Indie Artist The Aces Asks Hypebot Readers: Do The Grammys Matter?
Derek Irving from indie artists The Aces emailed me yesterday:
I'm an independent artist who recently signed to a label out of Spain for a 2 record term. Why? Because (1) great European distribution, (2) built in fan base to the label and (3) i don't have the financial/business support as the label does for manufacturing, marketing, etc. This is our first record eventually I may decide to do self released music / free music.But my question is: What will happen with awards (e.g. Grammy, Gold/Platinum status, etc) for artists/bands who decide to self release music? Will the foundations change to include self released music (self released or free) or will these artists simply deal with the fact that they are not eligible for such awards?
In fact, do independent artists even care about such awards any more?
It's a great question. So unless someone from The Grammy's is reading, I'll get Derek the answer to Derek's eligibily question (which I think is you just have to be a member). But I'd love the members of the Hypebot community to sound off:
Do the Grammys and other awards stillmatter to independent musicians and labels?
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Sometimes the Grammys give you a nice surprise that makes you think “wow, this award show has some credibility”. But that is rare. I don’t think it’s a secret that the Grammys awards ‘flash in the pan’ artists or the most boring examples of “diverse” genres out there. Like when Slipknot wins a Grammy for best Metal performance. We can’t find some more interesting examples than Disturbed, Slipknot and Lamb of God?
Scour the earth and at least nominate some bands that aren’t on the Top 40 chart (fine, or the top 10 ‘underground’…seriously, ONLY 10) and you’ll earn some respect from the people who actually care for music and not what crazy shit Kanye West will freak about this year.
I think there’s pretty strong evidence of a sales bump, but I’m also willing to bet that bump has been shrinking. The question is, who’s tuned into media outlets that still report that? I haven’t heard about grammy winners since 2000.
NPR, USA Today, I think those demographics are aware of Grammy award winners and they make CD purchases, too. So it depends on who you’re targeting. I don’t think they’re irrelevant yet.
I think we should underestimate the exposure boost from even a nomination for such an award at our own peril.
The Grammys and similar are mass-media events. Nominees will find their name being published in places potentially otherwise unaccessible. The context is great, too: they will bee heralded as one of the best artists of the year. I’ve seen the boost of interest my former band got when they were nominated for the Polish equivalent a while back. It is nothing to be sneezed at.
Having said that, I wouldn’t lose sleep over it either way. What really matters to us are things we can do. If we find ourselves ineligible for a given award, we’ll just have to find other avenues of exposure. In the end, awards need not translate into sales (which my former band’s example also illustrates).
That all depends on if you want to be an artist or a businessman. The Grammys are just there to parade around the least intelligent, lowest-common-denominator bands with the most sales, to reap in even more sales for New York labels and middlemen. People in the mainstream buy what is hyped and marketed; they buy what they are told to buy.
With the Internet, however, mass-marketing is slowly losing its grip on culture. People have the ability to buy music besides the CD section at Wal-Mart, or the sellouts promoted in Rolling Stone and awards ceremonies (ie. The Grammys). There are options besides selling your soul and dumbing everything down to angsty 12-year old metalheads.
Daniel Smith,
You really think Grammy-winning artists are lowest comm. denomimator?
Wow!
People have always had the ability to buy music outside Walmart.
Why so bitter at Amy Winehouse, Adele, Radiohead, etc. — all grammy takers.
You are a moron.
The number of indie artists who are nominated and win Grammy Awards has been growing exponentially over the past few years. It just makes sense as most musicians ARE independents. The awards are by a vote of your peers so that speaks highly to your credibilty within the industry.
First things first, though. Check in with all the guidelines and procedures for submission. It’s such a competitive environment, you need to make sure all “i’s” are dotted and “t’s” are crossed.
Janet Hansen
Scout66.com
of course they are relevant. It’s massive exposure and highly respected. I don’t know any artist who would want a nomination or better a win. I do think the interesting and relevant question is how do they involve an evolving industry where release methods are changing.
Hell – I’m an independent artist with a CD coming out this fall, maybe I’ll enter it into the Grammy’s to see what happens. What do I have to lose? – derek irving
A better question is: what are the odds of an act being nominated for a Grammy? I bet they are minuscule.
Actually the chances of being nominated are pretty good, particularly if you are or have a friend who is a member of the Recording Academy (Grammy).
Here is where you can find the online application:
https://www.grammy.com/Recording_Academy/Member_Services/Apply/
“Why Join?
* Enter recordings, vote and participate in the GRAMMY Awards.
* Speak out for your rights through advocacy.
* Receive award winning trade publications.
* Enjoy discounts through the members only Academy All Access program.
As a member of the Recording Academy, you receive many benefits from programs and events to discounts on goods and services, and the privilege of participating in the GRAMMY Awards process.”
A vote for a Grammy nomination can be played to the hilt by an enterprising publicist. Imagine the headlines:
“(Your name) Receives Grammy Nod.”
Unfortunately, June 30 marks closing of Grammy votes until next year.
don’t worry about awards. just make great music. respect your fans. seriously. if you signed a record deal now and are worrying about qualifiying for the grammys, you don’t have your priorities straight in today’s music biz. get with the times, brah.
Awards can be great marketing. I wouldn’t recommend that you ignore them any more than you should ignore trying to get some radio play (college/non-comm or commercial) or making sure your music is available on iTunes, Last.FM and Pandora. The volume of music released has increased 500% over the last few years. You have to cut through the noise somehow. You or someone working with you at your label should at the very least enter your recording for nomination.
Past that, the value of the nomination or a win will depend largely on your primary target audience. Last year 78% of recorded music revenue came from full length CD sales. (Yes the numbers are sliding this year in double digits, but for now that’s still a huge chunk of the market.)
In addition to the PR value, a Grammy sticker on that CD can give you a bump in sales if you have released physical product and you or your label can spend some money for display positioning. The Grammy logo is one of the most recognized brands in the world. And while there are lots of people who are cynical or indifferent about the awards, there are also many every day music fans who still value them. Are they your audience?
As to the eligibility question, recordings are eligible if they were released during the period from October 1, 2008 – August 31, 2009. They must be in “general distribution in the U.S., i.e. sales by a label to a branch or recognized independent distributor, via Internet, or mail order/retail sales for a nationally marketed product.” Your recording doesn’t have to be physically released as a CD, however if it is only available exclusively through your website or your record label website, it is not eligible.
Any Recording Academy member or record label that has registered with the Awards department can enter a recording for nominating consideration.
Full disclosure: I am a governor of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Recording Academy. I have mixed feelings about the Awards show, however the Academy does offer benefits and it does great work through MusiCares and Grammy U. There are a number of wonderful musicians, producers, engineers, writers and designers involved with it. It is not evil.