Grammy Award for Album of the Year facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Grammy Award for Album of the Year
Cowboy Carter by Beyoncé is the most recent recipient.
Presented by	National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
Country	United States
First awarded	1959
Currently held by	Beyoncé – Cowboy Carter (2025)

The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is a very important music award. It is given out by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in the United States. This award celebrates the best overall album of the year. It looks at how good the music is, how well it was recorded, and its overall quality. The award does not care about how many copies the album sold or how popular it was on music charts.

This award is often called "The Big Award" because it is one of the most important awards at the Grammy Awards. It is one of four main awards, along with Best New Artist, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. These awards have been given out every year since the very first Grammy Awards in 1959. The singer Beyoncé is the most recent winner. She is the first Black woman to win this award since Lauryn Hill won in 1999.

Who Gets the Album of the Year Award?

Making an album is a team effort. Many people work together to create the music you hear. Over the years, the rules for who receives the Album of the Year award have changed.

Recognizing Everyone Who Helps

When the award first started in 1959, only the main artist received the Grammy. But as time went on, the Grammys began to recognize more of the talented people involved.

• From 1966 to 1998, both the artist and the producer of the album received the award.
• Later, recording engineers and mixers were also included.
• Today, many people who make big contributions to an album get a Grammy if it wins Album of the Year. This includes the main artist, any featured artists, the producers, the songwriters (for new songs on the album), the mastering engineers, and the recording engineers or mixers. These are all the people who help bring the music to life.

Number of Nominees

The number of albums nominated for this award has also changed. In 2019, the category expanded to include eight nominees. In 2022, it grew to ten nominees. However, starting with the 2024 Grammy Awards, the number of nominees went back to eight.

Album of the Year vs. Record of the Year

It's easy to get "Album of the Year" and "Record of the Year" confused, but they are different!

• Album of the Year is for an entire music album. The award goes to all the key people who helped create that whole album.
• Record of the Year is for a single song. This award goes to the artist, producer, mastering engineer, and recording engineer or mixer for that specific song.

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Premio Grammy al álbum del año para niños