Types of Music Awards
The music industry is a diverse one, and every year the awards become more competitive. This makes it increasingly difficult for up-and-coming artists to break through. A look at some of this year’s music awards reveals some interesting trends, including some of the most challenging challenges for up-and-coming contenders.
Album of the Year – It may seem like an obvious choice, but Album of the Year is hard to come by these days. The past few years have seen many award categories dominated by duets and band performances, and many of the best albums were actually written by one member of a band. As a result, many people feel Album of the Year is just too subjective an award to base entirely on one person’s vote. That said, albums like Radiohead’s After Life are making a comeback, so maybe the world has finally gotten tired of voting for the same old songs at each music award ceremony. So which albums deserve to win Album of the Year? This year’s best albums are expected to combine strong musical performances with strong music concepts, and they should be presented without the usual clutter.
Best Music – As usual, the best music award goes to the album of the year, and this year is no exception. In many ways, this music industry award is similar to the Grammies, in that the music industry as a whole is beginning to understand the value of music sharing. Sites like Rhapsody and Pitchfork are providing an easy way for millions of music lovers to vote for their favorite albums. As a result, albums that would never have made it to the best-selling charts are enjoying huge sales, because fans feel more appreciated when their favorites win an award. While albums with the biggest buzz are usually chosen as winners, music industry insiders warn that surprises like this could dampen acceptance among music lovers. The trick is to select albums that have enough public interest to be able to survive the scrutiny of music journalists and critics.
Best Picture – In addition to Best Music, the other categories that determine the ultimate winner of the music industry’s most prestigious awards are Best Director and Best Original Score. Both categories often combine the technical aspects of producing a movie with the artistic ones. The director’s job is to bring out the ideas in the music, while the composer provides the musical framework. If an artist is able to combine both elements effectively, then he/she is a good candidate for the honor. However, if a movie seems to come up short in either area, the chances of winning are pretty slim.
Best Television or Movie – In recent years, television has started to take over from music videos as the main source of entertainment. Because of this, the music industry has begun rewarding the producers and directors who have created the shows that captivated audiences. Many of the music awards that you will hear are actually taken from television shows and movies. The categories can be fairly vague, and can include everything from best writing to best directing. In recent years, several movies and television shows have won awards in the Best Writing category. The same is true for Best Director categories.
Audio Video and Visual Awards – These music awards are very much focused on music and the producers who create the audios. They are very different from music awards in the sense that they are not given out at a music show. Instead, they are given out at movie or television related events. They are very popular amongst the music industry and many members of the music industry are present at these events. They can often be seen at film festivals and other types of related events.