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Editor\u2019s Note: This article was updated Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, to reflect the dates and information surrounding Final Round Voting for the 2026 GRAMMYS.<\/p>\n
Starting this week, GRAMMY voters will take the final step in determining which artists, creators and releases will take home the coveted GRAMMY Award at the <\/span>2026 GRAMMYS<\/span><\/a>. <\/span>Final<\/span> <\/span>Round<\/span> Voting for the 2026 GRAMMYs opens <\/span>Friday, Dec. 12, 2025,<\/span><\/strong> and runs through <\/span>Monday, Jan. 5, 2026<\/strong>; this final round of voting determines ultimate winners across all 95 Categories to be awarded at the 2026 GRAMMYS, which take place <\/span>Sunday, Feb. 1<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The Recording Academy<\/span><\/a>, the organization behind the annual GRAMMY Awards, encourages our <\/span>Voting Members<\/span><\/a> to educate themselves on the GRAMMY voting process each year as they prepare to cast their ballots when Final Round Voting opens. To help guide Voting Members through the GRAMMY voting process, we’ve put together a thorough and informative guide outlining all the key dates, deadlines and voting guidelines to know this year.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Here’s everything you need to know about <\/span>Final<\/span> Round Voting for the 2026 GRAMMYs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n As a member of the Recording Academy, you may be asked questions about the GRAMMY voting process. Equip yourself with the knowledge to explain the complete GRAMMY Awards process by visiting <\/span>our interactive online resource<\/span><\/a>, which breaks down the full GRAMMY Awards journey from beginning to end.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Below is an overview of the complete GRAMMY Awards process as related to the 2026 GRAMMYs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Key dates for the 2026 GRAMMY Awards season are as follows:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Aug. 31, 2024 \u2013 Aug. 30, 2025<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Product Eligibility Period<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Only music and works released between these dates will be eligible to qualify for GRAMMY consideration at the 2026 GRAMMYs.<\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n July 7, 2025 \u2013 Aug. 22, 2025<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Media Company Registration Period<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Media companies must apply for registration with the Recording Academy to submit recordings.<\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n July 16, 2025 \u2013 Aug. 29, 2025<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Online Entry Period\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n All eligible recordings must be entered prior to the close of the Online Entry Period, regardless of the public release date.<\/span><\/em>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Oct. 3, 2025 \u2013 Oct. 15, 2025<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n First Round Voting<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n First Round Voting determines all the GRAMMY nominees for each GRAMMY Awards year.<\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Nov. 7, 2025<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Nominees Announced for the 2026 GRAMMYs<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Announcing the official nominees list for the 2026 GRAMMYs.<\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Dec. 12, 2025 \u2013 Jan. 5, 2026<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Final Round Voting\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Final Round Voting determines the GRAMMY winners across all Categories revealed on GRAMMY night.<\/span><\/em>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Feb. 1, 2026<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 2026 GRAMMY Awards<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Music’s Biggest Night, recognizing excellence in the recording arts and sciences, where all GRAMMY Award winners are revealed.<\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The annual <\/span>GRAMMY Awards journey<\/span><\/a> begins with the <\/span>Online Entry Process (OEP)<\/span><\/a>. During OEP, which this year took place from <\/span>July 16 through Aug. 29<\/span><\/strong>, <\/span>registered Media Companies<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Recording Academy members<\/span><\/a> (both <\/span>Voting and Professional Members<\/span><\/a>) submitted recordings, music videos\/films and releases for consideration to be included on the 2026 GRAMMY Awards ballot. Submissions that were not formally submitted during OEP were not considered for the 2026 GRAMMYs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Eligible releases must have been released during the Product Eligibility Period, which this year comprised the period between <\/span>Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024<\/span><\/strong>, through <\/span>Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025<\/span><\/strong>; all releases must be available for sale, via general distribution, to the public by this date and through at least the date of the current year’s voting deadline (final ballot) to be eligible for the 2026 GRAMMY Awards.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After the Online Entry Process, the Recording Academy’s Awards Department and genre screening committees manually reviewed all entries to ensure they were categorized in the appropriate GRAMMY Categories. The purpose of genre screening committees is not to make artistic or technical judgements about the submissions, but rather to ensure each entry is eligible and placed in its proper Category.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Following OEP, the GRAMMY voting process began with First Round Voting, which took place in October and determined the nominees at the <\/span>2026 GRAMMYS<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The <\/span>annual GRAMMY voting process<\/span><\/a> is divided into two phases: First Round Voting, which determines all the GRAMMY nominees for each GRAMMY Category each year, and Final Round Voting, which ultimately determines the GRAMMY winners across all Categories revealed on GRAMMY night. <\/span>participate in both First Round Voting and Final Round Voting. This will ensure that all eligible artists, musicians and creators are fairly evaluated based on their artistic and technical merits and will help the wider music community determine the leading music of the year, as voted on by their peers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n GRAMMY winners will be announced at the 2026 GRAMMYs on <\/span>Sunday, Feb. 1<\/span><\/strong>. Thus, it’s essential for all GRAMMY voters to be involved.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As the only peer-voted award in music, the GRAMMY Award is the highest honor in <\/span>all of<\/span> music. That’s because GRAMMY nominees and GRAMMY winners are determined by Voting Members, who are composed of vetted and venerable performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, instrumentalists, and other creators currently working in the recording industry. Every GRAMMY vote affirms this prestige and strengthens the highest excellence in music and the recording arts and sciences.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Round Voting ballots are provided to Voting Members in good dues standing. To ensure the quality of GRAMMY voting, members are directed to vote only in their areas of expertise and those in which they are a peer: up to 10 GRAMMY Categories across three Fields, plus the six General Field Categories (Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best New Artist, Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical, and Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical). This process ensures the quality of the voting during the full GRAMMY Awards process.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Learn more about <\/span>Recording Academy Membership<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>how to become a member<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Voting Members represent and celebrate the accomplishments of their peers in their genre. By voting only in Categories where they are a peer, GRAMMY voters help ensure the GRAMMY Awards reflect the diversity and excellence of our music community.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n GRAMMY voters were selected amongst thousands of applicants for their expertise, skill, and diverse background. Your vote represents your voice within the Academy, and its impact will influence music history.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n To maintain integrity in the voting process, ballots are collected and tabulated by the independent accounting firm Deloitte.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After GRAMMY voters submit their votes, the top five finalists in each GRAMMY Category are nominated for a GRAMMY Award, except for the General Field Categories of Record <\/span>Of<\/span> <\/span>The<\/span> Year, Album <\/span>Of<\/span> <\/span>The<\/span> Year, Song <\/span>Of<\/span> <\/span>The<\/span> Year, and Best New Artist, where the top eight finalists are the nominees.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nROAD TO THE 2026 GRAMMYs<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
KEY DATES: 2026 GRAMMYs<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
HOW DOES GRAMMY VOTING WORK?<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
THE GRAMMYS ONLINE ENTRY PROCESS<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
SUBMISSIONS SCREENING<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
FIRST ROUND VOTING & FINAL ROUND VOTING<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
WHO VOTES FOR THE GRAMMYS?<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
VOTE TABULATION<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
HOW ARE GRAMMY NOMINATIONS DETERMINED?<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
HOW TO VOTE IN THE 2026 GRAMMYs<\/span><\/strong>