept. 30, 2014, and had to exist commercial releases in general distribution in the United States. You lot can expect similar dates for the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, simply bank check their FAQ page for any updates.

How do you lot submit your music for Grammy consideration?

There is an internal membership website where you enter all the liner notation information for your music (i.east., release date, tracks, personnel, etc.) and relevant metadata. And then, you print out a confirmation class and mail in your CD.

Note: The Recording Academy has established an Awards Department Helpline for submission support. Give them a band at 877-637-6816.

What happens next?

You wait. I tin tell you from being a voting member that it is a very detailed process. First, the Grammy committees review the entries to brand certain they're in the right categories. Once they're properly categorized, a ballot goes out to every voting member "for their consideration." That doesn't hateful those songs or albums are nominated. Keep in mind: there could exist hundreds or thousands of entries for a single category. Members vote for entries they desire on the final ballot, and those votes are sent to Deloitte for auditing.

In one case those results are received, an skillful committee comprised of the all-time producers and artists in the earth votes once again to come up upward with a final ballot after listening to a height percent of nominations. They can also elect to mind to entries that aren't in the meridian percentage and take a blind vote to add those contenders to the final ballot. Those votes go to Deloitte, and the final ballot is released. The nominees are contacted. Then, members vote on the entries in the tiptop of their categories, and the results aren't revealed until the awards ceremony.

How realistic is it to be nominated for a Grammy?

I submitted my music never thinking in a million years that it would ever be nominated for a Grammy. But yous never know what might happen. One thing that helps is beingness agile in your local music scene and inside your local NARAS chapter so people know who you are and become familiar with your music. The Recording Academy'due south voting process has qualitative integrity. No system volition ever be perfect, but it promotes interim ethically for the integrity of the process.

I can honestly say it's a very well-run system. The only people I hear speculating near the fairness of the procedure are not-members or inactive members. Be the change yous want to see. If the music you lot like is not being represented, make corking music, join the Recording Academy, and submit your work. More than importantly, do your best to make inspiring music. Don't exercise anything for the fame or recognition y'all think it tin can get you.

Shanon Lee is a professional person writer and contained recording artist. Her bylines include The Huffington Post, MariaShriver.com, xoJane.com, and many other digital publications. While recording her second EP, Shanon also provides consultation to aspiring singers and music recording studio owners that wish to expand their business organization.