The 2023 65th The HNC Agency (THA) GRAMMY-BOUND™ Submission Program season opens April - August 17, 2022.  As a Media Company Member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the organization the behind the GRAMMY Awards), we have the privilege & honor of participating in the GRAMMY Awards submission process.  Should an artist be accepted into our 2023 THA GRAMMY-BOUND™ Submission Program, we will assist with the GRAMMY submission process which is the first step to receiving a GRAMMY nomination, or even better, a GRAMMY.

 

We know what you’re thinking: The GRAMMY Awards always go to the major label artist; I don’t even have a chance.

 

This is 100% NOT TRUE!  According to CD Baby, a music distributor for independent artists, in the last several of years, up to 20 independent artists, who are distributed by CD Baby, have not only been nominated for a GRAMMY, but many have ended up winning.

 

Remember, there are approximately 83 GRAMMY categories in total; many more than the handful that gets televised. If you meet the eligibility requirements and believe in your product, why not submit your album for consideration this year?

 

Eligibility Requirements: 

For the 2023 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards

• Release Date: Recordings (albums/singles) must be available to the public nationwide as stand-alone purchases or streams between Oct. 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2022. Imports are not eligible.

• Length: To be considered for album submission, a recording must contain at least five different tracks with a total playing time of 15 minutes, or a total playing time of 30 minutes with no minimum track amount. Singles have no such requirements.

• Format: A submitted recording must be available for sale either in physical “brick and mortar” stores or online via digital download, or via a recognized streaming platform. A recording must meet the industry minimum standard 16-bit, 44.1 kHz rates. Each submitted song must have proper metadata credits (songwriters, producers, etc.) and International Standard Recording Codes (ISRCs) for each track.

• Original material: Starting with the 2023 Grammys, an album must contain greater than 75 percent of newly recorded (within five years of the release date), recordings that have not been released prior. Currently the rule is 50 percent.

 

Recordings must be non-infringing, original works of authorship. To the extent, a recording embodies in whole or in part the copyrighted work of a third party, appropriate authorization to use and incorporate such copyrighted work must have been obtained.  If allegations are made that a recording is unauthorized and does not meet these criteria, The Academy will consider the allegations and determine, in its sole discretion, the eligibility of such recording. To be considered an album, recordings must contain at least five different tracks and be 15 minutes in length (there is no minimum length requirement to constitute a track). Recordings (albums/singles) must be available to the public as stand-alone purchases or audio-only streams (exceptions: opera and music video/film) by Sept. 30, 2022.

 

Recordings must be available for sale from any date within the eligibility period through at least the date of the current year’s voting deadline (final ballot).

 

CATEGORY UPDATES:

• American Roots Field – Category Split

  • The Best Blues Album category has been split into two categories:  Best Traditional Blues Album and Best Contemporary Blues Album.

• Best New Artist – New Criteria/Eligibility Guidelines

  • New Criteria -An artist will be considered for Best New Artist if their eligibility year release/s achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape.

• Distribution via Streaming Only

  • The Academy will now accept recordings released via streaming services.

• Rap Field – Rename and Redefine One Category

  • The category formerly known as Best Rap/Sung Collaboration has been changed.  It is now called Best Rap/Sung Performance and is defined as such:

    • For a solo or collaborative performance containing both elements of R&B melodies and Rap.

 

For an in-depth explanation of these above changes and the submission process, please CLICK HERE.

 

With the extremely small window of time for GRAMMY submissions, many artists either don’t complete the final submission requirements, become disqualified due to their misunderstanding of the requirements/incorrect submissions or miss the deadline altogether.  Allow The HNC Agency to assist you through the submission process by submitting your material through the correct channels for each field and category you are eligible for.

 

 

GRAMMY-BOUND™ SUBMISSIONS:

Once you submit your work, it will be reviewed by a voting panel of music industry professionals, other GRAMMY members, and GRAMMY-nominated artists.  Should your project move to the next level, we will notify you (expect 2-4 weeks from the submission date) BEFORE the deadline of our intention to submit your project for GRAMMY consideration.

 

For a FULL LIST of the 83 GRAMMY Categories, please CLICK HERE

 

 

THA (the HNC Agency) GRAMMY-BOUND™ MARKETING SERVICES:

Did you know that major recording companies & labels spend millions on GRAMMY marketing lobbying its Recording Academy members on behalf of it its artists? From hosted events to full page ads in our member-only GRAMMY Awards voting magazine.  

 

Don't have millions to spend on marketing your project?  Not only does The HNC Agency have submission authority for The Recording Academy's entry process, but we also have the ability to lobby our fellow members on our client’s behalf.  The HNC Agency has access to VOTING members by music genre, field, and category. We are able to lobby these VOTING members  online, in our GRAMMYPro member-only social media network (think Facebook for GRAMMY Members), at our GRAMMY members-only events, and via direct targeting email with our GRAMMY Voting Member Database (up until Balloting Season, Sept-Jan).  

​

With a 2-3 month THA GRAMMY-BOUND Marketing Agreement, we will build a marketing strategy geared toward targeting specific VOTING members with "For Your Consideration" type communiqués. 

 

Please note, should you decided to move forward with the marketing program, there will be a monthly cost of $500.00/month per project submission.