American singer and songwriter Taylor Swift.
Credit: AP Photo

What an era! From March 2023 to August 2024, American singer and songwriter Taylor Swift is touring Asia, Australia, Central America, Europe, North America, and South America. The Eras Tour is a tribute to all of her albums, especially the four albums she released without touring since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted public events. The concerts are over three hours long with a total of 44 tracks, complete with outfit changes and skilled choreography. Swift became one of country music’s youngest and most popular performers in the first decade of the 2000’s. She has won a number of Grammy Awards and other awards for her music. Her music also has set many sales records and reached people around the world.

When Swift announced the tour, entertainment broker Ticketmaster offered a presale program. Over 3.5 million people registered with the program, but the website crashed when tickets were officially released. Over 2.4 million tickets were sold on the opening day of the tour, breaking the record for the most concert tickets sold by an artist in a single day.

Taylor Alison Swift was born on Dec. 13, 1989, in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, near Reading. She learned to play guitar as a child. She began singing at local fairs and festivals at age 10. Before she was a teenager, Swift traveled regularly with her parents to Nashville, Tennessee, to perform and write songs with local songwriters. Nashville is the center of the country music industry. Swift gained attention at age 12 when she sang the United States national anthem at the US Open tennis tournament in New York City. When she was 14, she moved with her family to a suburb of Nashville.

Swift’s first single, “Tim McGraw,” from her first album, Taylor Swift (2006), became a hit. The album also included “Our Song,” Swift’s first number-one country hit on Billboard magazine’s “Hot Country Songs” chart.

Swift’s second album, Fearless (2008), became the best-selling album of 2009 in the United States. It produced several hits, including the number-one country singles “You Belong with Me” and “Love Story.” Swift won four Country Music Association awards for the album, including entertainer of the year. She became the youngest performer to win that award. Swift’s third album, Speak Now, released in 2010, also became a huge hit. The album produced many hit singles, including ”Innocent.”

Several of Swift’s songs have topped Billboard’s ranking for number of digital song sales in a single week. These have included “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” (2012) and “Look What You Made Me Do” (2017). Swift’s fifth album, 1989 (2014), was more pop-oriented. It featured the hits “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space.” With the release of 1989, Swift became the first artist to have three albums sell a million or more copies in a week. Her other albums include Red (2012), Reputation (2017), Lover (2019), Folklore and Evermore (both 2020), and Midnights (2022).

In 2021, following a dispute regarding ownership of the master recordings of her first six studio albums, Swift announced she would re-record the albums in a bid to regain ownership. That year, she released Fearless (Taylor’s Version), a recasting of her 2008 album, Fearless; and Red (Taylor’s Version), a recasting of her 2012 album, Red. The 2021 albums also included previously unreleased songs.

Swift made her motion-picture acting debut in the romantic comedy Valentine’s Day (2010). She provided the voice of a little girl named Audrey in the animated feature Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (2012). In addition, Swift starred in the motion-picture musical Cats (2019). A documentary motion picture, Miss Americana (2020), follows Swift over the course of several years of her career.

American musician Tina Turner
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Tina Turner was simply “The Best.” Turner was an American rhythm-and-blues and rock singer. She became known as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll” for her raspy voice and dynamic stage performances over a decades-long career. Turner died on May 24, 2023.

Turner was born in Brownsville, Tennessee, on Nov. 25, 1939. Her real name was Anna Mae Bullock. She met the guitarist-bandleader Ike Turner in an East St. Louis, Illinois, nightclub in 1956, and he later hired her as a singer. They performed together as Ike and Tina Turner and were married. The couple’s first hit record was “A Fool in Love” (1960). Their record “River Deep – Mountain High” (1966) became a big hit in the United Kingdom and increased their popularity in Europe. The couple’s best-selling record was “Proud Mary” (1971).

Ike and Tina separated in 1976 and were divorced in 1978. Tina then built her own career. Her greatest individual success as a singer came in 1984, when her Private Dancer album and its single “What’s Love Got to Do with It” became best-selling records. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 with Ike. In 2021, Tina was inducted again, as a solo performer.

Turner had a small role in the motion picture Tommy (1975) and a major role in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). Her autobiography I, Tina (1986) was made into the movie What’s Love Got to Do with It (1993). Turner also wrote the autobiography My Love Story (2018). In 2019, the musical Tina, based on her life, opened on Broadway. Turner wrote the self-help book Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good (2020).

Turner became a Kennedy Center honoree in 2005. She became a Swiss citizen in 2013. Turner won a number of Grammy Awards for her music, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.

Beyoncé is a popular American singer and actress. She first gained fame as a member of the singing group Destiny’s Child. In the early 2000′s, Beyoncé established herself as a successful solo performer. Credit: © Shutterstock

February is Black History Month, an annual observance of the achievements and culture of Black Americans. This month, Behind the Headlines will feature Black pioneers in a variety of areas.

Many notable artists graced the stage at the 2023 Grammy Awards on February 5th, 2023, but Beyoncé and Viola Davis hit the headlines starting Black History Month with shiny awards. American singer and actress Beyoncé broke the record for the most Grammy Awards won by any artist, with 32 awards. American actress Viola Davis won a Grammy Award for her audiobook Finding Me, published in 2022. This Grammy secured Davis as one of the relatively few actors who have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony awards. Only 18 people have won all four awards to become what the industry calls E.G.O.T.s. Other big winners include American rap musician and songwriter Kendrick Lamar who won best rap performance, song, and album. American rap artist, singer, and musician Lizzo won the record of the year for “About Damn Time” (2022).

Beyoncé’s career is more than inspiring. Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born on Sept. 4, 1981, in Houston, Texas. At the age of 9, she began singing with an all-girl group called Girl’s Tyme. The group changed its name often before the members settled on Destiny’s Child and recorded a number of hit songs. In the early 2000’s, Beyoncé established herself as a successful solo performer.

Beyoncé had begun performing on her own while still singing with Destiny’s Child. Her first album, Dangerously in Love (2003), was an international hit. It was followed by the hit albums B’Day (2006), I Am…Sasha Fierce (2008), 4 (2011), Beyoncé (2013), Lemonade (2016), and Renaissance (2022). Her most popular singles include “Crazy in Love” (with rap singer Jay-Z, 2003); “Irreplaceable” (2006); “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” (2008); “Drunk in Love” (also featuring Jay-Z, 2013); “Formation” (2016); and “Break My Soul” (2022). In 2008, she married Jay-Z. The couple released their first joint album, Everything Is Love, in 2018. In 2018, Beyoncé became the first Black woman to headline (be engaged as a leading performer at) the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival held in Indio, California.

As an actress, Beyoncé made her debut in the made-for-TV musical motion picture Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001). She also appeared in the movies Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Dreamgirls (2006), Cadillac Records (2008), and Obsessed (2009). Beyoncé provided her voice for a character in the animated feature film Epic (2013). She also voiced the lioness character Nala in The Lion King (2019), a computer-animated remake of the 1994 animated feature film The Lion King.

American actress Viola Davis
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Viola Davis has received more varied awards compared to Beyoncé. Davis became known for her intense performances. She also became known as an activist for greater inclusion, particularly of African Americans, in the movie and theater industries.

Davis was born on Aug. 11, 1965, in rural Saint Matthews, South Carolina. In 1988, she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater from Rhode Island College, in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1993, she received a certificate in acting from the Juilliard School in New York City, New York.

Davis got her first big acting break in 1995 in American dramatist August Wilson’s play Seven Guitars. Her bold performance as the character Vera Hedley earned her the first of many Tony Award nominations. Davis made her first motion-picture appearance in the drama The Substance of Fire (1996). She gained widespread recognition in the film Doubt (2008), in which she played a mother fighting for justice for her son. Davis’s other notable movies include The Help (2011), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020), and The Woman King (2022).

How did Davis secure E.G.O.T. status? She won Tony Awards in 2001 and 2010, for her acting in the plays King Hedley II and Fences, respectively. Both plays were written by August Wilson. In 2015, Davis became the first Black woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series, for her performance in the TV series “How to Get Away with Murder” (2014-2020). In 2017, she won the Academy Award for best supporting actress for her role in the movie Fences (2016). And in 2023, Davis won a Grammy Award for the audiobook of her memoir Finding Me, published in 2022.

Rihanna is a popular singer and actress from the Caribbean island of Barbados. In 2011, she became the youngest solo artist to have recorded 10 number-one singles.
Credit: © Shutterstock

February is Black History Month, an annual observance of the achievements and culture of Black Americans. This month, Behind the Headlines will feature Black pioneers in a variety of areas.

The Super Bowl LVII halftime show will feature popular singer, actress, and fashion designer Rihanna. The multiple Grammy Award-winner is from the Caribbean island of Barbados. She is known for her sexy videos and wild costumes. In 2011, Rihanna became the youngest solo artist to have recorded 10 number-one singles.

Rihanna’s return to the stage is long awaited by her fans. She last performed at the 2018 Grammy Awards alongside DJ Khaled, with their hit song “Wild Thoughts.” Her latest concert tour in 2016 featured her eighth studio album, Anti. Since then, she has launched three successful businesses, starred in movies, and started a fashion show for her brand Savage X Fenty. In 2021, Forbes declared Rihanna a billionaire. She became the richest female musician in the world.

Rihanna started the luxury fashion label Fenty in 2019.
Credit: © Fred Duval, Shutterstock

Robyn Rihanna Fenty was born on Feb. 20, 1988, in St. Michael, Barbados. She began singing as a child. At age 16, Rihanna moved to the United States to pursue a music career. In 2005, she was signed to a recording contract. Her first album, Music of the Sun, was released that same year. It became an international hit. The album featured the hit single “Pon de Replay.”

Rihanna has recorded several other hit albums. Her other notable hit songs include “SOS” (2006); “Umbrella” and “Don’t Stop the Music” (both 2007); “Take a Bow” and “Disturbia” (both 2008); “Russian Roulette,” “Hard,” and “Rude Boy” (all 2009); and “We Found Love” (2011). She also sang on the hit song “Monster” (2014) by Eminem.

In 2012, Rihanna made her motion-picture acting debut in the science-fiction film Battleship. She also provided her voice for the character of Tip, a teenage girl, in the animated feature Home (2015). Rihanna was one of the star actors in the cast of Oceans 8 (2018). She also co-starred with American actor Donald Glover in Guava Island (2019). 

Rihanna is known as a trendsetter, especially in street fashion. In 2014, she became the creative director of women’s fashion for the athletic wear company Puma. She designed Fenty X Puma fashion lines from 2016 to 2018. Rihanna released the makeup brand Fenty Beauty in 2017, with a range of many different skin tones. The brand initially offered 40 shades of foundation, far more than any mainstream brand at the time. Foundation is a makeup product that can be applied to the whole face to provide even tone and texture. The brand has since expanded to 50 shades with an accompanying 50 concealer shades. Concealer is a makeup product used to hide blemishes and brighten the skin.

In 2018, Rihanna started Savage X Fenty, an affordable, size- and gender-inclusive lingerie company. The company also debuted a fashion show, the Savage X Fenty Show, in 2018. In 2019, Rihanna became the first woman and person of color to head a luxury brand with the high-end luxury designer LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton). Rihanna created the luxury fashion line Fenty at LVMH.

English-born Australian actress and singer Olivia Newton-John
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Olivia Newton-John was an English-born Australian singer and actress. Her recording career extended from the 1960′s into the early 2000′s. She co-starred with John Travolta in the musical motion picture Grease (1978), one of the most popular movie musicals ever made. From that film, two of her duets with Travolta, “You’re the One that I Want” and “Summer Nights,” became hits. Newton-John won a number of Grammy Awards for her music. She passed away on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022.

Olivia Newton-John, left , and the American actor John Travolta, right , starred in the motion picture Grease (1978), one of the most successful musicals in Hollywood history.
Credit: © Paramount Pictures

Newton-John was born on Sept. 26, 1948, in Cambridge, England. She moved with her family to Australia at the age of 5. When she was 14 years old, she formed her own musical group in Melbourne. In 1966, she won the Johnny O’Keefe “Sing, Sing, Sing” talent quest. The prize was a trip to England, where she recorded her first single record. She remained in England and built her career as a singer and television performer. During the 1970′s, she worked in the United States, where she became a best-selling country singer. She won a Grammy Award as best female country vocalist for her first American album, Let Me Be There (1973).

Newton-John also starred in the motion-picture musical Xanadu (1980). She had a hit with “Magic” from that film. Her other hit recordings include ”If Not For You” (1971), “Let Me Be There” (1973), ”If You Love Me, Let Me Know” and “I Honestly Love You” (both 1974), “Have You Never Been Mellow” and “Please Mr. Please” (both 1975), “A Little More Love” (1978), “Physical” (1981), “Heart Attack” and “Twist of Fate” (both 1983), and “Livin’ in Desperate Times” (1984).

Her other films include Funny Things Happen Down Under (1965), Toomorrow (1970), Two of a Kind (1983), It’s My Party (1996), Sordid Lives (2000), Score: A Hockey Musical (2010), and A Few Best Men (2011). She also acted in a number of television series and made-for-television movies.

In 1979, Newton-John was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire for her services to the performing arts. In 2010, she was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for her services to the entertainment industry and to the community through organizations supporting breast cancer treatment, education, training and research, and the environment. She was made a Companion of the Order of Australia, a higher degree in the order, in 2019. The Order of Australia is Australia’s highest award for service to the country or to humanity. In 2020, Newton-John was made a dame commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to charity, cancer research, and entertainment. She then became known as Dame Olivia Newton-John.

Jennifer Hudson is a popular American singer and actress. She gained fame in 2004 as a finalist on the singing competition television show “American Idol.” In 2007, Hudson won an Academy Award as best supporting actress for her motion-picture debut in the musical Dreamgirls, based on a hit Broadway musical.
Credit: © Shutterstock

Jennifer Hudson hit that high note and reached EGOT status. Only 16 other people have the honor of being called an EGOT, the elite group of artists who have won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards. Hudson is a popular singer and actress and the second Black woman to collect all four prestigious awards. She completed her award collection after winning a Tony award for co-producing the musical A Strange Loop.

Hudson gained fame in 2004 as a finalist on the singing competition television show “American Idol.” In 2007, Hudson won an Academy Award as best supporting actress for her motion-picture debut in the musical motion picture Dreamgirls (2006), based on a hit Broadway musical. In the film, Hudson portrayed a singer in a 1960’s female vocal group. The film was based on the story of the popular vocal group the Supremes. In 2009, Hudson won a Grammy Award for her best-selling debut album, Jennifer Hudson (2008).

Jennifer Kate Hudson was born on Sept. 12, 1981, in Chicago, Illinois. She sang in gospel choirs as a child. She also acted in community theater and performed on cruise ships. Community theater is a type of nonprofessional, local theater.

Hudson’s second album, I Remember Me, was released in 2011. It also became a hit. Her other films include the crime drama Fragments and the drama The Secret Life of Bees (both 2008); the comedy The Three Stooges (2012); the musical drama Black Nativity (2013); and the drama Chi-Raq (2015). In the biographical film Winnie (2011), she portrayed the South African politician and political activist Winnie Mandela. Hudson has also acted on a number of television shows. In 2013, she portrayed a Broadway star on the musical drama “Smash.” She wrote an autobiography, I Got This (2012). In 2021, Hudson won a Daytime Emmy award for producing Baba Yaga (2020), a virtual reality animated and interactive film.

Hudson has joked about reaching EGOT status after she won an Oscar award after naming a pet dog Oscar, and she won a Grammy award after naming a dog Grammy. She now needs to bring two more dogs into her home and name them Emmy and Tony!

Hudson joins the ranks of Mel Brooks, John Gielgud, Whoopi Goldberg, Marvin Hamlisch, Helen Hayes, Audrey Hepburn, John Legend, Robert Lopez, Alan Menken, Rita Moreno, Mike Nichols, Tim Rice, Richard Rodgers, and Andrew Lloyd Webber. What an impressive group of artists!

Harry Styles, English musician
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Styles is always in style! Recently, English singer, songwriter, and actor Harry Styles released the new album Harry’s House. The powerhouse album has made itself a home atop the Billboard 200 for two weeks. Stylish, hip, and usually wearing stripes, Styles has given the world another summer soundtrack.

Styles first became known as a member of One Direction, a British and Irish pop group that gained international fame in the 2010′s. Styles has also enjoyed a successful solo career. In 2021, he won a Grammy Award for best pop solo performance for “Watermelon Sugar.”

Harry Edward Styles was born on Feb. 1, 1994, in Worcestershire, England, about 130 miles (210 kilometers) northwest of London. Styles was interested in music from a young age, forming a band called White Eskimo in his early teens. In 2010, Styles auditioned to be on the reality music competition program “The X Factor” (2004-…). He appeared on the show but was eliminated after several rounds. However, the show’s judges suggested Styles and several other solo performers form a pop group. The group included Niall Horan of Ireland and Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson of England, along with Styles. The group performed as One Direction soon after and finished “The X Factor” in third place. The group quickly gained popularity in the United Kingdom.

One Direction went on to make such chart-topping albums as Up All Night (2011) and Take Me Home (2012). In late 2015, the band members announced they would take an extended hiatus (break).

In 2016, Styles signed with Columbia Records as a solo artist. In 2017, he released the song “Sign of the Times.” The song was met with much acclaim, topping the charts in the United Kingdom. The same year, Styles released his first solo album, Harry Styles. Styles made his motion-picture debut in the war thriller Dunkirk (2017). Two years later, Styles released his second album, Fine Line (2019).

Musician Doja Cat
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From the Grammy Awards to the Billboard Music Awards, Doja Cat has been winning all year long. Doja Cat is an American rapper, songwriter, and music producer. She rose to fame in 2018 after releasing the single “Mooo!” on the video-sharing website YouTube.

Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini was born on Oct. 21, 1995, in Tarzana, outside Los Angeles, California, to a Jewish American mother and South African father. Her mother, Deborah Sawyer, worked as a graphic designer. Her father, Dumisani Dlamini, was an actor in New York. Doja Cat lived with her grandmother in Rye, New York, northeast of New York City, for five years before moving to Sai Anantam Ashram with her mother and brother. The ashram was a Hindu worship community run by the musician Alice Coltrane outside of Santa Monica, California. Dlamini’s family then moved to Oak Park, California. Dlamini studied dance and piano throughout her childhood. She attended high school in Los Angeles, dropping out in her junior year.

In 2013, Dlamini began releasing songs on the music-sharing website SoundCloud under the name Doja Cat. The American producer Yeti Beats invited Doja Cat to record in his studio after hearing her song “So High” (2014). Through Yeti Beats, Doja Cat signed a contract with Kemosabe Records, part of RCA Records, in 2014. That same year Doja Cat released her first EP “Purrr!” and a series of singles. EP stands for extended play and is a type of musical recording that includes several songs but is not considered a full-length album. She released the music video “Mooo!” in 2018. The single went viral—expanding rapidly in popularity—on YouTube. Doja Cat released her debut album, Amala, in 2018. Her other albums include Hot Pink (2019) and Planet Her (2021).

Doja Cat has received many music awards. In 2022, she won her first Grammy Award, for the song “Kiss Me More” featuring the American singer SZA. At the 2022 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday, May 15, Doja Cat won four awards, including top R&B artist.

American musician Jon Batiste
Credit: © Ron Adar, Shutterstock

We don’t need an excuse to celebrate American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer Jon Batiste, but April is also jazz appreciation month! Batiste is known for his original compositions, combining New Orleans jazz with funk, pop, and R&B music. He has won a number of Grammy Awards for his music. This month, Batiste was recognized at the 64th Grammy Awards. Batiste’s album We Are was released in March 2021. In 2022, Batiste won five Grammy Awards including album of the year, best American roots performance, best American roots song, best score soundtrack for visual media, and best music video. He took home the most awards from the ceremony, hopefully making room on his shelves to display the trophies.

Jonathan Michael Batiste was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Nov. 11, 1986. He grew up in a musical family in suburban Kenner. Batiste began playing the conga drums as a child with his family band, the Batiste Brothers Band. Batiste began playing piano at the age of 11. He was accepted to the Juilliard School in New York City at the age of 17. Batiste formed multiple bands while in college, including the Jon Batiste Trio and Stay Human. While he was studying at Julliard, Batiste released two albums: Times in New Orleans (2005) and Live in New York (2006). Batiste earned a bachelor’s degree in classical piano in 2008 and a master’s degree in jazz studies in 2011. He recorded albums throughout his studies, including the EPs In the Night (2008) and The Amazing Jon Batiste! (2009), and the album My N.Y. (2011). EP stands for extended play and is a type of musical recording that includes several songs but is not considered a full-length album.

In 2011 and 2012, Batiste portrayed himself in Treme, a fictionalized television show based on his extended family’s experience in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Batiste also appeared in the American director Spike Lee’s movie Red Hook Summer (2012). In the movie, Batiste played a musician and cab driver named T. K. Hazelton.

Starting in 2008, Batiste worked as associate artistic director and music curator for the National Jazz Museum in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood. Batiste released the album Social Music with Stay Human in 2013. In 2015, he joined “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” as the bandleader and musical director with Stay Human. Batiste’s music is featured on the album The Process (2013) with various artists. He released Christmas with Jon Batiste in 2016. In 2017, Batiste began serving as the musical director for The Atlantic magazine. Batiste released his first solo album, Hollywood Africans, in 2018. In 2019, he released the live albums Anatomy of Angels: Live at the Village Vanguard (2019) and Chronology of a Dream: Live at the Village Vanguard (2019).

Batiste co-composed the soundtrack for the Disney and Pixar Studios animated motion picture Soul (2020). He won an Academy Award for best original score. He became the second Black composer to win an Academy Award for composing music, behind the American jazz musician Herbie Hancock.

American musician Jon Batiste
Credit: © Ron Adar, Shutterstock

For the 64th time, musicians gathered in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday, April 3rd to celebrate the past year‘s music. The Grammy Awards are presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. South African comedian and television personality Trevor Noah hosted the awards show. American jazz pianist Jon Batiste won album of the year for “We Are,” in addition to 4 more of the 11 awards for which he was nominated. R&B duo Silk Sonic won record of the year for “Leave the Door Open.” American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo won three awards. She walked away from her first Grammy Awards after winning best new artist, best pop solo performance, and best pop vocal album. Doja Cat and SZA won best pop duo or group performance for “Kiss Me More.” Although Kanye West was not in attendance, he and Jay-Z won best rap song for “Jail.” In the rock genre, the Foo Fighters stole the show—winning best rock performance, best rock song, and best rock album only a week after the loss of their drummer Taylor Hawkins. Billie Eilish performed “Happier than Ever” wearing a T-shirt with the photograph of Hawkins. BTS performed their hit song “Butter” with a James Bond theme. Justin Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, and Lil Nas X performed among other artists.

American entertainer Olivia Rodrigo
Credit: © Tinseltown, Shutterstock

The Grammy Awards are presented annually in the United States to honor excellence in the recording arts and sciences. Grammys currently are awarded in more than 80 categories in pop, rock, country, jazz, blues, gospel, folk, rap, Latin, and classical music, as well as engineering, producing, and music videos. Lifetime achievement awards are also presented by the Academy to performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording. Winners receive awards modeled after an old-fashioned record player called a gramophone. The term Grammy comes from the word gramophone.

American musician Billie Eilish in concert
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To be eligible for a Grammy, recordings must have been released during a one-year eligibility period defined by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. Members of the Academy and record companies submit entries, which are screened for eligibility and category placement. The Academy’s voting members nominate five finalists in each category. Members then vote for the winners. The Academy consists of musicians, producers, and other recording professionals.

Members of the South Korean pop group BTS are, left to right, front row: Suga and V. Back row: J-Hope, RM, Jin, Jimin, and Jungkook.
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The first Grammys were awarded in 1958. Since 1971, the Grammy Awards have been presented on a live television special. Today, the special is watched by many millions of viewers throughout the world. In 1997, the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences was established as a separate organization with its own awards ceremony. The first Latin Grammys were awarded in 2000. Latin Grammys recognize excellence in international Latin music in more than 45 categories. Latin Grammys are selected by voting members of the Latin Recording Academy and follow many of the same rules as the other Grammys.

American rap artist Lil Nas X
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