How to Increase Chance of Winning a Grammy
Want to know how to increase chance of winning a Grammy? It really is possible as a DIY or independent artist.
How to Increase Chance of Winning a Grammy
by Chris Robley of Reverbnation Blog
No record deal, manager, or publicist?
No Gold or Platinum certification from the RIAA?
No music videos on YouTube with 1,000,000,000+ views?
You can still win a Grammy, the most prestigious award in the music industry. Yes, you!
An impressive number of independent musicians win Grammy awards every year, and in this step-by-step guide, I’ll show you how to:
- Become a voting member of the Recording Academy
- Be eligible for a Grammy nomination
- Run a “For Your Consideration” campaign
- Increase your chances of winning
But before we explore the chronological steps you should take to win a Grammy, here are a few big-picture things to keep in mind.
Forget the televised awards
You need to have realistic expectations.
The specific awards you probably think of whenever you hear “Grammys” — Best New Artist, Album of the Year, etc. — yeah, those are likely NOT the awards you’ll be able to win as an independent musician.
The Grammy Awards process is a small industry unto itself, with its own customs and networks of influence. And to put it simply: If it’s an award they announce on TV, that statuette is probably going home with a major label artist.
However, there are many other awards that are given out earlier in the night before the prime-time TV broadcast. Aim for THOSE awards!
WHY try to win a Grammy?
There are a lot of reasons you might want a Grammy, or even a Grammy nomination.
Validation. Your friends, family, fans, and the wider industry may take greater notice of your talents and achievements.
A celebration. Of your own hard work, and the support your fans have shared with you.
A resumé-builder that opens new revenue opportunities, better concerts, collaborations, or placements.
But be warned…
It still involves marketing
Whenever you want your music to gain recognition, you need to get the attention of the right people. That usually takes music marketing.
In the case of the Grammys, you’re trying to convince a different kind of person to love your music. You’re not looking for fans in the traditional sense.
Instead, you want the attention of voting members of the Recording Academy — most of whom are fellow music-makers and industry professionals.
That’s going to take work. In the form of a “For Your Consideration” campaign that I’ll outline later in this article.
You MUST follow the rules
There are a lot of details, eligibility timelines, and deadlines. If you want to win a Grammy, you have to follow all the rules in the official rulebook.
One big one: You CANNOT ask someone to vote for you!
This process isn’t for every artist
Given that the Grammy process involves marketing, networking, and possible advertising or PR expenses, it’s not for everyone. It can take a lot of time and money.
It’s also likely not for artists who are at the start of their careers. “Best New Artist,” of course, goes to a debut act. But when you’re aiming for a more niche, genre-based award, you are more likely to win as an independent artist if you have a resumé of success and a positive reputation among your peers.
Lastly, you should be making great music. A mediocre album is not going to garner the respect (and votes) of Grammy members. So make sure it’s a record you’re extremely proud of, with great songs, arrangements, performances, production, and mixing. Plus a great story. The story is often how you’ll attract initial attention for the music.
A quick overview of the Grammy process
What most people know of the Grammys is what they see on TV once a year. But there’s a lot that happens in the year prior, building up to the big night.
The process begins long before the awards show when members of the Recording Academy, media companies, and record labels submit entries — about 20,000 entries per year — during the OEP (online entry process).
What makes a song or album eligible for a Grammy?
According to the Grammy’s website:
- Recordings must be released during the eligibility year. For example, for the 2025 Grammys, recordings released between September 16, 2023 and August 30, 2024 are eligible.
- Recordings must be available for purchase or streaming, and meet the industry standard of 16-bit, 44.1 kHz.
- Each song must have proper metadata, including songwriters and producers, and an International Standard Recording Code (ISRC).
- Albums must have a total playing time of 15 minutes with at least five tracks, or 30 minutes with no minimum number of tracks.
- For albums, more than 75% of the recordings must be new and not previously released.
Each submission is then screened by The Recording Academy Awards Department to confirm its eligibility.
After that, genre-based screening committees — comprised of 300+ experts — review submissions to place them in the appropriate category.
These groups are not making critical or merit-based judgements at this point; they are simply ensuring the submissions are eligible and properly categorized.
First-Round Voting for Grammys
Following that step, there’s the “First Round” ballot. In this first round of voting, members of the Academy in good standing (meaning they’ve paid their dues) go through entries in their respective fields of expertise, helping to determine the five finalists in each category.
These voting members are, according to the Grammys:
Active creative professionals involved in the recording process, such as performers, songwriters, producers, and engineers.
Each voting member can vote in up to ten categories across three genre fields, plus the six categories in the “General Field,” including:
- Record of the Year
- Album of the Year
- Song of the Year
- Best New Artist
- Producer of the Year (Non-Classical)
- Songwriter of the Year (Non-Classical)
If you’d like to become a voting member of the Recording Academy, go HERE.
Final-Round Voting for Grammys
After the First Round voting determines the five finalists in each category, there is a final voting process to decide who wins the Grammy.
Again, members are directed to vote only in categories where they are peers of the nominees and have relevant genre-expertise.
The voting is managed by a firm (Deloitte & Touche LLP) who keeps the results secret until the day of the Grammy Awards, when sealed envelopes are delivered with the names of the winners.
NOTE: Certain “Craft” categories that recognize a very specialised field of expertise have a slightly different voting process, so for all the details, see the Grammy rulebook.
Those envelopes bring us to the final step in the process…
The Grammy Awards Show
The recording with the most votes wins! In the case of ties (pretty rare), the tied nominees are both considered winners.
Nominees receive a medallion and certificate. Winners are given the Grammy award statuette, as long as they agree to these terms.
The next show — the 67th Annual Grammy Awards — is happening on February 2, 2025 at the Crypto.com Area in LA. It will also air live on CBS.
Most of the awards are presented BEFORE the televised portion, but you can live stream the whole thing on live.grammy.com and YouTube.
Any recording that wins an award in 2025 will have entered the online submission process the prior summer (between July 17, 2024 – August 30, 2024), and will have had a release date between September 16, 2023 and August 30, 2024.
Your step-by-step guide to winning a Grammy
Okay, now that you’re familiar with the process at a high level, let’s give you a chronological action plan.
Stage 1: Become a voting member of the Recording Academy
(24 months before Grammy submission, if possible)
Not only will this help you to later submit your album for Grammy consideration, it’ll also give you an insider’s look at the entire process.
As a voting member, you’ll better understand the timelines and requirements, and you’ll have first-hand knowledge of what gets the attention of voting members. This will empower you to run a more effective “For Your Consideration” campaign a year or two down the line.
- Network with existing Grammy members. Attend Grammy meetups, both IRL and online. Get active in your local music scene and ask around to see who might already be a member.
- Get two strong recommendations from voting members. You can’t just “join.” And you can’t submit yourself. You must be recommended to the Recording Academy by musical peers (as long as you meet these requirements). If they’re existing members, that’s best — and they can fill out a recommendation for HERE.
- Once the Academy has received the two nominations, you can fill out an artist profile. It must be completed by March 1st to be considered for that year’s class. You’ll get an email notification when it’s time to fill out the profile. Just be sure both people who recommended you for membership use the same email address for you.
- A peer review panel will then consider you for membership. You’ll be notified by July if you are accepted, and you’ll have until that year’s voting period to accept.
- If accepted, be active in all nomination and voting processes, as well as any networking opportunities.
- Keep paying your dues! You want to remain in good standing when it’s time to submit your own music for a Grammy.
Stage 2: Pre-Release Preparation
1. PLAN FOR A GRAMMY-WORTHY ALBUM
(12-24 months before Grammy submission)
- Select the best songs, players, engineer(s), and producer(s). Members of the Recording Academy are encouraged to vote for music based on excellence, not popularity. Book your creative team well in advance to ensure they’re available.
- Collaborate with former Grammy-nominees and winners (if possible); you may boost your music’s visibility and gain insight about the Grammy nomination process.
- Research the Grammy categories most closely associated with your sound.
- Clarify your target audience and genre beforehand so your recording sessions are focused in the right direction.
2. MAKE THE MUSIC
(6-18 months before submission)
- Now it’s time to put your Grammy ambitions aside for a bit, and just make great music. Your pre-recording prep helped you create parameters for the project, but Grammy awards are ultimately given to artists who put the art first and made great creative choices, not the ones who most closely adhere to existing stylistic conventions.
- Make sure your music is professionally mixed and mastered.
- Create a visual identity for your music, including memorable album artwork, press photos, and more.
- Shoot behind-the-scenes video of your recording process, as well as interviews about the meaning of the songs, or anything else that will help tell the story of the music.
3. BUILD A PROFESSIONAL TEAM
(6-12 months before submission)
- Don’t spend your whole budget on the recording. Save a sizable amount of your budget to hire any management consultants, promoters, PR experts, or marketing agencies that you want to support your release. If your publicist has experience running “For Your Consideration” campaigns on behalf of previous Grammy-nominees, that’s a huge benefit here.
- Work with these pros to craft the story of your album. While some of your efforts will be focused on fan-facing promo, be sure to write a version of your story that will appeal to voting members of the Recording Academy.
Stage 3: The music Release Strategy
(3-12 months before Grammy submission)
1. SET A RELEASE DATE WITHIN THE ELIGIBILITY WINDOW
- That window has closed for the 2025 Grammy Awards, which means you’re now looking at 2026 or beyond.
- Plan your album or single release early enough to allow ample time for promotion and engagement before the next OEP (“online entry process”).
2. DISTRIBUTE YOUR MUSIC
- Your music needs to be commercially available to the public during the eligibility period, so choose a trusted music distributor.
- Through the distributor, release your music onto all the relevant streaming services.
3. BUILD BUZZ
- Once your music is available, promote it! On social, email, through vertical video, music advertising, touring, blogs, playlists, and more.
- While Grammy voting is based on quality and not popularity, the more public attention your music receives, the more likely voting members will be to know who you are. The more aware they are in advance, the less work you’ll have to do in FYC introductions.
Stage 4: Submit your music for Grammy Consideration
(During the next OEP)
- As a voting member in good standing already, you can submit your own album for Grammy consideration!
- Again, pay close attention to all the submission deadlines and eligibility criteria. But as a member, you’ll probably be well informed. Usually, the first round of submissions begins in late summer and closes in early fall.
Stage 5: Launch the “For Your Consideration” Campaign
(Once you’ve submitted your music)
Time to make voting members aware of your music, and that you’d like them to listen and take it into consideration as they prepare to cast their first-round ballots. To begin:
1. CREATE A FYC LANDING PAGE ON YOUR ARTIST WEBSITE.
It can be public (for convenience), but should NOT be accessible via the top navigation bar. In other words, you want voting members to easily access the page, but it’s not meant for fans.
The page should contain:
- Grammy-related language such as “GRAMMY®” or “GRAMMY Awards®” — so voting members know they’re in the right place
- Embedded behind-the-scenes video or promo reel
- A concise and captivating story about the music
- Short artist bio with career highlights
- Hi-res artwork and press photos related to the project
- Clear description of the music
- List of collaborators and credits
- Links to your album on streaming and related content (not just Spotify!)
- Contact info for media inquiries
The page should NOT:
- Contain any trash-talking about other nominees, artists, or albums
- Exaggerate any details about the project
- Use the Grammy logo
- Include a personal signature or a direct request to vote for the project
Read that last one again. You CANNOT ask voting members to vote for you. You can’t bribe them. No gifting. No vote-trading. You can only ask them to CONSIDER your music.
And although this guide gives pretty thorough directions, it’s always advisable to read the latest Grammy rulebook each year, because there may be other stipulations about whether or not you can mention sales numbers or streaming metrics, etc.
2. GET THE FYC MESSAGING OUT THERE
(Starting in October)
You want relevant voting members to see your release. If you have an experienced publicist, they’ll be a huge help.
- Don’t spam or DM voting members. You can run email and social campaigns aimed at voting members, but it must include an opt-out (and follow all other Grammy rules).
- Leverage any industry networks you’ve built up to this point — and remind them to listen to your music, and please consider it for the first round of voting.
- Attend Grammy events and mixers.
- Run targeted PR and ad campaigns focusing on FYC messaging in Billboard, Variety, and other trade publications. In fact, Billboard has an annual print edition dedicated to FYC campaigns.
- Digital and print ads should look clean, use artwork that aligns with the FYC page and album branding, have concise ad copy, highlight why it deserves attention within the genre, including the music’s story or prominent collaborators.
- Host your own FYC event if you have the money. Again, follow the Grammy rules because you can’t bribe, gift, or trade your way into votes.
- List your music on the Recording Academy’s FYC website for maximum visibility.
Then it’s time to monitor voting, cross your fingers, and keep getting the FYC word out there!
Stage 6: Final Grammy Voting
(November – January)
You’ve been watching for those nominations. Did you receive one? If so, it’s not time to rest. It’s time to step on the gas for your final awareness campaign leading up to the awards show.
- Change your messaging. Your FYC language will need to shift from outreach and introductions to a final case for your music and story.
- But keep a light touch. Again, no ASKING for votes. But you can now confidently position yourself as a nominee in the final round of consideration. However, you still want to make sure the message highlights the journey at the center of your album, and the value of your music, over any specific nomination, accolades, or metrics. Remember that voting members are mostly artists themselves.
- Amplify your PR efforts by doing more interviews, concert dates, etc.
Stage 7: Go to the show!
(February)
If you can attend the Grammys in person, do it.
If not, there may be Grammy-related events in your area.
But c’mon, if you’re nominated for a Grammy, get to that awards ceremony to represent your work and achievement!
Have a brief speech ready in case you win. Don’t tempt the sound-person to start playing music over your rambling remarks.
Stage 8: Afterwards
Whether you win or not, this moment is worth celebrating.
- Be prepared for further PR to talk about the experience.
- Do an audit on your web properties and press blurbs to add “Grammy-winning” or “Grammy-nominated” wherever it belongs!
- Don’t let your dues lapse. Keep active in the Recording Academy so you can build more relationships, vote on next year’s nominations, and boost your own chances of future recognition.
And that’s it!
This checklist only spans two full years. Easy. Haha.
Hopefully it’s been a good overview of everything it takes to qualify for a Grammy.
Cleary you need to plan in advance and be actively engaged in the Recording Academy.
So the best place to begin your Grammy journey is on the Grammy website itself.
