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The 65th Grammy Awards is all set to premiere live this Sunday, February 5, 2023, from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The prestigious 2023 Grammys will be broadcast on the popular television network CBS. It will also stream on-demand and live from 8-11.30 pm ET / 5-8.30 pm PT, exclusively on Paramount+.
From ABBA to Beyoncé to Doja Cat to Harry Styles, several fan-favorite artists have bagged several nominations for this year’s Grammy Awards. Without a doubt, music lovers from all around the globe have been buzzing with anticipation to see their favorite music icons win a shining golden Grammy Statue.
With this special event just days away, let’s dive right in and find out some interesting facts about arguably the biggest musical event in the world.
Weight of the statue and other interesting facts about the Grammy Awards
1) The first live telecast of the Grammys was held in 1971
The very first Grammy Awards ceremony was held in 1959. However, as recorded by the official website for the Grammys, televisions all around the United States did not have a live broadcast of the grand event until 1971. The 13th Grammys event in 1971 was broadcast live.
2) The iconic Grammy statue weighs approximately 5 pounds
According to the Grammys' official website, the classic Grammy statue weighs nearly around five pounds. It is made of "grammium," a substance made from a combination of aluminum metal alloys and trademarked zinc. Some parts of the iconic statue also have 24-karat gold plates.
3) The Recording Academy does not decide who wins the awards
Members of the Recording Academy are not involved in deciding who gets a nomination and wins the award. It is absolutely up to the voting members.
There are certain eligibility criteria that have to be met to become a voting member. However, the Recording Academy determines these eligibility criteria, which include credits on six commercially-released tracks or credits on 12 digital-only release tracks.
4) Grammy voters are not divided by genre
Voting members for the Grammy awards are not differentiated by genre, meaning a hip-hop artist can cast a vote in categories, including the best country song, dance recording, instrumental jazz album, and more.
However, these ballots are not a free-for-all opportunity. Each voting member can cast votes in the four general categories, entailing the album of the year, the best new artist, the record of the year, and the song of the year, along with a maximum of twenty more categories.
5) The Recording Academy does not know anything about who votes for which artist
The Recording Academy does not have access to the outcome of the vote to protect the entire process' integrity. Part of the Recording Academy's agreement with Deloitte is that they are the only people who get to know how many individuals cast a vote and which artists they voted for.
6) Before acquiring its present-day name, the Grammys was almost called the "Eddie" award
In 1957, one of the founding members of the Academy for the Grammys and a Columbia Records executive named Paul Weston told The Desert newspaper that the Grammy Awards almost acquired the title the "Eddie" award after scientist Thomas Edison, as he was the "father of the Gramophone."
7) Former President Barack Obama has won two Grammys
Former President Barack Obama has a total of two Grammys to his name. He received the first one in 2005 when he was just a Senator from Illinois. He went on to receive another one in 2008 as a presidential candidate.
He won the best-spoken word album category in 2005 for Dreams From My Father and in 2008 for The Audacity of Hope. Other former presidents, like Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, have also received multiple Grammys.
Don't forget to watch the 2023 Grammy Awards live on CBS Network on Sunday, February 5, 2023. You can also follow its live coverage here.
