Since its inception, the Recording Academy has remained committed to inspiring and supporting the next generation of music creators and professionals via ongoing music education initiatives. Now, we're taking that commitment to the next level. 

Today, the Recording Academy proudly launched GRAMMY GO, a new online initiative offering innovative, industry-focused courses tailored for music creators and industry professionals from all backgrounds and experience levels. Launched in partnership with leading online learning platform Coursera, GRAMMY GO is the Academy's first-ever creator-to-creator platform that offers practical courses focusing on real-time industry developments and taught by leading music professionals and creators. 

Geared toward emerging and established members of the industry alike, GRAMMY GO taps into the Recording Academy's esteemed membership base and distinguished creator network to offer users a singular online learning experience informed by current-day industry dynamics. This unique approach sets GRAMMY GO apart from other online learning platforms.

"As an organization that comprises more than 20,000 of the world's most creative music professionals, we feel there is a massive source of knowledge that we believe is part of our mission, as an Academy, to help disseminate," Recording Academy President Panos A. Panay said in an exclusive interview. "We also view it as part of our purpose to use the Academy to help elevate other creatives and help them develop the skills they need to succeed in an ever-evolving industry. We bring a different orientation and a mission-driven purpose to what we're doing with GRAMMY GO."

"We're responding to what the needs are in the moment and across the industry," Jonathan Mahoney, Vice President of Online Learning for Grammy Global Ventures, adds. "We aim to explore the industry's needs, and then we'll build our offerings to answer those needs in real-time. That's one of the key differentiators fueling GRAMMY GO."

GRAMMY GO also accelerates the Recording Academy's ongoing global mission, while also reinforcing its commitment to music education — two core pillars that define the future of the Academy.

GRAMMY GO launches with "Building Your Audience for Music Professionals," a wide-spanning industry course taught by international music/marketing executive Joey Harris and featuring firsthand knowledge from past GRAMMY winners Jimmy Jam and Victoria Monét and 10-time GRAMMY nominee Janelle Monáe. The second GRAMMY GO course, "Music Production: Crafting An Award-Worthy Song," launching later this summer, will focus on sharpening technological and audio skills for music producers of all levels. Taught by Howard University professor and GRAMMY nominee Carolyn Malachi, the upcoming specialization will include appearances by GRAMMY winner CIRKUT, three-time GRAMMY winner Hit-Boy, artist and celebrity vocal coach Stevie Mackey, five-time GRAMMY nominee and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr., and 15-time GRAMMY winner Judith Sherman. Enrollment and pre-enrollment for both courses are now open.

In an exclusive interview below, Panay and Mahoney discuss the benefits and vision behind GRAMMY GO and the Recording Academy's year-round mission to bring music education and industry knowledge to creators and professionals around the world.

Learn more about GRAMMY GO and enroll now to the "Building Your Audience for Music Professionals" and "Music Production: Crafting An Award-Worthy Song" courses.

Music education is at the core of the Recording Academy's year-round mission. How does GRAMMY GO expand on this core mission?

Panos A. Panay: Learning and community are key components of the Academy. The organization has been dedicated to learning and building communities around learning and creating since its inception. GRAMMY GO is a piece in a puzzle that helps complete the picture. It creates a seamless arc between the offerings and initiatives across the Academy as a whole: from the GRAMMY Museum at the K-12 audiences through GRAMMY U's efforts with emerging professionals and creatives and all the way through the work we do with Advocacy, MusiCares, DEI, the Latin Recording Academy, Membership, and the annual GRAMMY Awards.

GRAMMY GO is now the connective tissue that can create a bridge between all these initiatives across our wider organization. We aim to use it as a platform to both complete the loop and help close any gaps that may have existed. GRAMMY GO is meant to work harmoniously with everything across the Academy so that it collectively makes the organization even more impactful. 

Music creators and professionals already have several online education options available to them. What will set GRAMMY GO apart from these other platforms?

Panay: As an organization that comprises more than 20,000 of the world's most creative music professionals, we feel there is a massive source of knowledge that we believe is part of our mission, as an Academy, to help disseminate. We also view it as part of our purpose to use the Academy to help elevate other creatives and help them develop the skills they need to succeed in an ever-evolving industry.

We are entering the online music education space because we believe that there is often a gap between the more academic-oriented educational platforms that exist and the more practical-oriented knowledge for professionals to develop their careers or, even more importantly, to expand their careers in the industry. Our offerings, as a part of our partnership with Coursera, are geared toward both aspirants as well as professionals who are looking to take the next step in their careers.

The specializations are designed as learning platforms, to be taught by practitioners who are thriving in the music industry on a daily level today. What we're doing is driven by our purpose and the role that we want to be playing in both the industry and society at large as the Recording Academy.

GRAMMY GO on Coursera includes courses taught by Recording Academy members and featuring past GRAMMY winners and nominees. What does this access to the Recording Academy membership and network add to the GRAMMY GO experience?

Jonathan Mahoney: This is the Recording Academy's first creator-to-creator platform. The instructors are people who are thriving in their careers; they're doing it every day. We've got Carolyn Malachi, who's a Howard tenure track professor, but she's also an active producer who's constantly in the studio working. Joey Harris knows intimately how to succeed in the industry. He's taking his real-time knowledge and applying it to the lessons he's passing along. I see GRAMMY GO as a mentorship for and by the music community.

Panay: The Recording Academy is an organization developed by, ran by, and dedicated to the well-being of creatives. Beyond our celebration, advocacy, support, and inspiration for creatives, it's also our job to help give them the toolkits that they need to continue to succeed today. So we're taking that peer-to-peer model and applying it to the creator-to-creator model. 

Tell me more about the GRAMMY GO partnership with Coursera

Panay: Coursera is a leader in the online education space. By joining forces, we're bringing what the Academy does to a broader, global audience. Of all the partners out there, we felt Coursera best reflected our values and our approach and was the best partner for us to activate the mission of the Academy on a global level.

Imagine I'm an emerging artist or industry professional; let's say I'm a GRAMMY U member in college. Now imagine I'm an established member of the industry who's entering the 10th year of my professional career. Is GRAMMY GO for me?

Panay: Yes. I've been in the music business for 30-plus years, and I can tell you: The learning does not stop. When I completed the first GRAMMY GO specialization, there's impactful stuff that I learned. It's easy to put your head down as a professional, and you're working all day, every day. But lift your head up periodically, take stock and ask yourself, "How do I sharpen my skills? How do I invest in my skills so that I can continue to evolve at the highest possible level?" In that sense, we feel absolutely sure what we're developing is applicable to everyone.

Mahoney: We built this content with everyone in mind, including our Recording Academy membership, when we decided to make this our launch offering. We thought deeply about what would be appealing to our members. These initial offerings may work for our members, but at the same time, anyone can benefit from them.

Panay: If you've been a practitioner or a professional in some field, there is always a benefit to having somebody help you think about what you're doing instinctively in a very different way. Especially for creatives, things are so natural to them that they don't always stop to think about their own process. And sometimes you need somebody to help you unlock those different or unexplored perspectives. That's what GRAMMY GO offers.

Everybody can gain from more improvement; nobody is immune to growth. You could be Michael Jordan, but you still have a coach Phil Jackson on the sidelines to help you improve. If you're competitive, then every 1% improvement matters because that's your edge.

GRAMMY GO is like your coach in your pocket.

Panay: I like that.

Talk to us about some of the GRAMMY GO specializations being offered through Coursera. What are some of the future specializations going to focus on? And how are you selecting these forthcoming courses?

Mahoney: We're building content in an agile way so that we're responding to what the needs are in the moment and across the industry. We're taking a hard look at what we're going to build, but also how we're going to build it. We really want to be agile and quick and create valuable content that is also timely. We aim to explore the industry's needs, and then we'll build our offerings to answer those needs in real-time. That's one of the key differentiators fueling GRAMMY GO.

Panay: What distinguishes GRAMMY GO from a traditional academic institution is that we're nimble and we're able to adjust and adapt based on the various market dynamics that we, as the Recording Academy, have a front-row seat at witnessing. That's our approach: How do we use our immersion into the industry as a great gauge for the skill gaps that may exist? And how do we quickly move to fill that gap by tapping into our Academy membership?

Right now, there is complete equality around talent distribution yet complete asymmetry around the skills that are needed to help that talent reach its highest possible level. Our mission as an organization focuses on embracing and elevating all creators, irrespective of who they are, what language they speak, what passport they carry, or what music they perform.

What are some of the most valuable lessons or takeaways that users will learn from GRAMMY GO?

Mahoney: The "Building Your Audience" course is about finding your authentic self, building your brand identity around that authentic self, and figuring out who are your comparable inspirations and taking their lessons and teachings to use in your practice. 

With the "Music Production" offering, the lessons will vary for each user. If you're a beginner or completely new to music production, you're going to come away with the knowledge to be able to cut your first track. The whole goal of the "Music Production" offering is that you start out with nothing and you end up with a demo track that you can release or socialize. Now, if you are coming in as an intermediate and you've done something in the past, you'll focus on refining your craft, making it better, and enhancing it to the next level.

Panay: No matter who you are, no matter where you are — both in your journey or even your geographic location — you will get access to practical skills and impactful knowledge; there is something there that's worth investing your time and energy on. Learn as much as you want, learn on your own time, learn for however long you have, whether it's five minutes or five hours or five days. These offerings will take you from wherever you are in your journey to the next level.

Stay Connected To The Recording Academy With The My Academy Hub App: Access Key Deadlines, View Membership Information, Browse Official Academy Events & More

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

The Recording Academy has partnered with leading online learning platform Coursera on GRAMMY GO, a new online initiative to offer classes tailored for music creators and industry professionals.

This partnership empowers the next generation of the music community with practical, up-to-the moment digital content that provides wisdom for both emerging and established members of the industry. Continuing the Academy’s ongoing mission to serve all music people, courses cover a variety of specializations tailored to creative and professional growth. 

GRAMMY GO on Coursera includes courses taught by Recording Academy members, featuring GRAMMY winners and nominees and offers real-life lessons learners can put to work right away.

Starting today, enrollment is open for GRAMMY GO’s first Coursera specialization, "Building Your Audience for Music Professionals," taught by Joey Harris, international music/marketing executive and CEO of Joey Harris Inc. The course features Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and five-time GRAMMY winner Jimmy Jam, 10-time GRAMMY nominee Janelle Monáe and three-time GRAMMY winner and the 2024 GRAMMYs Best New Artist Victoria Monét. This foundational specialization will help participants gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to build a strong brand presence and cultivate a devoted audience within the ever-changing music industry. 

The partnership’s second course, launching later this summer, aims to strengthen the technological and audio skills of a music producer. "Music Production: Crafting An Award-Worthy Song" will be taught by Carolyn Malachi, Howard University professor and GRAMMY nominee, and will include appearances by GRAMMY winner CIRKUT, three-time GRAMMY winner Hit-Boy, artist and celebrity vocal coach Stevie Mackey, five-time GRAMMY nominee and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr., and 15-time GRAMMY winner Judith Sherman. Pre-enrollment for "Music Production: Crafting An Award-Worthy Song" opens today.

"Whether it be through a GRAMMY Museum program, GRAMMY Camp or GRAMMY U, the GRAMMY organization is committed to helping music creators flourish, and the Recording Academy is proud to introduce our newest learning platform, GRAMMY GO, in partnership with Coursera," said Panos A. Panay, President of the Recording Academy. "A creator’s growth path is ongoing and these courses have been crafted to provide learners with the essential tools to grow in their professional and creative journeys."

"We are honored to welcome GRAMMY GO, our first entertainment partner, to the Coursera community," said Marni Baker Stein, Chief Content Officer at Coursera. "With these self-paced online specializations, aspiring music professionals all over the world have an incredible opportunity to learn directly from iconic artists and industry experts. Together with GRAMMY GO, we can empower tomorrow's pioneers of the music industry to explore their passion today."

GRAMMY GO also serves as the music community’s newest digital hub for career pathways and editorial content that provides industry insights for members of the industry; visit go.grammy.com for more. For information and enrollment, please visit the landing pages for "Building Your Audience for Music Professionals" and "Music Production: Crafting An Award-Worthy Song."

Meet 5 GRAMMY Nominees Who Started At GRAMMY U: From Boygenius Engineer Sarah Tudzin To Pentatonix’s Scott Hoying

As a founding member of the National Recording Preservation Board, the Recording Academy was instrumental in lobbying and getting the board created by Congress. Now, the Library of Congress has added new treasures to the National Recording Registry, preserving masterpieces that have shaped American culture.

The 2024 class not only celebrates modern icons like Green Day’s punk classic Dookie and Biggie Smalls' seminal Ready to Die, but also honors vintage gems like Gene Autry’s "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and Perry Como’s hits from 1957. These recordings join over 650 titles that constitute the registry — a curated collection housed within the Library’s vast archive of nearly 4 million sound recordings. 

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced these additions as essential pieces of our nation’s audio legacy, each selected for their cultural, historical, or aesthetic importance. This selection process is influenced by public nominations, which hit a record number this year, emphasizing the public's role in preserving audio history.

Read more: Inside Green Day's Intimate "Right Here, Right Now" Global Climate Concert In San Francisco

"The Library of Congress is proud to preserve the sounds of American history and our diverse culture through the National Recording Registry," Hayden said. "We have selected audio treasures worthy of preservation with our partners this year, including a wide range of music from the past 100 years, as well as comedy. We were thrilled to receive a record number of public nominations, and we welcome the public’s input on what we should preserve next."

The latest selections named to the registry span from 1919 to 1998 and range from the recordings of the all-Black 369th U.S. Infantry Band led by James Reese Europe after World War I, to defining sounds of jazz and bluegrass, and iconic recordings from pop, dance, country, rock, rap, Latin and classical music.

"For the past 21 years the National Recording Preservation Board has provided musical expertise, historical perspective and deep knowledge of recorded sound to assist the Librarian in choosing landmark recordings to be inducted into the Library’s National Recording Registry," said Robbin Ahrold, Chair of the National Recording Preservation Board. "The board again this year is pleased to join the Librarian in highlighting influential works in our diverse sound heritage, as well as helping to spread the word on the National Recording Registry through their own social media and streaming media Campaigns."

Tune in to NPR's "1A" for "The Sounds of America" series, featuring interviews with Hayden and selected artists, to hear stories behind this year’s picks. Stay connected to the conversation about the registry via social media and listen to many of the recordings on your favorite streaming service.

For more details on the National Recording Registry and to explore more about the selections, visit The Library of Congress's official National Recording Registry page.

National Recording Registry, 2024 Selections (chronological order)

1. "Clarinet Marmalade" – Lt. James Reese Europe’s 369th U.S. Infantry Band (1919)

2. "Kauhavan Polkka" – Viola Turpeinen and John Rosendahl (1928)

3. Wisconsin Folksong Collection (1937-1946)

4. "Rose Room" – Benny Goodman Sextet with Charlie Christian (1939)

5. "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" – Gene Autry (1949)

6. "Tennessee Waltz" – Patti Page (1950)

7. "Rocket ‘88’" – Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats (1951)

8. "Catch a Falling Star" / "Magic Moments" – Perry Como (1957)

9. "Chances Are" – Johnny Mathis (1957)

10. "The Sidewinder" – Lee Morgan (1964)

11. "Surrealistic Pillow" – Jefferson Airplane (1967)

12. "Ain’t No Sunshine" – Bill Withers (1971)

13. "This is a Recording" – Lily Tomlin (1971)

14. "J.D. Crowe & the New South" – J.D. Crowe & the New South (1975)

15. "Arrival" – ABBA (1976)

16. "El Cantante" – Héctor Lavoe (1978)

17. "The Cars" – The Cars (1978)

18. "Parallel Lines" – Blondie (1978)

19. "La-Di-Da-Di" – Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick (MC Ricky D) (1985)

20. "Don’t Worry, Be Happy" – Bobby McFerrin (1988)

21. "Amor Eterno" – Juan Gabriel (1990)

22. "Pieces of Africa" – Kronos Quartet (1992)

23. Dookie – Green Day (1994)

24. Ready to Die – The Notorious B.I.G. (1994)

25. "Wide Open Spaces" – The Chicks (1998)

21 Albums Turning 50 In 2024: 'Diamond Dogs,' 'Jolene,' 'Natty Dread' & More

Following a two-year hiatus, the GRAMMY Museum and Recording Academy are reinstating the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame on its 50th anniversary. The momentous event will be celebrated with an inaugural gala and concert on Tuesday, May 21, at the NOVO Theater in Los Angeles; tickets and performers for the event will be announced at a later date. As part of the return, 10 recordings, including four albums and six singles, will be newly inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame later this year.

The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame was established by the Recording Academy's National Trustees in 1973 to honor recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance that are at least 25 years old. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of the recording arts with final ratification by the Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees. There are currently 1,152 inducted recordings in the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame. View the full list GRAMMY Hall Of Fame past inductees.

This year, the GRAMMY Museum’s GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Gala will be the first of what will become an annual event, and includes a red carpet and VIP reception on the newly opened Ray Charles Terrace at the GRAMMY Museum, followed by a one-of-a-kind concert at the NOVO Theater in Downtown Los Angeles.

The inaugural gala and concert is produced by longtime executive producer of the GRAMMY Awards, Ken Ehrlich, along with Chantel Sausedo and Ron Basile and will feature musical direction by globally renowned producer and keyboardist Greg Phillinganes. For sponsorship opportunities, reach out to halloffame@grammymuseum.org.

Keep watching this space for more exciting news about the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame!

2024 GRAMMYs: See The Full Winners & Nominees List