The Recording Academy just dropped the key dates for the 2027 GRAMMY Awards. And if you’re an independent artist reading this — thinking the GRAMMYs are reserved for chart-toppers with major label budgets — it’s time to rethink that.
Over 100 CD Baby artists have earned GRAMMY nominations in recent years, with 36 of them taking home the award in their category. The playing field is more open than you might think. Here’s everything you need to know about how to get nominated.
What are the Grammys?
The GRAMMY Awards recognize outstanding achievements in music. Put on by the Recording Academy of the United States, the GRAMMYs are the only major music awards that are peer-voted. That means winners are selected by the Recording Academy’s voting members, a community made up of singers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and other music professionals.
Crucially, the Academy selects nominees and winners based on holistic excellence and artistic merit — not just chart positions or streaming numbers.
How did the Grammys start?
Despite the popular perception of the Grammys as a night for music’s biggest stars, the awards actually emerged from inclusive, DIY intentions.
During the planning for the Hollywood Walk of Fame project in the 1950s, music industry nominees were required to have sold either one million records or 250,000 albums. The music executives on the planning committee realized those sales thresholds would shut out many deserving artists. So they created their own organization — the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences — and their own award, the GRAMMY. The first ceremony was held on May 4, 1959.
What are the eligibility requirements for Grammy submissions?
The Grammys are completely open to all artists, but releases need to meet the following requirements:
- Release date: Music must have been distributed between August 31, 2025 and August 28, 2026.
- Length: For album submissions, 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 regardless of track count. Singles have no length requirements.
- Format: A submitted recording must be available for sale in physical stores, via digital download, or on a recognized streaming platform. It must also meet the industry minimum technical standard of 16-bit, 44.1 kHz. Each submitted song must have proper metadata (descriptive data about your music, including the artist name, track title, album, genre, and cover art), as well as International Standard Recording Codes (ISRCs) for each track.
- Original Material: An album must be more than 75 percent unreleased material recorded within five years of the release date.
Are collaborators and crew eligible too?
Yes. All credited artists including featured artists, songwriters of new material, producers, recording engineers, mixers, and mastering engineers are eligible to be nominated and win, at least in the Album of the Year category. As long as they’re credited on the release, they’re eligible. No minimum percentage of playing time required.
Before you submit anything, review your metadata, songwriter credits, ISRCs, and other release details.
What’s the difference between a Grammy entry and a nomination?
This distinction trips a lot of artists up, so let’s be clear.
An entry is a recording that has been formally submitted to the Recording Academy for GRAMMY consideration. If it meets the eligibility requirements, it’s placed on the ballot that goes to the Recording Academy’s voting members. Those voters then cast votes for the submissions they believe deserve a nomination. The entries that earn the most votes become nominees and are placed into their respective categories.
The Recording Academy receives more than 20,000 eligible entries during a single GRAMMY season. The Academy’s Awards staff review each submission manually to confirm eligibility. Being nominated — earning one of just five spots per category after that vetting process — is itself a significant achievement.
How are entries submitted for the Grammys?
Entries for GRAMMY consideration must be submitted by members of the Recording Academy — either Professional or Voting members — or by registered Media Companies (like record labels and music distributors). Each member or registered company has an account on the GRAMMY website where they can log in and submit entries during the Online Entry Period (OEP).
There is only one round to submit entries. If a recording isn’t formally entered before the OEP closes, it cannot be considered for a GRAMMY Award or nomination, and it won’t appear on any voting ballot. Submit early — the Recording Academy’s Awards team can help with questions, but only if there’s time left to act.
As a CD Baby artist, your music distributed through CD Baby is eligible for submission. If you want to submit your own work as an Academy member, make sure your release is distributed and live well before the entry window opens.
For the 2027 GRAMMYs, the Online Entry Period runs from July 7 through August 21, 2026.
Next steps
The GRAMMYs celebrate excellence in music. If you’ve made something you’re proud of and are working hard to promote, the process is built to recognize it. But none of that matters if the technical foundation isn’t solid.
Complete metadata and valid ISRCs aren’t just administrative details — they’re what make your music eligible in the first place. Every credited artist, songwriter, producer, and engineer needs to be on the record. When you distribute with CD Baby, we make sure that foundation is in place from day one: accurate metadata, ISRCs assigned to every track, and your music live across 150+ platforms — including all the streaming services the Recording Academy recognizes for eligibility.
Whether the GRAMMYs are a goal or just something you’re curious about, releasing your music the right way means you’re never leaving opportunity on the table. Distribute your next release with CD Baby and make sure your music is built to go the distance.