ABSTRACT
Established in 1957, the Recording Academy’s membership comprises of songwriters, musicians, producers, photographers, and art directors who are actively engaged in the recording field. Eligible members have voting rights in electing prizes of merit for the organization’s main awards for achievement in the recording industry, namely, the Grammy Awards. Members cast nomination votes in four general categories: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist within select genres. Other awards are given for arranging, engineering, producing, and other record-related activities. Special awards are presented for life-time achievement to the recording industry. Membership qualifications require an individual to have contributed creatively to at least six commercially released tracks. Recording Academy members belong to one of 12 regional chapters throughout the United States. Each chapter represent the Academy at the local level by working directly with local recording community, addressing issues on education, advocacy, and professional development. The activities of the local chapter is administered by a Board of Governors.
