The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 to the composer (not the performer) of the song in question. It is almost always the case that one or more recordings are nominated for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year, and one recording may be awarded both awards. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for music released in the previous year.
Unlike Record of the Year, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year goes to the composer(s) of the song.
2000s
1990s
1980s
1970s
1960s
1950s
| Year | Winner | Nominations |
|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Domenico Modugno for Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)* performed by Domenico Modugno | Paul Vance & Lee Pockriss for Catch A Falling Star performed by Perry Como, Johnny Davenport & Eddie Conley for Fever performed by Peggy Lee, Alan Jay Lerner & Frederic Loewe for Theme to Gigi performed by Various Artists, Cy Coleman & Carolyn Leigh for Witchcraft performed by Frank Sinatra |
*indicates this recording also won Record of the Year.
Confusion
Every year produces much confusion between the Grammy categories, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year. Record of the Year is awarded for a single or for one track from an album. This award goes to the performing artist and the producer, recording engineer, and/or mixer for that song. Song of the Year is also awarded for a single or individual track, but the recipient of this award is the songwriter who actually created the song in the first place. Album of the Year is awarded for a whole album, and the award is presented to the artist, producer, and recording engineer for that album.