Big Four (Grammy Awards) facts for kids
The Big Four Grammy Awards are super important prizes given out by the Recording Academy. These awards celebrate amazing music and artists, no matter what kind of music they make! They are considered the most special and important awards at the whole Grammy Award ceremony.
The Big Four awards are:
- Album of the Year: This award goes to the whole album, including the singer or band, the songwriters, and everyone who helped make the music.
- Record of the Year: This award is for a single song. It celebrates the performer and the team who produced the song.
- Song of the Year: This award is given to the person or people who wrote the words and music for a single song.
- Best New Artist: This award goes to a new artist who has made a big splash, regardless of a specific song or album.
Unlike other Grammy awards, anyone who is a voting member of the Academy can help choose the nominees and winners for the Big Four. This makes them extra special!
Contents
Famous Winners Through the Years
Many incredible artists have won the Big Four Grammy Awards over the years. Here are just a few highlights from different decades:
Early Grammy Stars (1950s-1960s)
In the early days, legends like Henry Mancini won for The Music from Peter Gunn (Album of the Year, 1959). Bobby Darin was named Best New Artist in 1960. The amazing Frank Sinatra won Album of the Year multiple times, including for Come Dance with Me! (1960) and September of My Years (1966). Even The Beatles won Best New Artist in 1965!
Music Icons of the 70s and 80s
The 1970s saw Simon & Garfunkel win big with "Bridge over Troubled Water" (Record and Song of the Year, 1971) and their album of the same name. Carole King also swept the awards in 1972 with her album Tapestry and her song "It's Too Late." Stevie Wonder was a huge winner in the 70s, taking home Album of the Year three times! In the 1980s, Michael Jackson's Thriller won Album of the Year in 1984, and his song "Beat It" won Record of the Year. Lionel Richie and Tina Turner also won major awards during this time.
90s and Early 2000s Hits
The 1990s brought wins for artists like Natalie Cole with "Unforgettable" (Record and Song of the Year, 1992) and Eric Clapton for "Tears in Heaven" (Record and Song of the Year, 1993). Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" was Record of the Year in 1994. Later, Lauryn Hill made history winning Album of the Year and Best New Artist in 1999. In the early 2000s, Santana and Rob Thomas won Record and Song of the Year for "Smooth" (2000). Norah Jones had a huge night in 2003, winning Album, Record, Song, and Best New Artist!
Recent Grammy Superstars (2010s-2020s)
More recently, Adele has been a dominant force, winning Album, Record, and Song of the Year for 21 and "Rolling in the Deep" in 2012, and again for 25 and "Hello" in 2017. Taylor Swift has also won Album of the Year multiple times, including for Fearless (2010), 1989 (2016), Folklore (2021), and Midnights (2024). Other big winners include Billie Eilish who won all four Big Four awards in 2020, and Bruno Mars who won Album and Record of the Year in 2018. Olivia Rodrigo was named Best New Artist in 2022, and Miley Cyrus won Record of the Year for "Flowers" in 2024.
See also
- List of Grammy Award categories
