Grammy Awards

Grammy Awards are the Oscars of the musicThe traditionalist view lost its hold during the
industry. The music industry launched its own awardsseventies when the Grammys relaxed the strict
thirty years after the Academy Awards werejudging criteria and included the rock music artists like
established. The Grammys, the Gramophonethe Eagles and Stevie Wonder.
Awards--as originally named, were created in 1957 byA slap in the face came to Grammys with their
the National Academy of Recording Arts andbiggest scandal when the Best New Artist Award
Sciences.was given to Milli Vanilli. Milli Vanilli were a twosome
The Grammys were conservative. At that time, rockwho had three singles at the number one spot. It
and roll was not included in the nominations, since itwas later discovered that the two never sang any of
was considered a fad. Although the committeetheir songs, but lip-synched. Their German producer
consisted of representatives from pop, jazz, classical,said afterwards, "We made a pact with the devil."
R&B, country etc, most innovators never wonThe Grammys were broadcast on television for the
any awards for years to come.first time by ABC until CBS bought the rights of
The first Grammy Awards were presented for thetelecast in 1973. The Grammys were held in Los
year 1958, on May 4, 1959. Although Elvis Presley'sAngeles at the Shrine Auditorium for several years
records were half of the music sold that year, Theand then moved to the Staples Center because of
King wasn't even nominated.the increase in the size of the audience and the
It is said that Frank Sinatra, the chairman of thecategories. For years, New York and Los Angeles
board, had a hand in this, since he did not appreciatehave competed for hosting the Grammys.
Rock'n Roll, and in the second year, when BobbyThe Grammys now boast 108 categories with more
Darin was granted the Record of The Year Awardthan 20 genres of music and chapters in Atlanta,
for 1959 for "Mack the Knife," Sinatra despised theChicago, Florida, Los Angeles, Memphis, Nashville, New
new music even more. During the later years,York, Pacific Northwest, Philadelphia, San Francisco,
however, Sinatra recorded the same song.Texas, and Washington, D.C.
The end of the sixties still stayed conservative,The 49th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony took
although with Woodstock and with the push forplace on February 11, 2007 at the Staples Center in
following along with the times, the middle-of-the-roadLos Angeles, California with Dixie Chicks becoming the
choices started to take hold. In 1969, the group 5thbig winners. In 2008, Grammy Awards will celebrate
Dimension proved to be a godsend with their softits fiftieth year, a milestone in the music awards
jazzy rock music, winning two awards for the samebusiness and will be held on a date to be yet
song, "Aquarius--Let the Sunshine in."announced at Staples Center, Los Angeles, California.