Recordings released from October 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016 are eligible in this first round. (Note: only recordings that were COMMERCIALLY RELEASED and available nationally in the United States are eligible for consideration, meaning they are available at a brick-and-mortar store, or online at CD Baby, iTunes, or one of the other commercial outlets. Recordings that are only available on a record company's or musician's website - or at their performances - are not eligible.) The first round entry period ends July 20, 2016 at 6pm PST.
Final Round submissions (for recordings released from August 1, 2016 to September 30, 2016) open August 10, and close August 24, 2016. (And yes, if you release an album after the final submission date and up to September 30, you must still submit your GRAMMY® entry by August 24 at 6pm PST. I know, I know - confusing, yes? But I didn't make the rules!)
You or your record or media company must be a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS - or "The Academy") in order to submit. I am again submitting on behalf of eligible clients (and a friend or two), so if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me!
NOTE: IF YOU RELEASED AN ALBUM IN THE HAWAIIAN MUSIC GENRE, PLEASE SUBMIT AN ENTRY! One of the reasons we lost our own, separate Hawaiian Music category several years ago and were rolled into the Regional Roots category is that there weren't a sufficient number of entries each year to warrant keeping the Hawaiian category. If we are ever to get our own category back, we must increase the number of entries!