The GRAMMY Awards logo, representing the music awards, combines an image of the gramophone trophy with the name on two lines. The gramophone has a wide horn, a curved tube and a stepped base, with light gaps separating its parts. To the right, bold sans-serif capitals are proportioned to match the height of the trophy. The black version is intended for light backgrounds and the white version for dark ones. The name Grammy derives from gramophone, giving the award's name and image a shared origin. This object remains central to its visual identity despite changes in the designs of individual ceremonies.
The GRAMMY Awards are presented by the Recording Academy, a professional organisation for the US music industry. The first ceremony took place on 4 May 1959, simultaneously in Los Angeles and New York, honouring recordings from the previous year. The awards cover different genres and aspects of music-making, including performance, composition, production, recording and other creative and technical fields. Winners are chosen by the Academy's voting members, who are industry professionals. Alongside the major Album, Record and Song of the Year awards, genre categories allow the awards to represent a wide range of musical traditions. The annual ceremony combines award presentations with live performances.
