meta-scriptHow R&B Took Over The 2024 GRAMMYs: From Best New Artist Nominees To The GRAMMY Stage | GRAMMY.com
(From left) Janelle Monáe, Coco Jones, SZA, Robert Glasper, Summer Walker, Chris Brown, Doja Cat, Victoria Monét
(From left) Janelle Monáe, Coco Jones, SZA, Robert Glasper, Summer Walker, Chris Brown, Doja Cat, Victoria Monét

Photos: Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET; Gus Stewart/Redferns; Kyle Gustafson  For The Washington Post via Getty Images; Oupa Bopape/Gallo Images via Getty Images; Nicholas Hunt/FilmMagic; Paul Bergen/Redferns; John Parra/Getty Images for Live Nation; Udo Salters Photography/Getty Images

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How R&B Took Over The 2024 GRAMMYs: From Best New Artist Nominees To The GRAMMY Stage

More than just a set of categories, R&B is a global influence felt across fields at this year’s ceremony. Women are at the forefront, the genre's vets are making a comeback and the R&B Categories are absolutely stacked.

GRAMMYs/Jan 30, 2024 - 02:13 pm

R&B is poised to make a huge impact at the 2024 GRAMMYs

Just a couple of years after critics questioned whether R&B was dead, stars such as SZA, Victoria Monét and Coco Jones are cleaning up with multiple nominations across fields. Women are at the forefront of the current R&B movement, and there’s a multigenerational reverence for recording artists with longevity.    

And they’re not the only ones making noise.

At the 66th GRAMMY Awards, the genre has a broad reach that extends even beyond the categories that have R&B in the title. The genre's sound is present in nominated works in the new Best African Music Performance category, and in Songwriters and producers who excel in this realm are being recognized alongside colleagues who stand out in pop, country, and Latin circles. 

R&B will have a place on the GRAMMY stage, too. SZA will be among the performers during the 2024 GRAMMYs telecast, while Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin, Jordin Sparks and gospel/Christian R&B artist Kirk Franklin will perform during the Premiere Ceremony.

Ahead of Music's Biggest Night on Feb. 4, read on for the myriad ways R&B will be a force to be reckoned with. 

2024 GRAMMYs: Explore More & Meet The Nominees

R&B’s Impact Is Heard Across GRAMMY Categories

Comeback queen SZA is the most-nominated artist at the 2024 GRAMMYs, receiving nine nods. SZA's nominations  extend beyond the R&B categories into the general field and pop sphere: Her "Kill Bill" is nominated for Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year, her sophomore full-length SOS is up for Best Progressive R&B Album and Album Of The Year, both alongside Janelle Monáe’s The Age of Pleasure. And "Ghost In The Machine," a collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers, is vying for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. 

Singer/songwriter Victoria Monét is not far behind in nominations, appearing in seven categories including Best New Artist. She’s also nominated for Record Of The Year and Best R&B Song for "On My Mama," Best R&B Album and Best Engineered Album, Non Classical for Jaguar II, Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Hollywood" and Best R&B Performance for "How Does It Make You Feel." 

Although she is vying for Best New Artist, Monét isn't a first-time nominee. She was nominated twice at the 62nd GRAMMYs for her work with Ariana Grande (Album Of The Year for thank u, next and Record Of The Year for "7 rings") and for Best R&B Song at the 63rd GRAMMYs for "Do It" by Chloe x Halle. Her current nominations  are her first that acknowledge her own solo work.

"I have GRAMMY dreams, I have award show performance dreams, I have world tour dreams," Monét told GRAMMY.com in 2020. "But really just being able to make music a career, and doing what I love—it’s a privilege. I think I’m just trying to keep that perspective, because you can really become wrapped up in this."

First-time GRAMMY nominee Coco Jones is up for golden gramophones in five different categories this year, including Best New Artist alongside Monét. She is also nominated for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance for her smoldering "ICU," Best R&B Album for What I Didn’t Tell You (Deluxe) and Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Simple" with Babyface (a single from his Best R&B Album nominee Girls’ Night Out).

"Being a GRAMMY-nominated artist changes everything. It’s such a different creative mindset when the world says, ‘You’re good, we like what you do,’" Jones recently told GRAMMY.com. "It’s like a gold star. It makes you want to work harder, it makes you wanna continue to impress, and it makes you impressed with yourself, too."

R&B has a strong presence in the Best Melodic Rap Performance category, which honors solo or collaborative performances that use rapping as well as R&B melodies. This year’s nominees include "Attention" by Doja Cat and "Low" by SZA, which respectively find the stars doing both the rapping and singing duties. Other nominees in the category are "Sittin’ On Top Of The World," the Brandy-sampling song by Nigeria’s Burna Boy and rapper 21 Savage; "Spin Bout U" by Drake and 21 Savage, which utilizes the R&B song "Give Me Your Lovin" by Oobie; and "All My Life" by Lil Durk featuring J. Cole, a different tune for the drill rapper.

Two of the nominees for Best African Music Performance, a new category for the 2024 GRAMMYs, bring an international take on R&B mixed with regional styles from the continent: "Rush" by Nigerian singer Ayra Starr and "Water" by South African artist Tyla. The latter song was written by an international team of songwriters including American producer Chris "Tricky" Stewart (who has won three GRAMMYs for his work with Beyoncé and received nominations  for releases by Rihanna and Katy Perry).

"I did not expect a whole GRAMMY nomination, especially so soon," Tyla told Complex. "So it's really just a blessing that I was able to be nominated and be one of the first in the category because it's a new category. It's amazing for South Africa especially." She added in the interview that she’d love to collaborate with fellow American R&B stars SZA and Summer Walker.

Like Victoria Monét, Walker has her first nomination for her own work this year: Best R&B Album for Clear 2: Soft Life EP. Walker was previously nominated for Album Of The Year for her writing work on Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.

R&B Grooves Behind The Scenes 

This year, GRAMMY nominees with significant R&B experience and accolades appear in both the Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical and the Producer Of The Year, Non Classical categories. Both categories are part of the general field this year, rounding out the new "big six" categories.

Nominees for Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical include the Virgin Islands-born Theron Thomas, whose place in the category is attributed to songs including Tyla’s "Been Thinking," Chlöe Bailey and Future’s "Cheatback," Chlöe and Missy Elliott’s "Told Ya," Ciara and Chris Brown’s "How We Roll" and Sekou’s "You and I." Thomas has previously been nominated for his work with Lizzo (Album Of The Year for Special and Song Of The Year for "About Damn Time") at the 63rd GRAMMYs and Best Rap Song for Saweetie and Doja Cat’s "Best Friend" at the 64th GRAMMYs.

In the Producer Of The Year-Non Classical category, Brooklyn’s Dernst "D’Mile" Emile II received a nomination in recognition of his work on Victoria Monét’s Jaguar II. Emile has an impressive five GRAMMY wins and 17 nominations under his belt. Three of his wins are with Silk Sonic for their slow jam, "Leave The Door Open," which won Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best R&B Song. 

He also won golden gramophones for Song Of The Year for "I Can’t Breathe" by H.E.R. and Best Progressive R&B Album for his work on Table for Two by Lucky Daye at the at the 63rd and 64th GRAMMYs, respectively.

The engineers of Alicia Keys’ The Diary of Alicia Keys 20 — an anniversary release of the star’s second album — are nominated for Best Immersive Audio Album, a category created in 2005 and renamed in 2019. The new version of Diary is available in 360RA and Dolby Atmos.

Last year, Chicago house DJ, producer and remixer Terry Hunter was nominated for Best Remixed Recording for his remix of "Break My Soul" by Beyoncé. In 2024, his remix of "Workin’ Hard" by Mariah Carey is in the same category. The song, which appears on Carey’s Music Box: 30th Anniversary Edition, tosses the original’s boom bap hip-hop beat and adds robust instrumentation that lives comfortably in the Venn diagram space that R&B and house shares.

R&B Veterans Get Their Shine

R&B’s longevity will be on full display at the 2024 GRAMMYs via nominees who have withstood personal and professional obstacles to remain relevant in the music business for decades. 

With 11 GRAMMY wins and 53 nominations — including three at the 2024 GRAMMYs — Babyface can always be counted on to stay current with today’s R&B trends. He supports younger artists such as Coco Jones, Ella Mai and Baby Tate on Girls’ Night Out, which is nominated for Best R&B Album, and he is a producer of SZA’s Best R&B Song contender, "Snooze." His current work welcomes back old fans and feeds new listeners who have a taste to explore nostalgia. 

Chris Brown won his first golden gramophone for Best R&B Album at the 54th GRAMMYs in 2012 for F.A.M.E., and dedicated the win to those who have stuck by him. Twelve years later, he is up for Best R&B Performance for "Summer Too Hot" — his 22nd GRAMMY nomination.

To take it even further back to R&B in the rhythm & blues sense, check out I Am Everything, a movie about the late rock and R&B progenitor Little Richard (1932-2020) that is up for Best Music Film. Little Richard was a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and a GRAMMY Hall of Fame inductee. And Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos, a collection of various artists from the seminal record label founded in 1957, is a contender for Best Historical Album.

GRAMMY vets Earth, Wind & Fire have six wins and now 18 nominations under their sparkly belts; the latest nomination is for Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Hollywood" by Victoria Monét. The multi-generational song also features a cooing contribution at the end from Monét’s daughter, Hazel. The two-year-old would become the youngest-ever GRAMMY winner, should "Hollywood" come out on top in the category.

With a live performance by SZA and so much influence and representation across categories, it’s truly R&B’s year at the GRAMMYs. Tune in on Sun., Feb. 4 to watch it on CBS.

2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List

Megan Thee Stallion performs during 2024 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 16, 2024 in Manchester, Tennessee
Megan Thee Stallion performs at 2024 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival

Photo: Erika Goldring/Getty Images

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6 Takeaways From Megan Thee Stallion's 'Megan': Snakes, Shots & Self-Assurance

From the serpentine theme to Japanese rhyme schemes, Megan Thee Stallion's third album snatches back her own narrative and isn't afraid to take a bite.

GRAMMYs/Jun 28, 2024 - 06:07 pm

Beware of venom: Megan Thee Stallion is not biting her tongue on her new album, simply titled Megan.

The GRAMMY winner's first full-length release in two years is also the first to drop under her own control. Fans have been ready for this release even before the first single, "Cobra," came out in November. The second single, "Hiss," followed in January and brought the star her first No. 1 hit on the Billboard’s Hot 100 and Global 200 charts. These songs, as well as the third single, "BOA," foreshadowed a certain slithery theme that helped shape the album.

Megan was released on June 28 and features guest stars such as GloRilla, Victoria Monét, Big K.R.I.T. and Kyle Richh as well as her longtime ace producers like Juicy J (who made "Hot Girl Summer" among other calling cards) and LilJuMadeDaBeat, who produced Stallion anthems like "Big Ole Freak," "Body" and "Thot S—."

Here’s what we learned from listening and vibing to the latest work by three-time GRAMMY winner Megan Thee Stallion.

A Theme Snakes Through Megan

As could have easily been predicted from the first three singles "Cobra," "Hiss" and "BOA," and now the album track "Rattle," there is a hint of a snake theme that wends its way through the album from beginning ("Hiss") to end ("Cobra").

In several songs, she denounces all the snake behavior that she has encountered from former lovers, friends, and haters who support those who have caused actual harm to her. In the music video for "Cobra," Megan literally sheds her old skin to reveal a shining new layer.

Megan Is Calling The Shots This Time 

"I feel like Biggie, 'Who Shot Ya?’/But everybody know who shot me, bitch/ So now, let’s stop speaking on the topic," she rapped in "Who Me (feat. Pooh Shiesty)" off her 2022 album Traumazine. MTS was referencing the July 2020 incident in which rapper Tory Lanez shot her in the foot, and was subsequently charged with assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. 

Turns out, she wasn’t done referencing the topic. Now, she’s one taking the shots. MTS takes aim at less-talented women rappers on "Figueroa" (named for a Los Angeles street known for prostitution), and at Lanez on "Rattle," when she suggests that his male supporters should schedule a conjugal visit with him in prison. (Lanez is currently serving a 10-year sentence while simultaneously going through a divorce with wife Raina Chassagne.)

More Megan Thee Stallion News & Videos

Inspiration Comes From Everywhere

The star and her collaborators incorporate unexpected musical influences on Megan via creative sampling. Megan Thee Stallion speeds up and flips Teena Marie's 1984 ballad "Out on a Limb" for "B.A.S." a song she co-produced with her longtime ally LilJuMadeDaBeat. "BOA" is cleverly crafted from sounds in the first solo hit by Gwen Stefani, 2004’s "What You Waiting For?" 

UGK are reunited from across the heavenly divide on the Juicy J-produced "Paper Together," with Bun B contributing new work and the late Pimp C joining in lyrical spirit. This is especially significant when considering that Juicy J produced "Intl’ Players Anthem (I Choose You)," UGK’s 2007 hit with Outkast. Juicy J also made the beats for Megan’s famous song "Hot Girl Summer." 

That’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to samples waiting to be discovered on Megan. There are many more riffs and other musical notions that the sample bank in our brains have yet to detect.

Self-Love Is Queen 

Whether she’s affirming, "I’m worthy, not worthless" on "Worthy," or literally touching herself in the auto-erotic "Down Stairs DJ" (which joins masturbation masterpieces like Divinyls’ "I Touch Myself" and Tweet’s "Oops"), Megan is grounded in songs that promote self-love as the best kind of love. 

She does admit that this is sometimes a challenge to embody, as when she talks about lingering depression on "Moody Girl." But the album generally moves towards the light.

She Loves Japan 

One of the big surprises on Megan is that she raps in two languages. She rhymes beautifully in Japanese on "Mamushi" with Yuki Chiba, a seasoned rapper from Japan who is influenced by the Southern swag. (Just take a look at the Memphis moves and Houston rhyme schemes of his viral song "Team Tomodachi."

On "Otaku Hot Girl," she raps about the manga series "Naruto" and drops other anime references to show her love of Japanese pop culture. 

Learn more: 10 Neo J-Pop Artists Breaking The Mold In 2024: Fujii Kaze, Kenshi Yonezu & Others 

Megan's Game Is Tight 

Megan is the first album to be released on Megan Thee Stallion’s own label. It follows her split from 1501 Certified Entertainment, a record label with which she was engaged in a protracted and ugly legal battle for earnings. 

She now has the muscle of the major label Warner Brothers as a partner for her independent venture, Hot Girl Productions. She also recorded an Amazon Original song called "It’s Prime Day" for a commercial, as well as an exclusive Amazon edition of Megan

It’s safe to say that this album represents a new level of business freedom and acumen for Megan Thee Stallion.

PRIDE & Black Music Month: Celebrating LGBTQIA+ & Black Voices

Khalid
Khalid

Photo: ro.lexx

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New Music Friday: Listen To New Songs From Khalid, Mariah Carey, NAYEON, And More

From reworked classics to new fresh tunes, take a listen to some of the most exciting tracks that dropped on June 14.

GRAMMYs/Jun 14, 2024 - 03:44 pm

Those pre-summer Fridays just keep rolling on. With each release day, the music community fills our hard drives, playlists and record shelves with more aural goodness.

Granted, to wrangle it all in one place is impossible — but GRAMMY.com can provide a healthy cross-section of what's out there. From here, venture forth into new releases by Luke Combs (Fathers & Sons), Normani (Dopamine), Moneybagg Yo (Speak Now), Jelly Roll ("I Am Not Okay"), and more.

For now, here are nine new songs or albums to explore.

Khalid — "Adore U"

After previously released single "Please Don't Fall in Love With Me," Khalid is back with another luminous ode to romantic disconnection, where he calls for healing amid broken ties.

"Thousand miles apart and you're still in my heart/ Can we take it back?" Khalid pleads in the hook. "I'm waiting at the start/ Fly me to the moon and now I'm seeing stars when we touch."

Khalid hasn't released a full-length album since 2019's Free Spirit. But he's been teasing a new project for a minute: two weeks ago, he shared an Instagram carousel with the caption "5 years later. Here we go again." And the yearning "Adore U" certainly sets the tone for what's to come in Khalid's world.

NAYEON — 'NA'

TWICE's NAYEON is shifting gears towards her highly anticipated solo comeback with the release of NA, a project that spans pop, dance, and more. The follow-up to her debut solo album, 2022's IM NAYEON, NA provides a glimpse into the TWICE member's transition from being daunted by a solo career to finding comfort in the act.

One highlight is the shimmering "Butterflies," which NAYEON described to Rolling Stone as "one of my favorite songs" yet "one of the harder ones to record, actually." Another is the brassy "Magic," which she calls "a very self-confident song." All in all, NA winningly cements NAYEON's identity — irrespective of her main gig.

Mariah Carey — 'Rainbow: 25th Anniversary Extended Edition'

In light of its 25-year anniversary, Mariah Carey revisits her iconic 1999 album, Rainbow, which featured collaborations with fellow household names like Jay-Z, USHER, and Missy Elliott. The new anniversary edition boasts a plethora of remastered and remixed tracks — a treasure trove for Carey acolytes.

One new track is "Rainbow's End," produced by David Morales; Carey described it as "a hopeful ending to an emotional roller-coaster ride." Elsewhere, there's "There For Me," a love letter to her fans that didn't make the album; a new remix of "How Much" by Jermaine Dupri, and some intriguing live recordings and a cappella tracks.

$UICIDEBOY$ — 'New World Depression'

Since at least their debut album, 2018's I Want to Die in New Orleans, rap duo $UICIDEBOY$ have expertly cataloged the bugs beneath the rock of the human experience: addiction, depression, the whole nine yards. New World Depression is a further distillation of their beautifully filthy aesthetic and worldview.

In highlights like "Misery in Waking Hours" and "Transgressions," MCs $crim and Ruby da Cherry's chroniclings of misery are barer than ever: "Hurts too much to give a f— / Demoralized, always lying, telling people I'll be fine," they rap. Who hasn't felt like this, at one point or another?

John Cale — 'POPtical Illusion'

At 82, Velvet Underground violist, multi-instrumentalist and co-founder John Cale is still a tinkerer, a ponderer, an artist in flux rather than stasis. In 2023, when GRAMMY.com asked when he felt he came into his own as an improviser, he immediately replied "Last year."

That interview was centered around that year's solo album, Mercy, another gem in a solo discography full of them. Now, he's already back with a follow-up, POPtical Illusion.

While POPtical Illusion maintains its predecessors' foreboding, topical nature — and then some — tracks like "Laughing in My Sleep" and "Funkball the Brewster" couch these morose topics in a more playful, irreverent aural palette.

Tanner Adell — "Too Easy"

The Twisters soundtrack continues to be a whirlwind of great tunes. The latest dispatch is Tanner Adell's "Too Easy," a country-pop dance floor banger — its video even featuring a performance by dance troupe the PBR Nashville Buckle Bunnies.

"Too Easy" is the fourth song to be released from the Twisters soundtrack, following Tucker Wetmore's "Already Had It," Megan Moroney's "Never Left Me," Bailey Zimmerman's "Hell or High Water," and Luke Combs' "Ain't No Love in Oklahoma." The full album — which features a hoard of country stars, including Lainey Wilson, Thomas Rhett, Tyler Childers and more — will be available on July 19 when the movie hits theaters.

Stonebwoy — "Your Body"

We've clearly caught Ghanian Afropop star Stonebwoy in a jubilant mood. In a teaser for his new song, "Your Body," the singer born Livingstone Satekia undulates on a saturated, red-and-blue backdrop, foreshadowing the sticky summer days we'll spend jamming the tune.

And the full song certainly doesn't disappoint. Interweaving strains of pop, R&B and reggae, with Stonebwoy deftly switching between singing and rapping, "Your Body" will get your body moving.

Toosii — "Where You Been"

Rapper Toosii last teased his upcoming eighth mixtape, JADED, with "Suffice," its lead single released back in November. In the interim, he's been "locked in perfecting a new look a new sound new everything!" as he shared in an Instagram reel. "I just hope you're ready," he added with star and smile emojis.

Said teaser pointed toward a melancholic, weighty ballad, which ended up being the next release from JADED, "Where You Been." Riding a multidimensional, brain-flipping beat, the song is an immersive, thoughtful banger not to be missed.

Victoria Monét — "Power of Two" (from 'The Acolyte')

The latest Star Wars show on Disney+, "The Acolyte," is getting rave reviews — and three-time GRAMMY winner Victoria Monét is now part of its musical universe. She's contributed an original song, "Power of Two," to the end credits of the Lucasfilm series.

Over an ethereal, melancholic beat, the lyrics detail emotions ripe for either terra firma or a galaxy far, far away: "You thought your soul was a necklace/ That you could wear and take off/ That you could rip and break off/ That you could trade in the dark/ But you're mine."

Bring these killer tunes straight into your weekend — and keep checking GRAMMY.com for more brand-new New Music Friday lists!

Victoria Monét's Evolution: How The "On My Mama" Singer Transitioned From Hit Songwriter To Best New Artist Nominee

Photo of a gold GRAMMY trophy against a black background with white lights.
GRAMMY Award statue

Photo: Jathan Campbell

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How Much Is A GRAMMY Worth? 7 Facts To Know About The GRAMMY Award Trophy

Here are seven facts to know about the actual cost and worth of a GRAMMY trophy, presented once a year by the Recording Academy at the GRAMMY Awards.

GRAMMYs/May 1, 2024 - 04:23 pm

Since 1959, the GRAMMY Award has been music’s most coveted honor. Each year at the annual GRAMMY Awards, GRAMMY-winning and -nominated artists are recognized for their musical excellence by their peers. Their lives are forever changed — so are their career trajectories. And when you have questions about the GRAMMYs, we have answers.

Here are seven facts to know about the value of the GRAMMY trophy.

How Much Does A GRAMMY Trophy Cost To Make?

The cost to produce a GRAMMY Award trophy, including labor and materials, is nearly $800. Bob Graves, who cast the original GRAMMY mold inside his garage in 1958, passed on his legacy to John Billings, his neighbor, in 1983. Billings, also known as "The GRAMMY Man," designed the current model in use, which debuted in 1991.

How Long Does It Take To Make A GRAMMY Trophy?

Billings and his crew work on making GRAMMY trophies throughout the year. Each GRAMMY is handmade, and each GRAMMY Award trophy takes 15 hours to produce. 

Where Are The GRAMMY Trophies Made?

While Los Angeles is the headquarters of the Recording Academy and the GRAMMYs, and regularly the home of the annual GRAMMY Awards, GRAMMY trophies are produced at Billings Artworks in Ridgway, Colorado, about 800 miles away from L.A.

Is The GRAMMY Award Made Of Real Gold?

GRAMMY Awards are made of a trademarked alloy called "Grammium" — a secret zinc alloy — and are plated with 24-karat gold.

How Many GRAMMY Trophies Are Made Per Year?

Approximately 600-800 GRAMMY Award trophies are produced per year. This includes both GRAMMY Awards and Latin GRAMMY Awards for the two Academies; the number of GRAMMYs manufactured each year always depends on the number of winners and Categories we award across both award shows.

Fun fact: The two GRAMMY trophies have different-colored bases. The GRAMMY Award has a black base, while the Latin GRAMMY Award has a burgundy base.

Photos: Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images; Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

How Much Does A GRAMMY Weigh?

The GRAMMY trophy weighs approximately 5 pounds. The trophy's height is 9-and-a-half inches. The trophy's width is nearly 6 inches by 6 inches.

What Is The True Value Of A GRAMMY?

Winning a GRAMMY, and even just being nominated for a GRAMMY, has an immeasurable positive impact on the nominated and winning artists. It opens up new career avenues, builds global awareness of artists, and ultimately solidifies a creator’s place in history. Since the GRAMMY Award is the only peer-voted award in music, this means artists are recognized, awarded and celebrated by those in their fields and industries, ultimately making the value of a GRAMMY truly priceless and immeasurable.

In an interview featured in the 2024 GRAMMYs program book, two-time GRAMMY winner Lauren Daigle spoke of the value and impact of a GRAMMY Award. "Time has passed since I got my [first] GRAMMYs, but the rooms that I am now able to sit in, with some of the most incredible writers, producers and performers on the planet, is truly the greatest gift of all." 

"Once you have that credential, it's a different certification. It definitely holds weight," two-time GRAMMY winner Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter of the Roots added. "It's a huge stamp as far as branding, businesswise, achievement-wise and in every regard. What the GRAMMY means to people, fans and artists is ever-evolving." 

As Billboard explains, artists will often see significant boosts in album sales and streaming numbers after winning a GRAMMY or performing on the GRAMMY stage. This is known as the "GRAMMY Effect," an industry phenomenon in which a GRAMMY accolade directly influences the music biz and the wider popular culture. 

For new artists in particular, the "GRAMMY Effect" has immensely helped rising creators reach new professional heights. Samara Joy, who won the GRAMMY for Best New Artist at the 2023 GRAMMYs, saw a 989% boost in sales and a 670% increase in on-demand streams for her album Linger Awhile, which won the GRAMMY for Best Jazz Vocal Album that same night. H.E.R., a former Best New Artist nominee, saw a massive 6,771% increase in song sales for her hit “I Can’t Breathe” on the day it won the GRAMMY for Song Of The Year at the 2021 GRAMMYs, compared to the day before, Rolling Stone reports

Throughout the decades, past Best New Artist winners have continued to dominate the music industry and charts since taking home the GRAMMY gold — and continue to do so to this day. Recently, Best New Artist winners dominated the music industry and charts in 2023: Billie Eilish (2020 winner) sold 2 million equivalent album units, Olivia Rodrigo (2022 winner) sold 2.1 million equivalent album units, and Adele (2009 winner) sold 1.3 million equivalent album units. Elsewhere, past Best New Artist winners have gone on to star in major Hollywood blockbusters (Dua Lipa); headline arena tours and sign major brand deals (Megan Thee Stallion); become LGBTIA+ icons (Sam Smith); and reach multiplatinum status (John Legend).

Most recently, several winners, nominees and performers at the 2024 GRAMMYs saw significant bumps in U.S. streams and sales: Tracy Chapman's classic, GRAMMY-winning single "Fast Car," which she performed alongside Luke Combs, returned to the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time since 1988, when the song was originally released, according to Billboard. Fellow icon Joni Mitchell saw her ‘60s classic “Both Sides, Now,” hit the top 10 on the Digital Song Sales chart, Billboard reports.

In addition to financial gains, artists also experience significant professional wins as a result of their GRAMMY accolades. For instance, after she won the GRAMMY for Best Reggae Album for Rapture at the 2020 GRAMMYs, Koffee signed a U.S. record deal; after his first GRAMMYs in 2014, Kendrick Lamar saw a 349% increase in his Instagram following, Billboard reports. 

Visit our interactive GRAMMY Awards Journey page to learn more about the GRAMMY Awards and the voting process behind the annual ceremony.

2024 GRAMMYs: See The Full Winners & Nominees List

Composite graphic with the logo for GRAMMY Go on the left with four photos in a grid on the right, featuring (clockwise from the top-left) CIRKUT, Victoria Monét, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr., and Janelle Monáe
Clockwise from the top-left: CIRKUT, Victoria Monét, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr., and Janelle Monáe

Graphic & Photos Courtesy of GRAMMY GO

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Recording Academy & Coursera Partner To Launch GRAMMY GO Online Learning Initiative

Class is in session. As part of the Recording Academy's ongoing mission to empower music's next generation, GRAMMY Go offers digital content in specializations geared to help music industry professionals grow at every stage of their career.

GRAMMYs/Apr 17, 2024 - 05:01 pm

The Recording Academy has partnered with leading online learning platform Coursera on GRAMMY GO, a new online initiative to offer classes tailored for music creators and industry professionals.

This partnership empowers the next generation of the music community with practical, up-to-the moment digital content that provides wisdom for both emerging and established members of the industry. Continuing the Academy’s ongoing mission to serve all music people, courses cover a variety of specializations tailored to creative and professional growth. 

GRAMMY GO on Coursera includes courses taught by Recording Academy members, featuring GRAMMY winners and nominees and offers real-life lessons learners can put to work right away.

Starting today, enrollment is open for GRAMMY GO’s first Coursera specialization, "Building Your Audience for Music Professionals," taught by Joey Harris, international music/marketing executive and CEO of Joey Harris Inc. The course features Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and five-time GRAMMY winner Jimmy Jam, 10-time GRAMMY nominee Janelle Monáe and three-time GRAMMY winner and the 2024 GRAMMYs Best New Artist Victoria Monét. This foundational specialization will help participants gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to build a strong brand presence and cultivate a devoted audience within the ever-changing music industry. 

The partnership’s second course, launching later this summer, aims to strengthen the technological and audio skills of a music producer. "Music Production: Crafting An Award-Worthy Song" will be taught by Carolyn Malachi, Howard University professor and GRAMMY nominee, and will include appearances by GRAMMY winner CIRKUT, three-time GRAMMY winner Hit-Boy, artist and celebrity vocal coach Stevie Mackey, five-time GRAMMY nominee and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr., and 15-time GRAMMY winner Judith Sherman. Pre-enrollment for "Music Production: Crafting An Award-Worthy Song" opens today.

"Whether it be through a GRAMMY Museum program, GRAMMY Camp or GRAMMY U, the GRAMMY organization is committed to helping music creators flourish, and the Recording Academy is proud to introduce our newest learning platform, GRAMMY GO, in partnership with Coursera," said Panos A. Panay, President of the Recording Academy. "A creator’s growth path is ongoing and these courses have been crafted to provide learners with the essential tools to grow in their professional and creative journeys."

"We are honored to welcome GRAMMY GO, our first entertainment partner, to the Coursera community," said Marni Baker Stein, Chief Content Officer at Coursera. "With these self-paced online specializations, aspiring music professionals all over the world have an incredible opportunity to learn directly from iconic artists and industry experts. Together with GRAMMY GO, we can empower tomorrow's pioneers of the music industry to explore their passion today."

GRAMMY GO also serves as the music community’s newest digital hub for career pathways and editorial content that provides industry insights for members of the industry; visit go.grammy.com for more. For information and enrollment, please visit the landing pages for "Building Your Audience for Music Professionals" and "Music Production: Crafting An Award-Worthy Song."

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