55TH Annual Grammy Awards

    On February 10, 2013, the 55^th Annual Grammy Awards will be held at Staples Center in Los Angeles. By industry standards, a Grammy Award is the highest and most coveted honor in the recording industry. The Grammy’s were established in 1959 to recognize outstanding achievements in the music industry. The name originates from the trophy design, which resembles a gilded gramophone. Music executives created the award so individuals could be recognized by their prospective industry, which is similar to the Oscars and the Emmys. The award category consist mainly of four awards, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artists. In fact, there are other awards that are given as well. For example, the Lifetime Achievement Award and also the performance and production awards are given each year. LL Cool J, who hosted last years Grammy’s, will host the event once again. Some of the notable artists slated to perform this year, are Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Frank Ocean, Mumford & Sons, and Hunter Hayes. 

      In many ways, the Grammy Awards gives artists a chance to be heard and to showcase their talents. More importantly, the Grammy’s gives a worldwide view of every genre of music. On the other hand, many individuals have a different take on the awards. Music executive, Steve Stoute accused the Grammy’s of snubbing artists that posses a greater cultural impact, also he believes that the awards have lost touch with contemporary popular culture. Nonetheless, the Grammy Awards are a distinguishable part of our musical history and also how we measure our music. Over the years, the Grammy Awards have fueled the musical careers of so many artists, musical icons such as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Lauryn Hill, Norah Jones, and Adele.  In my opinion, the Grammy Awards are good for our industry, because it motivates artists to continue to create new and innovative music for the world to enjoy.