- Related Topics:
- Grammy Award
- Notable Honorees:
- Billie Eilish
Grammy Award for song of the year
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What are the Grammy Awards?
The Grammy Award for song of the year is an award presented annually in the United States by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS), also known as the Recording Academy, to recognize the year’s most outstanding song. It was first presented at the first Grammy Awards ceremony in 1959 and is considered one of the most prestigious of the Grammys. The songwriters of the winning single receive a golden statuette of a gramophone.
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What is the Grammy Award for Song of the Year?
The Grammy Award for Song of the Year is presented annually by the Recording Academy to honor outstanding songwriting. Awarded since the first Grammy ceremony in 1959, it is one of the most prestigious Grammy Awards. The winner is the songwriter(s) of a commercially released song, and they receive a golden gramophone statuette.
To be eligible, the song must be released in the United States between October 1 of the previous year and September 30 of the award year. The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) members submit entries, review eligibility, and vote to select five nominees and a winner.
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Who receives the Grammy Award for Song of the Year?
The Grammy Award for Song of the Year is presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS), also known as the Recording Academy, in the United States. This award recognizes the songwriters and composers of a song, rather than the performer, as it celebrates the song's writing and composition.
The NARAS voting members select nominees and winners through a series of ballots, voting only in their areas of expertise. The winner is announced during a televised ceremony.
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How is Song of the Year different from Record of the Year at the Grammys?
The Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year are distinct honors presented by the Recording Academy. The Song of the Year award recognizes the songwriters of an outstanding song. The Record of the Year award recognizes the performance and production of a song, and it is awarded to the artist, producer(s), and recording engineer(s)/mixer(s).
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What kinds of songs are usually nominated for Song of the Year?
The Grammy Award for Song of the Year recognizes outstanding songwriting. Awarded since 1959, it is one of the most prestigious Grammy honors. The award goes to the songwriters, who receive a golden gramophone statuette.
To be eligible for a Grammy, the recording must be released in the United States between October 1 of the previous year and September 30 of the award year.
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How does a song get chosen as Song of the Year?
The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS), also known as the Recording Academy, presents the Grammy Award for song of the year annually to honor the most outstanding song of the year.
Record companies and academy members submit entries for consideration each year. NARAS voting members then select five nominees for each award. These voters cast ballots only in their field of expertise to determine the winner. The songwriters of the winning song receive a golden statuette of a gramophone.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Grammy Award for song of the year, award presented annually in the United States by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (commonly called the Recording Academy) to recognize the year’s most outstanding song. It was presented at the first Grammy Awards ceremony in 1959 and is considered one of the most prestigious of the Grammys. The songwriters of the winning single receive a golden statuette of a gramophone. Below is a list of the winning songs with the recording artist. (The year is when the award was presented, though the song was released the previous year.)
1959 to 1960s
- 1959: “Nel blu dipinto di blu (Volaré),” Domenico Modugno
- 1959: “The Battle of New Orleans,” Jimmy Driftwood (The second Grammy Awards ceremony was held in 1959, the same year as the first ceremony, and it recognized work from that year.)
- 1960: no ceremony was held
- 1961: “Theme from Exodus,” Ernest Gold
- 1962: “Moon River,” Henry Mancini
- 1963: “What Kind of Fool Am I?” (More than one artist recorded the song during the eligibility period.)
- 1964: “Days of Wine and Roses,” Henry Mancini
- 1965: “Hello, Dolly!,” Louis Armstrong
- 1966: “The Shadow of Your Smile (Love Theme from ‘The Sandpiper’),” Tony Bennett
- 1967: “Michelle,” the Beatles
- 1968: “Up, Up, and Away,” the 5th Dimension
- 1969: “Little Green Apples” (More than one artist recorded the song during the eligibility period.)
1970s and 1980s
- 1970: “Games People Play,” Joe South
- 1971: “Bridge over Troubled Water,” Simon and Garfunkel
- 1972: “You’ve Got a Friend,” Carole King
- 1973: “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” Roberta Flack
- 1974: “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” Roberta Flack
- 1975: “The Way We Were,” Barbra Streisand
- 1976: “Send in the Clowns,” Judy Collins
- 1977: “I Write the Songs,” Barry Manilow
- 1978: “Love Theme from ‘A Star Is Born’ (Evergreen),” Barbra Streisand; “You Light Up My Life,” Debby Boone (tied)
- 1979: “Just the Way You Are,” Billy Joel
- 1980: “What a Fool Believes,” the Doobie Brothers
- 1981: “Sailing,” Christopher Cross
- 1982: “Bette Davis Eyes,” Kim Carnes
- 1983: “Always on My Mind,” Willie Nelson
- 1984: “Every Breath You Take,” the Police
- 1985: “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” Tina Turner
- 1986: “We Are the World,” USA for Africa
- 1988: “Somewhere Out There,” Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram
- 1989: “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” Bobby McFerrin
1990s and 2000s
- 1990: “Wind Beneath My Wings,” Bette Midler
- 1991: “From a Distance,” Bette Midler
- 1992: “Unforgettable,” Natalie Cole with Nat King Cole
- 1993: “Tears in Heaven,” Eric Clapton
- 1994: “A Whole New World (Aladdin’s Theme),” Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle
- 1995: “Streets of Philadelphia,” Bruce Springsteen
- 1996: “Kiss from a Rose,” Seal
- 1997: “Change the World” (More than one artist recorded the song during the eligibility period.)
- 1998: “Sunny Came Home,” Shawn Colvin
- 1999: “My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme from ‘Titanic’),” Celine Dion
- 2000: “Smooth,” Santana featuring Rob Thomas
- 2001: “Beautiful Day,” U2
- 2002: “Fallin’,” Alicia Keys
- 2003: “Don’t Know Why,” Norah Jones
- 2004: “Dance with My Father,” Luther Vandross
- 2005: “Daughters,” John Mayer
- 2006: “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own,” U2
- 2007: “Not Ready to Make Nice,” Dixie Chicks
- 2008: “Rehab,” Amy Winehouse
- 2009: “Viva la Vida,” Coldplay
2010s and 2020s
- 2010: “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” Beyoncé
- 2011: “Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum
- 2012: “Rolling in the Deep,” Adele
- 2013: “We Are Young,” Fun. featuring Janelle Monáe
- 2014: “Royals,” Lorde
- 2015: “Stay with Me,” Sam Smith
- 2016: “Thinking Out Loud,” Ed Sheeran and Amy Wadge
- 2017: “Hello,” Adele
- 2018: “That’s What I Like,” Bruno Mars
- 2019: “This Is America,” Childish Gambino
- 2020: “Bad Guy,” Billie Eilish
- 2021: “I Can’t Breathe,” H.E.R.
- 2022: “Leave the Door Open,” Silk Sonic
- 2023: “Just Like That,” Bonnie Raitt
- 2024: “What Was I Made For,” Billie Eilish
- 2025: “Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar
- 2026: “Wildflower,” Billie Eilish
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