Few artist-producer collaborations in contemporary pop music have been as successful as Olivia Rodrigo and Dan Nigro. Since the singer burst onto the scene with her record-breaking debut single, "drivers license" in 2021, she's been an unstoppable force, with three No. 1s, a streak of Top 10 singles, and three GRAMMYs — and Nigro has been integral in that success.

The Long Island, New York native has solely produced or co-produced every song Rodrigo has released to date, as well as co-writing the majority alongside the superstar. Following the blockbuster success of Rodrigo's debut album, 2021's SOUR, the two struck again with the equally industry-shaking follow-up, 2023's GUTS. 

Like its predecessor, GUTS scored Rodrigo and Nigro multiple GRAMMY nominations, including Album Of The Year and both Song and Record Of The Year for the scathing lead single, "vampire." But for Nigro, the 2024 GRAMMY nominations are even more special: his work earned a nod for Producer Of The Year (Non-Classical).

And while he may be Rodrigo's right-hand man, it's far from his only acclaimed collaboration. Nigro's production and songwriting on Irish singer/songwriter Dermot Kennedy's 2022 album, Sonder, and rising pop star Chappell Roan's debut LP, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, also helped him land the honor. 

In fact, Nigro's path to his Producer Of The Year nomination is more than a decade in the making — embodying as many surprise twists and turns as the music he's now known for. 

After his initial taste of industry success in the midst of the early-00s pop-punk scene as a member of the band As Tall as Lions, Nigro landed his first big break as a behind-the-scenes impresario with a McDonald's jingle. A string of high-profile collaborations materialized in the next few years, with the likes of Sky Ferreira, Kylie Minogue and Carly Rae Jepsen. 

Through that evolution, Nigro gained a reputation as a whisperer for tender singer/songwriters known for their candid lyrics. And along with Rodrigo, he's lately become a go-to producer/co-wrote for Conan Gray, Caroline Polachek and the aforementioned Roan.

Ahead of the 2024 GRAMMYS, Nigro detailed his unique path and creative process to GRAMMY.com, also offering an inside look inside making one of the biggest albums of 2023.

The path of your career in music has been unique. Was this end result always a goal?

It definitely wasn't. It's interesting because I did an interview with [the podcast] And The Writer is… a couple years ago, and it was cool to have so many people reach out to me after that, and relating to it, and feeling like they were on the same journey. But where I ended up is not where I thought. 

When I moved out to L.A., honestly my goal was to just be able to make a life making music and be happy. The thought of being nominated for GRAMMYs or having No. 1 songs wasn't the goal. My only thought was, If I can make music for commercials, I'll be able to pay my rent doing that. That was the dream, just to make enough money to sustain myself as a musician. 

Along with developing a universe of artists around you, along the way you also developed your own sound. Was that something you consciously nurtured, or did it naturally evolve?

It definitely evolved over time. It's learning new things every day and making music with new people and finding new ways to be inspired by other people and other music. Like anything, you take the best of what you learn and put it in your arsenal — like how a person might mic an acoustic guitar a certain way, or how another person focuses on lyrics more so than melody. 

Everybody has their different ways of making music and what's important to them. So you take what makes sense and resonates with you. But hopefully, it's an ever-evolving sound. 

Read More: Here Are The Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical GRAMMY Nominees At The 2024 GRAMMYs

When it comes to the GRAMMY nominations for GUTS, which one is most meaningful to you? Producer Of The Year?

Probably. To be honest, I was so shocked when I heard [we were nominated]. I'm nervous and an anxious person already, so I just didn't watch when they announced them. I was like, I don't want to know what's happening. Somebody will call me.

I went out for a walk with my wife, Emily, and my baby, Saoirse, and when we went out the front door, a FaceTime came through from Olivia. She was like, "Congratulations!" I was like, "Cool. For what?!" 

She was so pumped and crying. I really didn't think it was going to happen, because you're getting nominated by a group of peers. It's so subjective and you have no clue what's going to happen. 

I think what's forgotten is that when you started working with Olivia on her breakout song, "driver's license," and debut album, SOUR, is that you as a team weren't chasing any trends; you created what you both thought these songs should sound like. Now we have so many artists chasing that very sound you helped popularize, from diary-like lyrics to utilizing actual instruments, the latter of which you and her brought back to the charts. Can you describe how you built on that for GUTS?

That's the greatest thing about Olivia, I have to give her that credit. I say this to everyone I work with, and maybe it's cliché, but you're really only as good as the artist that you're working with. But I remember at times in the beginning thinking to myself, "Wow, we are literally using all live instruments." 

For GUTS, we did a couple of those songs live, which came from Olivia telling me what she wanted the songs to sound like and feel like. I remember having to take a step back and be like, "Wow, we have one of the biggest artists in the world and she wants it to be recorded live." 

She [wanted] the authenticity and the push and pull of the music. I just thought, "We're going to need to do this live." That's fun to do, but I had never done it with her or a big pop artist before. 

I remember we went in to record "all american b—" and "ballad of a homeschooled girl." We went into the studio, had the musicians there, and I had it all mapped out in a Pro-Tools sketch, like a really bad demo. But we didn't know if we'd actually achieve it or come back two days later and say, "Wow, that was a waste of money and time." 

What was so exciting for me was when GUTS took shape, because that session was so successful. Me and my engineer Dave [Schiffman] looked at each other afterwards like, "Wow, after only three days we got a lot." I was shocked it all really worked out. 

When I was back in my home studio and listened to it with fresh ears a week later, I was like, "This feels good!" The songs that were the missing links to the record were there. 

I sent Olivia "ballad of a homeschooled girl" and she was like, "It's incredible, I love it!" So we were good — she loves it, and I love it.

How did you record Olivia's vocals? It seems to me like her voice has a sort-of lo-fi filter. Maybe a cheaper microphone, for lack of a better descriptor. 

For a couple of the songs, I put an effect on her to make it sound like that, but we actually recorded it on a very fancy mic. But it's a plug-in in Pro-Tools, I think it's called Vintage Vinyl from a company that made it sound like it was recorded in the 60s or something. I wish I could say we used an old vintage mic on that, but we didn't.

**Whether SOUR or GUTS, you recorded the majority of the album in your home studio. Are you careful to not mix it up so much by going to a fancier place with a whole set-up, entourage, etc?** 

It was intentional. We enjoyed making SOUR, and it felt like a special moment for both of us in our lives, and it was all done in the home studio. So we decided very early on, Why would we want to change that up just because we're more successful now? 

Olivia said, "I want to make it in your garage again, I like writing songs in there." But when we worked on SOUR, I lived here while we were making it, but I don't anymore. It's the same place, but now the entire house is the studio. The only thing that's changed is that one of the bedrooms that was my bedroom is the live room with a drum set, organ and piano. The garage itself is only 180 sq feet.

How does the energy of a song reveal itself? Listening to your productions, some of them are subtle and others explode with energy. Meanwhile, you're also known to vacillate with a single song going from demure to a wild burst in seconds. 

Everyone has different interpretations about what makes a great song, and one of the first bands I got obsessed with listening to the production of a song was Queen. I loved how they took you on this journey. 

I always feel weird when music is singular. I know some people produce songs that are one thing the whole way through, and we obviously make songs like that as well, but I think it's important on a lot of records to have a few songs where you go on a journey. If you listen to the first half of a song you couldn't tell what the last half would sound like. 

People talk all the time about "passive listening music," and I don't like making that. I want to make music for people to listen to with intent, and you go on that journey. I hope we make more songs that do that because those are always my favorite. 

Read More: 2024 GRAMMYs Performers: Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, And Olivia Rodrigo Announced

SOUR could have been a once-in-a-career moment for everybody involved. And people always say having a breakout like that is easier than making a huge success again because it so rarely happens. How did you grapple with expectations when it came to working on the follow-up?

It was really hard for both Olivia and I. We're really good at balancing each other out — when one person was feeling down and negative, the other tries to get them out of a hole and vice versa. It's hard to not let the voices get in your head with expectations or what you think people would think and really make what you just want to make. 

It actually took us a long time to get to the point where we both felt comfortable that we made the music we just wanted to make, and get enough confidence. In the beginning of making the record, you feel imposter syndrome: Will I ever do that again? What even is that to be done again?  

But we came back to the simple fact that we made songs we like to make and we'll do that again — and to find solace in the fact that if it's not as big as SOUR, it doesn't really matter, because we're making music we like. And you hope people follow you on your journey along the way.

From Olivia to Conan Gray and Chappell Roan, all of the artists you work with are known for the raw, unfiltered honesty in their lyrics. How did you become a creative whisperer for this specific style?

I don't know what makes them want to work with me half the time. I'm so slow and more indecisive than the artist can be. 

I approach it with a band mentality. We're in it together. And maybe that's my strength or my weakness, but I want to be involved. I want to know why an artist likes a song or doesn't; I see the kind of gray areas. 

To me, there's so much nuance in between what makes a song good — like if it's one little part that makes it special and nurturing that to make it bigger. I think that's what I bring to the table; helping these artists see their vision and seeing if we as a group find something special in a song. 

For example, I might try five different types of production on it. It's about that feeling when you know there's something there, but it's about getting it onto the tape to make it feel special sometimes. It's a journey, but I think a lot of people don't like to do it like that, for some reason. They record something quickly and decide then and there, "That's it" and it's very black and white. 

"vampire" is nominated for Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year. What can you tell me about the evolution of that track?

It was one of the hardest songs on the album to make. Olivia brought in the original idea for it, which was basically a verse and a chorus in January 2023, after she wrote it [that] last December.  

She was nervous to play them for me. I remember listening to it by myself and when the tag came in at the time, which was different. The original line was "Bloodsucker, famef—er, love me like a vampire." When I heard the "famef—er" I was like, "Oh! That was cool." From there, we workshopped it. 

I loved the idea, but I thought there were some things that could be improved upon. So we spent that whole day just trying out all these little intricacies, changing lyrics here and there. It was a slow evolution. 

At the time, Olivia had been off the internet, but she wound up posting a little teaser clip. We actually worked on it on the anniversary [of when] "driver's license" came out. But we both liked it a lot and were excited. 

My initial thought was that it was a ballad, so later on the initial demo I recorded some drums and a guitar and it was a full ballad. When I played it for Olivia two days later, she was like, "No. I don't like it." So then I switched it to double-time and put a kick in and made it more intense, which she loved, which began a whole other process of trying to figure out how to arc the song, because it builds and builds and builds. Then we had to figure out how to arc the vocal performance, then we made the bridge weeks later and every time we worked out we got more and more close. 

I remember we had a meeting where we played it for her management. It wasn't done and the transitions weren't fully realized yet, but I remember that we were [still] excited about it. They were just like, "Yeah… sounds like three songs in one? Interesting." 

We were so disappointed at the meeting… We thought this was good! So we worked on it more and the next time we played it for people that's when everybody got excited about it. There are so many versions of the song, I can't even count them. But maybe one day we'll put together a folder of all of them.

Read More: 5 Lessons Olivia Rodrigo Learned On 'GUTS'

"ballad of a homeschooled girl" is also nominated for Best Rock Song. Was that always designed as a high-energy rock song?

For the genesis of the song, the verse and the chorus, we wrote it the very first day we got to Electric Lady Studios in New York City. We were hanging out in the lounge and talking about what we wanted to do when we were there with a whole week booked out. 

I had an acoustic guitar in my hand. She said, "I want to write a song that feels like this" and I picked up a guitar, played some chords and she just started singing. Within 10 minutes, we wrote it and had a Voice Note of it and forgot about it. 

It wasn't until months later when we were writing and writing without doing any production, it got to the point where we decided we should put together some real demos for people. I put together a demo of it and she was shocked and loved it, and it spiraled from there.

Take me through the evolution of another favorite from the album, "Get Him Back!"

We also wrote that one at Electric Lady on an acoustic guitar. The bridge was originally the verse. "I wanna key his car…"  "That was our original verse. But we wrote it, wrote the chorus, had the song and I recorded a scratch demo. Olivia didn't like it and said, "I don't know if that's the right verse." 

It wasn't until weeks later when I said, "What if we made the old verse the bridge?" And we were like, "Wow, that actually works way better than the original!" But it took us a long time to realize that was the path of the song. 

How does it feel going from making commercial jingles to having such a monumental impact on American popular music, not to mention these GRAMMY nominations?

It feels pretty good. I will admit that. It doesn't feel real sometimes, but it's pretty awesome. 

Olivia is a real special person, and I feel very fortunate that I get to make music with her. We're really just trying to have fun making music. 

Loving Olivia Rodrigo's "Vampire"? Check Out 15 Songs By Alanis Morissette, Miley Cyrus & More That Reclaim The Breakup Narrative

Few individuals get the opportunity to truly define the sound of a moment the way that producers do. The recent passing of Quincy Jones acts as a reminder: Even though they may not always be onstage or have their name in flashing lights on the marquee, producers’ ability to imprint their unique vision and style across genres, styles, and voices and build a map of what the year sounds like. 

This year's nominees for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical have undoubtedly reached that achievement, delivering beauty and joy across the musical spectrum. There are some names that should be very familiar to GRAMMY viewers. Dernst "D’Mile" Emile II returns to the category for the third year in a row, hoping to build from his Best R&B Album win at the 66th GRAMMY Awards for his work on Victoria Monet's JAGUAR II. Nominated for the second year in a row, Daniel Nigro hopes to take home the golden gramophone for shaping glorious pop indulgence. 

Fans of rap have long known the work of Mustard, but now it would seem that so would anyone who’s walked past a radio. Ian Fitchuk’s resume stretches from country gold to woozy pop delight, and Alissia put a stamp on a lush, disco-tinged brand of R&B. 

Check out the nominees below and read the full 2025 GRAMMYs nominations list ahead of Music's Biggest Night on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025.  

Alissia

After obsessing over Motown, Parliament Funkadelic, Prince and James Brown as a young person, Alissia took up the bass and started to commit herself fully to a life in music. "I was a big funk-head, ‘70s funk," she told Sweetwater. "I was kind of like a sponge…I was a big nerd and wanted to learn how to arrange for a big band and orchestra." 

Translating that love into actual work with none other than Bootsy Collins, then, must have elevated Alissia into some level of funk heaven. Since then, Alissia has continued to evolve her grooves and style, working with artists ranging from Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars, to Nile Rodgers and Mary J. Blige. In 2024, that interstellar journey culminated in an impressive swathe of releases in soul, R&B, and funk.

Take, for example, the sublime "Is It Worth It", a slippery groove that elevates Rae Khalil’s smoke-laced voice to obscene extremes. Or "Love Takeover" from R&B duo Lion Babe, a track that could single-handedly transport an entire dancefloor back to the heights of the disco era while retaining a modernist bass flow. 

The Swiss-born, New York-based producer’s soulful niche has also found a match in a pair of Chicago artists. Alissia produced the opening track to Jamila Woods’ Water Made Us, and "Bugs" gives a nostalgic and sensuous tone to the poet/vocalist’s lilting voice. Alissia’s hard-thumping rhythms also lift up BJ the Chicago Kid, giving a new energy to his regal voice. 

Whether DJing, playing bass, or working behind the board, Alissia finds a lithe, effortless cool that’s downright infectious. "To me, what makes a great record is when you did it from your heart. You really felt it, it wasn't forced or anything, it was genuine, you made it with love," she told GRAMMY.com. "Music is feelings. There's no competition. eVerybody has something different to bring to the table."

Watch: Behind The Board: Alissia On Working With Bootsy Collins, Learning From Anderson .Paak & What Makes A Great Record

Dernst "D’Mile" Emile II

With Jack Antonoff out of the running after three wins in a row in this category, Dernst Emile II, a.k.a. R&B/hip-hop producer D’Mile, hopes that he can take his turn at the top. And thanks to some incredible work with a coterie of smooth eccentrics, this could well be his time.

Over the past few years, D’mile has helped usher a lux, live brand of vintage R&B to the fore, resulting in his becoming the first person to net back-to-back Song Of The Year awards for H.E.R.'s "I Can't Breathe" and Silk Sonic's "Leave the Door Open," not to mention recognition for his work with the likes of Victoria Monet and Mary J. Blige.

D’mile’s soulful penchant for fusion brought the best out of a wide variety of artists. From bringing a reeling jig to Koe Wetzel’s "Bar Song" to putting a sepia glow on Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ duet "Die With a Smile," this year found D’mile pushing his already expansive boundaries. At the same time, he knew exactly how to pull the best out of styles that hit closer to home, like the Prince-adjacent funk of Usher’s "I Love U" and the swanky throwback "That’s You" from Lucky Daye (an artist with whom D’mile has already had success, gaining gold for his work on 2022’s Best Progressive R&B Album, Table for Two. 

There’s something so natural about a D’mile track — and that seems to be by design. "It’s like when you cook, you got to make the right concoction and make sure the love is in it," he told Vibe. "Can you explain what you just did? No. You just threw stuff in the pot."

The Brooklynite has already notched six GRAMMY wins and an Academy Award, and that’s nothing to sneeze at. But on his third run at Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical, D'Mile is surely ready to finally take the award home. And if this pace continues, there’s no reason to doubt that he could go on his own three-year streak. 

Read more: 5 Essential D'Mile Productions: Silk Sonic, Victoria Monét, & Others

Ian Fitchuk

When Kacey Musgraves took home the GRAMMY Award for Best Country Album in 2019 for Golden Hour, she made sure to bring Ian Fitchuk onto the stage and to give him a shoutout. The Chicago-born, Nashville-based musician co-produced the record and played a variety of instruments across its 13 tracks — helping Musgraves unlock the truest expression of her version of country music to date. 

This year, Fitchuk nabbed a nomination for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical in part for his work on Musgraves’ latest, the dazzling Deeper Well. Speaking of helping shape unique perspectives on country, Fitchuk’s year also featured a spot on the writing and production team for "Amen" on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter. "I had the crazy idea of, ‘What if we got Beyoncé on a song [with Kacey Musgraves]?" he recalled in an interview with Vulture. While that track may never be finished, the process led to Fitchuk getting a call when Queen B was prepping her country record.

Another high-profile hit in Fitchuk's catalog comes via co-write on the ecstatic "Silk Chiffon," the queer anthem from MUNA featuring Phoebe Bridgers, as well as producing the multimillion-streamed "Until I Found You" by Stephen Sanchez. This year’s Pr nomination is powered in part by Fitchuk’s role as producer for the album that spawned that latter hit, a debut that radiates vintage AM glow. Fitchuk's big year also featured work with the likes of Maggie Rogers, Still Woozy, and Role Model, not to mention working with Musgraves and Leon Bridges on their contributions to an album of music inspired by the film Bob Marley: One Love.

That diverse list of artists belies Fitchuk’s greatest strength: a willingness to experiment with country tropes while respecting the genre’s history. "I think ‘What is country music?’ is an exhausting question," he told Vulture. "I’m down to be making all different kinds of versions of whatever anybody thinks country music is. Because I didn’t grow up with it, by me fucking with it in any way, it’s going to be its own thing."

Watch: Kacey Musgraves Wins Best Country Album For 'Golden Hour' | 2019 GRAMMYs

Mustard

When an artist decides to play one of the tracks that you produced not once, not twice, not three times, heck not even four times, but five times in a row at a prominent concert, you know you’ve done something right. R&B hitmaker Mustard has plenty of absolute smash hits in his catalog, but perhaps nothing in that long line matches Kendrick Lamar’s "Not Like Us" in terms of inescapability and being in the absolute epicenter of not just the rap world but the entire pop culture conversation.

A relatively mellow character when it comes to long-tenured hitmakers, Mustard seems to be reveling in the moment. "I never look for validation from anybody in the music industry. But do I feel accomplished? Yeah," he told XXL. "I feel really good about what this did. And I do feel like it should make people respect who I am."

Mustard’s been at the top of the game for more than a decade, as far back as "Rack City" in 2011, the "Mustard on the beat" tag one of those constants on rap radio and favorites of deep cut fans alike. As a producer, he’s hit the charts with everyone from Big Sean, Rihanna and 2 Chainz, to Fergie, Young Jeezy and Tinashe. But Mustard’s got hits of his own as well, like the Roddy Rich-featuring "High Fashion" and "Ballin'", as well as "Pure Water" with Migos.

This year, his nomination of course comes in part thanks to "Not Like Us," but also to his razor-sharp solo record, Faith of a Mustard Seed. The album features Mustard's trademark beats, but stretches out in its click-snap percussion, well-deep bass, twitchy samples, and lux synths. Album highlight "Parking Lot" deserves extra attention, Travis Scott’s rippling AutoTune floating over the top of a glittering hi-hat and particularly rubbery bass line. 

"I've been behind the boards and the beats so long that nobody's ever heard my side of things," Mustard recently told REAL 92.3 radio in Los Angeles. "I owe it to my fans to let you guys know where I've been the last five years, what's been going on in my life." And as bigger and bigger things keep happening, one has to assume that the production will just keep getting bigger as well.

Watch: Where Do You Keep Your GRAMMY? | Mustard

Daniel Nigro

Some of the fans in their native Long Island, New York may have looked at Tall As Lions and seen GRAMMYs in their future. And while their work never reached that height, those fans wouldn’t be wrong, as frontman Daniel Nigro has racked up eight nominations, including a win for Best Pop Vocal Album for his work on Olivia Rodrigo's Sour.

In 2023, Guts proved a worthy successor to that record — and tracks from the deluxe Spilled edition helped power Nigro to his second straight nomination for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical. The teen pop star is a powerhouse in her own right, but Nigro’s production has helped Rodrigo evolve and find new ways to share her emotionally salient, raw lyrics. 

"To me, there's so much nuance in between what makes a song good — like if it's one little part that makes it special and nurturing that to make it bigger," Nigro told GRAMMY.com earlier this year. "I think that's what I bring to the table; helping these artists see their vision and seeing if we as a group find something special in a song."

Though of course one of the biggest stories of the year is Chappell Roan, the esoteric dark pop genius behind The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess — and that record on its own could position Nigro in good standing for a big GRAMMY win. Much akin to Rodrigo’s gold-gathering albums, that record thrives on open-hearted lyrics and massive hooks, with Nigro aiding the live energy.

While for some, the "Pink Pony Club" auteur came out of nowhere, Nigro has been a long-time Roan supporter and collaborator, the two having worked together for more than half a decade. In fact, when Roan was dropped from Atlantic Records, Nigro decided he'd sign her to his own label so that her creative vision could come fully to fruition. "[I feel a] deep sense of fulfillment," he told Fast Company. "I wanted nothing more than for people to listen to Chappell. I’ve been shouting it from a mountain for years — ‘Please listen to this, I promise!’"

Read more: The Genius Of Dan Nigro: The Producer Of The Year Nominee On Olivia Rodrigo's 'GUTS' & Why His Success "Doesn't Feel Real"

It’s officially awards season! Today, the nominees for the 2024 Emmys dropped — and, happily, the 2024 GRAMMYs telecast received a whopping five nominations.

At the 2024 Emmys, the 2024 GRAMMYs telecast is currently nominated for Outstanding Variety Special (Live), Outstanding Production Design for a Variety Special, Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Special, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special, and Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Special.

Across these categories, this puts Music’s Biggest Night in a friendly head-to-head with other prestigious awards shows and live variety specials, including the Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show starring Usher as well as fellow awards shows the Oscars and the Tonys.

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2024 was a banner year for the GRAMMYs. Music heroes returned to the spotlight; across Categories, so many new stars were minted. New GRAMMY Categories received their inaugural winners: Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording. Culture-shaking performances and acceptance speeches went down. Those we lost received a loving farewell via the In Memoriam segment.

The 2025 GRAMMYs will take place Sunday, Feb. 2, live at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and will broadcast live on the CBS Television Network and stream live and on demand on Paramount+. Nominations for the 2025 GRAMMYs will be announced Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.

For more information about the 2025 GRAMMY Awards season, learn more about the annual GRAMMY Awards process, read our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section, view the official GRAMMY Awards Rules and Guidelines, and visit the GRAMMY Award Update Center for a list of real-time changes to the GRAMMY Awards process.

Since 1959, the GRAMMY Award has been music’s most coveted honor. Each year at the annual GRAMMY Awards, GRAMMY-winning and -nominated artists are recognized for their musical excellence by their peers. Their lives are forever changed — so are their career trajectories. And when you have questions about the GRAMMYs, we have answers.

Here are seven facts to know about the value of the GRAMMY trophy.

How Much Does A GRAMMY Trophy Cost To Make?

The cost to produce a GRAMMY Award trophy, including labor and materials, is nearly $800. Bob Graves, who cast the original GRAMMY mold inside his garage in 1958, passed on his legacy to John Billings, his neighbor, in 1983. Billings, also known as "The GRAMMY Man," designed the current model in use, which debuted in 1991.

How Long Does It Take To Make A GRAMMY Trophy?

Billings and his crew work on making GRAMMY trophies throughout the year. Each GRAMMY is handmade, and each GRAMMY Award trophy takes 15 hours to produce. 

Where Are The GRAMMY Trophies Made?

While Los Angeles is the headquarters of the Recording Academy and the GRAMMYs, and regularly the home of the annual GRAMMY Awards, GRAMMY trophies are produced at Billings Artworks in Ridgway, Colorado, about 800 miles away from L.A.

Is The GRAMMY Award Made Of Real Gold?

GRAMMY Awards are made of a trademarked alloy called "Grammium" — a secret zinc alloy — and are plated with 24-karat gold.

How Many GRAMMY Trophies Are Made Per Year?

Approximately 600-800 GRAMMY Award trophies are produced per year. This includes both GRAMMY Awards and Latin GRAMMY Awards for the two Academies; the number of GRAMMYs manufactured each year always depends on the number of winners and Categories we award across both award shows.

Fun fact: The two GRAMMY trophies have different-colored bases. The GRAMMY Award has a black base, while the Latin GRAMMY Award has a burgundy base.

Photos: Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images; Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

How Much Does A GRAMMY Weigh?

The GRAMMY trophy weighs approximately 5 pounds. The trophy's height is 9-and-a-half inches. The trophy's width is nearly 6 inches by 6 inches.

What Is The True Value Of A GRAMMY?

Winning a GRAMMY, and even just being nominated for a GRAMMY, has an immeasurable positive impact on the nominated and winning artists. It opens up new career avenues, builds global awareness of artists, and ultimately solidifies a creator’s place in history. Since the GRAMMY Award is the only peer-voted award in music, this means artists are recognized, awarded and celebrated by those in their fields and industries, ultimately making the value of a GRAMMY truly priceless and immeasurable.

In an interview featured in the 2024 GRAMMYs program book, two-time GRAMMY winner Lauren Daigle spoke of the value and impact of a GRAMMY Award. "Time has passed since I got my [first] GRAMMYs, but the rooms that I am now able to sit in, with some of the most incredible writers, producers and performers on the planet, is truly the greatest gift of all." 

"Once you have that credential, it's a different certification. It definitely holds weight," two-time GRAMMY winner Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter of the Roots added. "It's a huge stamp as far as branding, businesswise, achievement-wise and in every regard. What the GRAMMY means to people, fans and artists is ever-evolving." 

As Billboard explains, artists will often see significant boosts in album sales and streaming numbers after winning a GRAMMY or performing on the GRAMMY stage. This is known as the "GRAMMY Effect," an industry phenomenon in which a GRAMMY accolade directly influences the music biz and the wider popular culture. 

For new artists in particular, the "GRAMMY Effect" has immensely helped rising creators reach new professional heights. Samara Joy, who won the GRAMMY for Best New Artist at the 2023 GRAMMYs, saw a 989% boost in sales and a 670% increase in on-demand streams for her album Linger Awhile, which won the GRAMMY for Best Jazz Vocal Album that same night. H.E.R., a former Best New Artist nominee, saw a massive 6,771% increase in song sales for her hit “I Can’t Breathe” on the day it won the GRAMMY for Song Of The Year at the 2021 GRAMMYs, compared to the day before, Rolling Stone reports. 

Throughout the decades, past Best New Artist winners have continued to dominate the music industry and charts since taking home the GRAMMY gold — and continue to do so to this day. Recently, Best New Artist winners dominated the music industry and charts in 2023: Billie Eilish (2020 winner) sold 2 million equivalent album units, Olivia Rodrigo (2022 winner) sold 2.1 million equivalent album units, and Adele (2009 winner) sold 1.3 million equivalent album units. Elsewhere, past Best New Artist winners have gone on to star in major Hollywood blockbusters (Dua Lipa); headline arena tours and sign major brand deals (Megan Thee Stallion); become LGBTIA+ icons (Sam Smith); and reach multiplatinum status (John Legend).

Most recently, several winners, nominees and performers at the 2024 GRAMMYs saw significant bumps in U.S. streams and sales: Tracy Chapman's classic, GRAMMY-winning single "Fast Car," which she performed alongside Luke Combs, returned to the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time since 1988, when the song was originally released, according to Billboard. Fellow icon Joni Mitchell saw her ‘60s classic “Both Sides, Now,” hit the top 10 on the Digital Song Sales chart, Billboard reports.

In addition to financial gains, artists also experience significant professional wins as a result of their GRAMMY accolades. For instance, after she won the GRAMMY for Best Reggae Album for Rapture at the 2020 GRAMMYs, Koffee signed a U.S. record deal; after his first GRAMMYs in 2014, Kendrick Lamar saw a 349% increase in his Instagram following, Billboard reports. 

Visit our interactive GRAMMY Awards Journey page to learn more about the GRAMMY Awards and the voting process behind the annual ceremony.

2024 GRAMMYs: See The Full Winners & Nominees List

With spring just around the corner, it’s time to welcome AAPI Month in full blossom. From rising musical artists to inspiring community leaders, it’s essential to recognize AAPI members of the artistic world and their achievements.

While AAPI Month is a U.S. holiday, the Recording Academy takes a global approach in celebrating artists and creators from across the Asian and Asian American diaspora. This aligns with the Recording Academy's growing mission to expand its reach on a global scale and celebrate international creators outside of the U.S.  

Musicians of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander heritage have not only helped establish the music industry, but have transformed it. From Diljit Dosanjh being the first artist to play a Coachella set entirely in Punjabi to Laufey winning a GRAMMY for her jazz-inspired pop, AAPI artists continue to influence music by both honoring tradition and reshaping modern standards.

It’s thrilling to see AAPI musicians continue to take centerstage — from Atarashi Gakko! to Tiger JK’s memorable sets at Coachella, to surprise appearances from Olivia Rodrigo, Dominic Fike, and Towa Bird. As festival season gets underway, examples of the AAPI starpower from every corner of the world abound.

As one of many ways to celebrate AAPI Month, listen to the GRAMMY.com playlist below — as a reminder to give AAPI musicians not just their May flowers, but their flowers all year-round!