Since 1959, the GRAMMY Award has been music’s most coveted honor. Each year at the annual GRAMMY Awards, GRAMMY-winning and -nominated artists are recognized for their musical excellence by their peers. Their lives are forever changed — so are their career trajectories. And when you have questions about the GRAMMYs, we have answers.

Here are seven facts to know about the value of the GRAMMY trophy.

How Much Does A GRAMMY Trophy Cost To Make?

The cost to produce a GRAMMY Award trophy, including labor and materials, is nearly $800. Bob Graves, who cast the original GRAMMY mold inside his garage in 1958, passed on his legacy to John Billings, his neighbor, in 1983. Billings, also known as "The GRAMMY Man," designed the current model in use, which debuted in 1991.

How Long Does It Take To Make A GRAMMY Trophy?

Billings and his crew work on making GRAMMY trophies throughout the year. Each GRAMMY is handmade, and each GRAMMY Award trophy takes 15 hours to produce. 

Where Are The GRAMMY Trophies Made?

While Los Angeles is the headquarters of the Recording Academy and the GRAMMYs, and regularly the home of the annual GRAMMY Awards, GRAMMY trophies are produced at Billings Artworks in Ridgway, Colorado, about 800 miles away from L.A.

Is The GRAMMY Award Made Of Real Gold?

GRAMMY Awards are made of a trademarked alloy called "Grammium" — a secret zinc alloy — and are plated with 24-karat gold.

How Many GRAMMY Trophies Are Made Per Year?

Approximately 600-800 GRAMMY Award trophies are produced per year. This includes both GRAMMY Awards and Latin GRAMMY Awards for the two Academies; the number of GRAMMYs manufactured each year always depends on the number of winners and Categories we award across both award shows.

Fun fact: The two GRAMMY trophies have different-colored bases. The GRAMMY Award has a black base, while the Latin GRAMMY Award has a burgundy base.

Photos: Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images; Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

How Much Does A GRAMMY Weigh?

The GRAMMY trophy weighs approximately 5 pounds. The trophy's height is 9-and-a-half inches. The trophy's width is nearly 6 inches by 6 inches.

What Is The True Value Of A GRAMMY?

Winning a GRAMMY, and even just being nominated for a GRAMMY, has an immeasurable positive impact on the nominated and winning artists. It opens up new career avenues, builds global awareness of artists, and ultimately solidifies a creator’s place in history. Since the GRAMMY Award is the only peer-voted award in music, this means artists are recognized, awarded and celebrated by those in their fields and industries, ultimately making the value of a GRAMMY truly priceless and immeasurable.

In an interview featured in the 2024 GRAMMYs program book, two-time GRAMMY winner Lauren Daigle spoke of the value and impact of a GRAMMY Award. "Time has passed since I got my [first] GRAMMYs, but the rooms that I am now able to sit in, with some of the most incredible writers, producers and performers on the planet, is truly the greatest gift of all." 

"Once you have that credential, it's a different certification. It definitely holds weight," two-time GRAMMY winner Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter of the Roots added. "It's a huge stamp as far as branding, businesswise, achievement-wise and in every regard. What the GRAMMY means to people, fans and artists is ever-evolving." 

As Billboard explains, artists will often see significant boosts in album sales and streaming numbers after winning a GRAMMY or performing on the GRAMMY stage. This is known as the "GRAMMY Effect," an industry phenomenon in which a GRAMMY accolade directly influences the music biz and the wider popular culture. 

For new artists in particular, the "GRAMMY Effect" has immensely helped rising creators reach new professional heights. Samara Joy, who won the GRAMMY for Best New Artist at the 2023 GRAMMYs, saw a 989% boost in sales and a 670% increase in on-demand streams for her album Linger Awhile, which won the GRAMMY for Best Jazz Vocal Album that same night. H.E.R., a former Best New Artist nominee, saw a massive 6,771% increase in song sales for her hit “I Can’t Breathe” on the day it won the GRAMMY for Song Of The Year at the 2021 GRAMMYs, compared to the day before, Rolling Stone reports. 

Throughout the decades, past Best New Artist winners have continued to dominate the music industry and charts since taking home the GRAMMY gold — and continue to do so to this day. Recently, Best New Artist winners dominated the music industry and charts in 2023: Billie Eilish (2020 winner) sold 2 million equivalent album units, Olivia Rodrigo (2022 winner) sold 2.1 million equivalent album units, and Adele (2009 winner) sold 1.3 million equivalent album units. Elsewhere, past Best New Artist winners have gone on to star in major Hollywood blockbusters (Dua Lipa); headline arena tours and sign major brand deals (Megan Thee Stallion); become LGBTIA+ icons (Sam Smith); and reach multiplatinum status (John Legend).

Most recently, several winners, nominees and performers at the 2024 GRAMMYs saw significant bumps in U.S. streams and sales: Tracy Chapman's classic, GRAMMY-winning single "Fast Car," which she performed alongside Luke Combs, returned to the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time since 1988, when the song was originally released, according to Billboard. Fellow icon Joni Mitchell saw her ‘60s classic “Both Sides, Now,” hit the top 10 on the Digital Song Sales chart, Billboard reports.

In addition to financial gains, artists also experience significant professional wins as a result of their GRAMMY accolades. For instance, after she won the GRAMMY for Best Reggae Album for Rapture at the 2020 GRAMMYs, Koffee signed a U.S. record deal; after his first GRAMMYs in 2014, Kendrick Lamar saw a 349% increase in his Instagram following, Billboard reports. 

Visit our interactive GRAMMY Awards Journey page to learn more about the GRAMMY Awards and the voting process behind the annual ceremony.

2024 GRAMMYs: See The Full Winners & Nominees List

The legacy of Luis Fonsi's career practically goes hand-in-hand with the history of the Latin GRAMMY Awards. Fresh off his win for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs, the Puerto Rican pop icon performed a medley of his greatest hits.

The career-spanning performance began with his beloved 2008 ballad, "No Me Doy Por Vencido." In a sparkling orange suit, Fonsi belted his heart out to the song that's become an anthem of hope. 

Dancers then joined him onstage for a sultry performance of his 2017 global smash, "Despacito," which had the whole audience — including Marc Anthony and his wife Nadia Ferreira — dancing along. Fonsi then closed out his live medley with the upbeat "Santa Marta" from his latest album, El Viaje; he danced into the audience where this year's Person Of The Year honoree, Carlos Vives, sang along with him.

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The ambitious El Viaje, which was recorded in several different countries around the world, earned Fonsi a Latin GRAMMY win for Best Pop Vocal Album. It marks his 11th Latin GRAMMY nomination to date; he has won six Latin GRAMMYs, four of those thanks to "Despacito," which won Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year in 2017.

"What I'm most proud of is just that — it's a song that represents my heritage, my language, and the love of my island, Puerto Rico," Fonsi told GRAMMY.com about "Despacito" back in 2022. "It has that swag, that thing, that sabor that we carry in our blood. It's a celebration of all of that."

Just after the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs, Fonsi will add an exciting first to his resume: his film debut. The singer will star in the rom-com Say A Little Prayer, which opens in theaters on Nov. 22. 

Check out the complete list of winners and nominees at the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs.

The Warning have four albums in their discography, but the sibling trio's latest LP, Keep Me Fed, helped them earn their first Latin GRAMMY nomination. And to celebrate, the three sisters from Monterrey, Mexico, delivered a charged-up performance of their Best Rock Song-nominated track "Qué Más Quieres."

Following a warm introduction from rock legend Juanes, Daniela, Paulina and Alejandra Villarreal Vélez turned the full-force of their rock firepower on the audience with the Spanish-language power ballad, making for an exhilarating Latin GRAMMYs debut. 

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The trio sing in English more often than Spanish, but performing this single allowed them to show off just how expressive they can be in their first language. It was an incendiary moment in a night already packed with unforgettable performances.

Keep Me Fed marked a watershed moment in the band's career. Along with spawning their first Latin GRAMMY nomination, it was their first album to appear on multiple charts internationally, even rising to No. 1 on the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart.

Check out the complete list of winners and nominees at the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs.

Grupo Frontera has helped globalize the música Mexicana movement and proudly represented the genre and norteño music with a heartfelt performance during The Biggest Night In Latin Music. 

Fresh off their first U.S. arena tour, the Mexican American band hit the stage at the 2024 Latin GRAMMY Awards to perform "El Amor De Su Vida." The track won Best Regional Song during the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony. 

Grupo Frontera showcased their regional flair — complete with Tejano style-suits and cowboy hats — bringing life on the border between the US and Mexico to the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs stage. Lead singer Adelaido "Payo" Solís III belted out the band’s love song “El Amor De Su Vida” in a soulful performance, and shouted out the group's roots in Mexico and Texas.

The performance was a continuation of the momentum of their 2023 debut album El Comienzo, which included the genre-bending "Un x100to" featuring Bad Bunny and took home the golden gramophone for Best Norteño Album. Grupo Frontera pushed their cumbia and norteño sound to new places with this year's Jugando a Que No Pasa Nada, which was nominated in the inaugural Best Contemporary Mexican Music Album category (that award ultimately went to Carin León).

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Read more: Grupo Frontera On 'Jugando A Que No Pasa Nada' & Fully Expressing Themselves: "This Album Was Made From The Heart"

"Each member of Grupo Frontera listens and plays different styles, so starting from that, we each had a big say in the genres we wanted to play and styles we wanted to record on this album," Solís III told GRAMMY.com in May about the band's latest album. 

Jugando a Que No Pasa Nada included collaborations with artists from around the world. Colombia's Maluma featured on "Por Qué Será," Argentina' s Nicki Nicole was tapped for "Desquite," and fellow Mexican singer Christian Nodal featured on "Ya Pedo Quién Sabe." "(Entre Paréntesis)," their collaboration with Shakira, was also nominated for Song Of The Year, but ultimately lost to Jorge Drexler. 

Check out the complete list of winners and nominees at the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs.

Becky G and siblings Ángela Aguilar and Leonardo Aguilar represent a new generation of artists who are connecting with their roots while modernizing Mexican music.

This musical exploration led Becky G to create ESQUEMAS, an album released in September 2023 featuring the powerhouse collaboration "Por El Contrario" with the heirs of the Aguilar dynasty. A year later, the trio took to the Latin GRAMMYs stage to showcase their global hit, which was nominated for Best Regional Mexican Song (the award went to Grupo Frontera and Grupo Firme).

Becky G, Leonardo, and Angela Aguilar opted for a minimalist staging to spotlight the lyrics and deliver an emotion-filled, if not understated, performance. With a play of soft lights, mostly in red, the artists conveyed sweetness, strength, and elegance. A 12-piece mariachi group, an eight-string ensemble, and Edgar Barrera's memorable guitar appearance completed the refined act.

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Written by Edgar Barrera — who leads nominations for this year’s awards with nine nods and took home the golden gramophone for Producer Of The Year during the Premiere Ceremony — Kevyn "Keityn" Mauricio Cruz and Elena Rose, this melancholic track became a fan favorite among all three artists' audiences. It amassed over 331 million views on YouTube and exceeded 210 million streams on Spotify as of writing.

"Por El Contrario" marks Becky G's sole name appearance on the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs nomination list, while Ángela Aguilar competes in the coveted Album Of The Year category with Bolero, a collection of Latin romantic classics produced by her father, Ranchera icon Pepe Aguilar, alongside Latin GRAMMY winner Cheche Alara.

Check out the complete list of winners and nominees at the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs.