In the world of music, Grammy awards (originally called Gramophone awards) are given to honour singers and musicians every
year. It is organised by the National
Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States. The equivalent of Emmy awards for television and
Academy awards for cinema, it is the biggest honour for artists of various
genres, mostly popular.
The first Grammy awards ceremony was
organised in 1959 to honour the best singers/musicians of 1958. The 54th Grammy
awards (for 2011) would be held on 12 February, 2012.
The award is given to artists irrespective
of their nationality. However, American, Latin and British singers and
musicians dominate the list every year. Indian musicians who have received the award
are Pt. Ravi Shankar, Ustad Zakir
Hussain, Pt. Vishwamohan Bhatt,
and A.R. Rahman. Some who were
nominated are Asha Bhonsle, Louise
Banks, Anoushka Shankar and others. A.R. Rahman won it for the soundtrack
of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, for which he also received the prestigious Academy
(Oscar) award.
The award, like any other is given in different
categories. The major categories are Best Music Album, Best Singer, Best Pop Song,
Best Rock Song and others. Sir Georg
Solti holds the distinction of getting the maximum number of Grammys (31)
in the individual singer category. Alison
Krauss tops the list among female artists (26). U2, has won the maximum number of awards among bands (22). The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has won the
maximum awards (62) among musical groups.
The 54th Grammy nominees list includes Lady Gaga, Adele, Bruno Mars and many
others. The awards function which is traditionally shown live on CBS includes
stage performances by the most popular artists of the contemporary era. The best stage performance on Grammys ever
(according to Billboard) was of Eminem
and Elton John in 2001. Katy Perry’s name features in the worst-ever
performance at the event. The debate on best and worst goes on. The fact is
that the chance to perform in the biggest musical night is a dream for many new
and established singers/musicians.
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