Grammy Awards Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical: The Category Songwriters Deserve

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The 65th annual GRAMMY Awards are here, and there's a long-awaited addition to the awards. This year marks the introduction of a new category: the Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical Award. For all you songwriters out there, this award is dedicated to you!

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The inaugural nominees are Amy Allen, Nija Charles, Tobias Jesso Jr, The-Dream, and Laura Veltz.

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Who was responsible for making this award a reality? How do industry songwriters feel about it? Broadcast Music Inc. conducted interviews with the person responsible and three of the five nominees to find out more. Here’s a summary of what they said:

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First, let’s start with Evan Bogart. Bogart first joined the Recording Academy’s LA Chapter Board in 2011. Being a songwriter himself, he immediately noticed the lack of representation and recognition for songwriters in the industry. Bogart wanted to change that.

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Bogart’s first mission was to create a space for songwriters within the Recording Academy. This is how the Songwriters & Composers Wing came to be, of which Bogart is now the Chair.

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Following that, his next step was to create an award that recognizes and honors “the compendium of a songwriter’s year, their total contribution, and the impact that that collection of songs has had on the musical landscape.” This award is similar to how producers are already honored.

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As you can see, Bogart’s tireless efforts paid off this year.

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“As a songwriter myself, and someone who absolutely cherishes my global songwriting community, it’s incredibly significant to me. The creation of this category is the kind of recognition and respect my creative community deserves for how impactful our craft is. I feel honored to have played a role in bringing it to life.” - Evan Bogart

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Bogart hopes that the category continues to grow and give songwriters the global exposure they’ve always deserved.

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How do songwriters in the industry feel about the new award?

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Bogart was happy to report that songwriters were thrilled to finally be recognized. Many diverse and talented songwriters submitted themselves to be considered. Narrowing it down to 5 nominees was tough, that’s for sure.

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Speaking of the nominees, they had plenty to say about it. 

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Nija Charles, Tobias Jesso Jr, and Laura Veltz all agreed that being nominated was a combination of disbelief and happiness. 

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“I was speechless, couldn’t utter any words, so I just screamed. After I screamed, I cried. Because it hit me, all my hard work didn’t get swept under the rug this time. All the years, long nights, push and pulls, battles with yourself, it didn’t go unnoticed and that is the best feeling.” - Nija Charles.

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All three of them are optimistic that the award’s introduction will change the music industry as a whole. Charles thinks that songwriters will be treated better by their peers, while Jesso Jr hopes that it will be easier for songwriters to have a bigger role in music production. 

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In any case, this award is a significant achievement that is sure to make waves. 

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This year’s GRAMMY Awards take place on Feb 5 at 8-11:30 pm ET (5-8:30 pm PT) from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

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If you’d like to read the full interviews, check them out here!

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