Stephen L. Betts CountryHound Presents: Things You Need to Know About the Grammy Awards! Did You Know?
- The youngest Grammy winner ever was LeAnn Rimes, who was 14 years old when she was named Best New Artist in 1996
- Billy Gilman is the youngest person ever to be nominated for a Grammy. He was 12 years old.
- Alison Krauss has received 20 Grammy awards, as a solo artist, collaborator, and producer with Union Station, making her the woman with the most Grammy wins to date.
- The first Grammy award for “Country/Western Performance” went to “Tom Dooley,” by The Kingston Trio in 1958.
- The first Country Song of the Year award in 1959 went to “The Battle of New Orleans,” written by Jimmy Driftwood, and performed by Johnny Horton.
- In 1964, Roger Miller won five Grammy Awards:
Best Country & Western Single, “Dang Me” Best Country & Western Album, Dang Me/Chug-A-Lug Best Country & Western Song, “Dang Me” Best Country & Western Vocal Performance, Male, “Dang Me” Best New Country & Western Artist
Best Contemporary Rock & Roll Single, “King of the Road" Best Contemporary Rock & Roll Vocal Performance Male, “King of the Road" Best Country & Western Single, “King of the Road” Best Country & Western Album, The Return of Roger Miller Best Country & Western Song, “King of the Road” Best Country & Western Vocal Performance, male, “King of the Road”
- In 1964 Dottie West won the first Female Country Vocal award for “Here Comes My Baby”
- The first country artist to win in the multi-genre Album of the Year category was Taking the Long Way, by the Dixie Chicks in 2007
5 Things You Should Know About the Grammy Award trophy:
- The Grammy gets its name from the gramophone (which is not only what it resembles, but also what the award was originally called)
- Each Grammy is assembled by hand
- The Grammy is plated in 24k gold
- From start to finish it takes approximately 15 hours to produce one Grammy trophy
- 425 Grammys will be made for the upcoming 50th Grammy Awards ceremony
How to Take Care of Your Grammy:
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Always hold the trophy by the tone arm (and not the bell)
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Use mild dish soap on a cotton cloth to remove fingerprints and other tarnish
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Don’t use metal-cleaning products
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Beware of getting the felt bottom wet
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Don’t clean the award too often
Special thanks to Meaghan Mitchell, the Recording Academy, and Billings Artworks.