What’s the difference between Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the Grammys? What’s the difference between Album of the Year and Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards?
The confusion happens every year, as the 2024 Grammy Awards’ three biggest categories all have similar names. Older viewers might think of “records” as being the same thing as “albums,” as in vinyl LPs, while younger audiences who download or stream music will wonder how their favorite song can win best record, but not best song — or vice versa.
So here’s Song of the Year vs. Record of the Year vs. Album of the Year, explained:
- Record of the Year is for the best sound recording of the year. The Grammy goes to the performer, but recipients can include the singer, producers, engineers and other team members that created the recording.
- Song of the Year, on the other hand, is for the best written song and goes to the songwriter(s). The performers sometimes write or co-write their biggest hits, but the songwriter or writers can also be someone else entirely and you may not recognize their names. (In case you’re wondering, 2024 Song of the Year nominee Solána Rowe is the real name of SZA, whose song “Kill Bill” is up for multiple awards.)
- Both the Song and Record Grammys are for a single song, while the Album of the Year prize goes to a collection of songs traditionally released on a CD or vinyl record. Album of the Year goes to the performer, producers and engineers of an entire album. For artists that use multiple producers for an album, that can mean lots of friends on stage for an acceptance speech.
Artists nominated in one category will often be nominated in the other categories, but not always. Jon Batiste, Olivia Rodrigo, Miley Cyrus, SZA and Taylor Swift are nominated for all three of the night’s top prizes this year; Billie Eilish is up for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year with her “Barbie” song “What Was I Made For?”; and Upstate New York…
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