Nija Aisha-Alayja Charles (born October 20, 1997), also known by her stage names Nija or Amnija , is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Charles began her career in 2017, and has since been a credited songwriter for The Carters ("Heard About Us" and "LoveHappy"), Lady Gaga (" Rain on Me "), Cardi B (" I Do " and " Ring "), and Chris Brown (" No Guidance "). She is signed to Capitol Records and Universal Music Publishing Group .
57-596: She was nominated for the inaugural Grammy Award for Songwriter of the Year at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards for her work on releases by Beyoncé , Summer Walker , City Girls , Lil Durk , Anitta , Meek Mill , Megan Thee Stallion and Kehlani . Charles gained interest in music as a child, observing her uncle and aunt experiment on the production software Fruity Loops . Raised in Union, New Jersey , Charles graduated in 2015 from Union High School . In 2016, she enrolled in
114-551: A Grammy Award but who did contribute to a winning recording. These certificates are known as Participation Certificates or Winners Certificates. Those eligible for a certificate can apply for one in the weeks after the Grammy ceremony. A special Grammy Award of merit is occasionally awarded to recognize "ongoing contributions and influence in the recording field". It has come to be known as the Grammy Legend Award and
171-507: A Walk of Fame star, they realized that many leading people in their business would not earn a star on Hollywood Boulevard . They determined to rectify this by creating awards given by their industry similar to the Oscars and the Emmys . After deciding to go forward with such awards, a question remained what to call them. One working title was the 'Eddie', to honor Thomas Edison , the inventor of
228-574: A decade (...) We just came to the right moment in time to put the weight of the new Wing behind it and create it." Nominated songwriters can come from any musical field, except Classical, as those composers are recognized in the Best Contemporary Classical Composition category. As of 2024 , the category is part of the General Field and is voted on by the entire Academy voting membership. To qualify for
285-454: A direct influence. Charles has described her songwriting process as empathetic, stating that "When I write for other people I have to kind of imagine how I would sing a song if I were them or tailor it to how they would sing it." She has drawn comparisons between acting and collaborative songwriting, describing how writing with other artists requires her to "dig deep" and "imagine how you would feel if you were in this scenario." Charles maintains
342-460: A manner that preserves the integrity of the academy and their member community. Although registered media companies may submit entries, they have no vote. The eligibility period for the upcoming 66th Annual Grammy Awards is October 1, 2022 – September 15, 2023. The 2024 Grammy Awards , unveiled by Recording Academy chief Harvey Mason Jr., are set to be held on February 4, 2024. In many categories, certificates are presented to those ineligible for
399-773: A pre-telecast "Premiere Ceremony" in the afternoon before the Grammy Awards telecast. On April 6, 2011, the Recording Academy announced a significant overhaul of many Grammy Award categories for 2012. The number of categories was cut from 109 to 78. The most substantial change was eliminating the distinction between male and female soloists and between collaborations and duo/groups in various genre fields (pop, rock, rhythm and blues [R&B], country, and rap). Additionally, several instrumental soloist categories were discontinued; recordings in these categories now fall under general categories for best solo performances. In
456-481: A private online listening service. After nominees have been determined, final voting ballots are sent to NARAS voting members, who may then vote in the general field and cast ten votes in various genre categories spread to three of the eleven fields. Members are encouraged, but not required, to vote only in their fields of expertise. Ballots are tabulated secretly by the independent accounting firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu . After vote tabulation, winners are announced at
513-471: A producer or an artist to win”. Prospective nominees can submit up to nine songs that they have written or co-written during the eligibility period of each Grammy year that demonstrate their skill and talent. As of the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in 2025, the number of submissions required where a writer is "solely" credited as a song/co-writer was reduced from five to four songs, and the number of additional songs where they are credited as an artist/producer
570-493: A publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group . As a songwriter and producer, Charles' songs have reached platinum status, having written and produced for Beyoncé , Jay-Z , Chris Brown , Cardi B , SZA , Kehlani , Lady Gaga , Ariana Grande , and Jason Derulo . Charles was placed on BET 's 2020 "Future 40" list, which is a list of "40 of the most inspiring and innovative vanguards who are redefining what it means to be unapologetically young, gifted & black". She
627-444: A solo career alongside her songwriting, and has urged listeners to "keep in mind [...] that I am not the other records that you've heard me pen on, they were meant for other people." Her solo songs, by contrast, are "not tailored to anyone but me as my experiences". Charles calls production her "first love," having started producing at age 13. Her style varies depending on her mood, and she credits trial and error as an important part of
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#1732772522868684-475: A work is entered, review sessions are held that involve over 150 recording industry experts, to determine that the work has been entered in the correct category. The resulting lists of eligible entries are then circulated to voting members, each of whom may vote to nominate in the general fields ( Record of the Year , Album of the Year , Song of the Year , and Best New Artist ) and in up to nine out of 30 other fields on their ballots. The five recordings that earn
741-635: The 13th Annual Grammy Awards in 1971. The concept of a separate Grammy Awards for Latin music recorded in Spanish or Portuguese began in 1989, as it was deemed too large to fit on the regular Grammys ceremony. The Recording Academy then established the Latin Recording Academy in 1997, and the separate Latin Grammy Awards were first held in 2000. The Latin Grammys honor works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around
798-455: The 66th Annual Grammy Awards , set to take place in 2024. Three new categories were announced, bringing the total number to 94, the highest since the peak of 109 in 2010. In addition, both Producer of the Year, Non-Classical and Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical , were moved to the General Field, the first time new categories had been added to this field since the concept of the Big Four
855-678: The Academy Awards (for films), the Emmy Awards (for television), and the Tony Awards (for theater). The first Grammy Awards ceremony was held on May 4, 1959, to honor the musical accomplishments of performers for the year 1958. After the 2011 ceremony, the Recording Academy overhauled many Grammy Award categories for 2012. The 67th Annual Grammy Awards , featuring a total of 94 categories, will be presented on February 2, 2025. After over fifty years being broadcast on CBS , it
912-667: The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, and the Park Sheraton Hotel in New York City, New York, with 28 Grammys awarded. The number of awards given grew, at one time reaching over 100, and fluctuated over the years with categories added and removed. The second Grammy Awards , also held in 1959, was the first ceremony to be televised, but the ceremony was not aired live until
969-795: The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University where she practiced her production and songwriting skills. During the second semester of her sophomore year, Charles met her current manager, Christian McCurdy. He introduced her to RCA Records A&R J Grand, and he flew her to Los Angeles to work with producers and other artists and repertoires in the recording industry. Charles continued traveling between Los Angeles and New York City for short bi-weekly trips, allowing her to work on music in Los Angeles while still attending classes in New York City. Charles left Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music in 2017 after signing
1026-691: The Crypto.com Arena (known as the Staples Center from 1999 to 2021) became the permanent home of the award ceremonies. The Grammy Museum was built across the street from the Crypto.com Arena in LA Live to preserve the history of the Grammy Awards. Embedded on the sidewalks on the museum streets are bronze disks, similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame , to honor each year's top winners, Record of
1083-494: The Grammy Living Legend Award at different ceremonies. As of 2018, fourteen solo musicians and one band have received this award. The Grammy Salute to Industry Icons Award honors those who have made innovative contributions to the music industry. Recipients include: Before 1971, Grammy Award ceremonies were held in different locations on the same day. Originally New York City and Los Angeles were
1140-652: The Los Angeles Kings , Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Sparks to play an extended length of road games. With 32 Grammy Awards, Beyoncé is the artist with the most Grammy wins. U2 , with 22 Grammy Awards, holds the record for most awards won by a group. When Pearl Jam won a Grammy for the Best Hard Rock Performance in 1996, the band's lead singer Eddie Vedder commented on stage, "I don't know what this means. I don't think it means anything." In 2008, Glen Hansard , leader of
1197-530: The debut album from Wu-Tang Clan . The nomination review committees would be disbanded in 2021 following criticism of the lack of nominations for The Weeknd 's album After Hours . At the 38th Annual Grammy Awards , artist Mariah Carey was nominated for six awards for her album Daydream , including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for her single " One Sweet Day ". Although critics believed Carey would be "cleaning up" that year, Carey ultimately lost in all her nominated categories that night, much to
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#17327725228681254-525: The music industry . They are regarded by many as the most prestigious and significant awards in the music industry worldwide. They were originally called the Gramophone Awards , as the trophy depicts a gilded gramophone . The Grammys are the first of the Big Three networks ' major music awards held annually, and are considered one of the four major annual American entertainment awards with
1311-446: The phonograph . Eventually, the name was chosen after a mail-in contest whereby approximately 300 contestants submitted the name 'Grammy', with the earliest postmark from contest winner Jay Danna of New Orleans, Louisiana, as an abbreviated reference to Emile Berliner 's invention, the gramophone . Grammys were first awarded for achievements in 1958. The first award ceremony was held simultaneously in two locations on May 4, 1959,
1368-413: The rock field, the hard rock and metal album categories were combined. The Best Rock Instrumental Performance category was also eliminated. In R&B , the distinction between best contemporary R&B album and other R&B albums has been eliminated, consolidated into one Best R&B Album category. In rap , the categories for best rap soloist and best rap duo or group have been merged into
1425-483: The Best New Artist award in 2009 and her other three awards in 2012 and 2017. At age 18, Eilish is the youngest artist to have won all four awards. As of 2024, an additional two awards were added to the "General Field". Other awards are given for performance and production in specific genres and for other contributions such as artwork and video. Special awards are also given for longer-lasting contributions to
1482-678: The COVID-19 Delta cron hybrid variant. The ceremony was also moved from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas due to the former having scheduling conflicts with sports games and concerts nearly every night through mid-April. The gold-plated trophies, each depicting a gilded gramophone , are made and assembled by hand by Billings Artworks in Ridgway, Colorado . In 1990,
1539-541: The Grammy Awards. The recording with the most votes in a category wins, and it is possible to have a tie (in which case the two [or more] nominees who tie are considered winners). Winners are presented with a Grammy Award; those who do not win receive a medal for their nomination. In both voting rounds, Academy members are required to vote solely based on quality, without consideration for sales, chart performance, personal friendships, regional preferences or company loyalty. Gifts may not be accepted. Members are urged to vote in
1596-456: The Irish rock group The Frames , stated that the Grammys represent something outside of the real world of music "that's fully industry based". He said he was not particularly interested in attending that year's ceremony, even though he had been nominated for two awards. Maynard James Keenan , lead singer of progressive rock band Tool , did not attend the Grammy Awards ceremony to receive one of
1653-451: The Recording Academy and that voting members are active creative professionals involved in the recording process, such as performers, songwriters, producers, and engineers. Nomination review committees, composed of anonymous industry figures, were established following the 37th Grammy Awards , which attracted criticism for the slate of Album of the Year nominations. The winner, Tony Bennett 's live album MTV Unplugged , competed against
1710-586: The Recording Academy for introducing a policy of charging nominees $ 1200 for a plus one, saying the policy "makes it ever more obvious who is valued, and more specifically what (that would be lots of money, for the folks in the back)." A Billboard article clarified that the new policy was a tiered system, ranging from $ 375 to $ 2000 for a ticket to attend the pre-telecast ceremony. The Grammys also have been criticized for snubbing awards to some nominated artists. The organization's awards journey states that nominees and winners are determined solely by voting members of
1767-458: The Year, Best New Artist, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year. Since 2000, the Grammy Awards have taken place outside of Los Angeles only three times. New York City 's Madison Square Garden hosted the awards in 2003 and in 2018 , while the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas hosted in 2022 . The annual awards ceremony at the Crypto.com Arena requires the local sports teams such as
Nija Charles - Misplaced Pages Continue
1824-515: The Year, Non-Classical is a new category in the annual Grammy Awards show, introduced in the 65th edition held in February, 2023. The award comes after the launch of a special Songwriters & Composers Wing in the Recording Academy, which "elevates, supports and advocates on behalf of all songwriters and composers within (...) the industry at large". According to the Wing's chair Evan Bogart ,
1881-474: The award, writers “must have written a minimum of five songs in which they are credited ‘solely’ as a songwriter or co-writer” and that “songs in which the songwriter was also credited as a primary or featured artist, producer or any other supporting role do not qualify to achieve a minimum song threshold for consideration”, a distinction that was mandated in order ensure that the award honored songwriting and prevents big-named artists who write and perform or produce
1938-525: The band's awards, explaining that: I think the Grammys are nothing more than some gigantic promotional machine for the music industry. They cater to a low intellect and they feed the masses. They don't honor the arts or the artist for what he created. It's the music business celebrating itself. That's basically what it's all about. The Grammys have also been criticized for generally awarding or nominating more commercially successful albums rather than critically successful ones. In 1991, Sinéad O'Connor became
1995-475: The development of her production tastes. She finds production to be more difficult than songwriting, saying that "Writing for me is effortless, but with production I tend to overthink sometimes." Charles' 2022 EP Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You grew out of Charles' desire to experiment with the New York drill scene , combining it with R&B: "I wanted to hear an actual singing song on top of a drill beat, so that
2052-479: The exclusion of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). Therefore, the field and some categories were renamed as Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music. Since 2012, small adjustments have been made to lists of categories and genre fields. The number of categories has risen from 78 in 2012 to 84 since 2017. In 2020, amid the George Floyd protests , several urban, rap, and Latin music categories were renamed. In 2022,
2109-463: The first musician to refuse a Grammy, boycotting the ceremony after being nominated for Record of the Year , Best Female Pop Vocal Performance , and Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Performance . O'Connor would go on to win the latter award. She said her reasoning came from the Grammys' extreme commercialism. In 2024, Rhiannon Giddens described the financial strain of attending the ceremony for middle and working class musicians. She criticized
2166-693: The host cities. Chicago joined as a host city in 1962 and Nashville became a fourth location in 1965. The 1971 ceremony at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles was the first to take place in one location. In 1972, the ceremony was then moved to Madison Square Garden 's Felt Forum in New York City, then moved in 1973 to Nashville's Tennessee Theatre . From 1974 to 2003, the Grammys were held in various venues in New York City and Los Angeles, including New York's Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall ; and Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium , Staples Center and Hollywood Palladium. In 2000,
2223-494: The live classical album The Three Tenors in Concert 1994 , Seal 's second eponymous album , and the twelfth albums from Bonnie Raitt and Eric Clapton , both longtime musical mainstays. Not nominated that year were several albums that would later be recognized as classics, including Nas 's debut album Illmatic , Oasis 's debut album Definitely Maybe , Hole 's album Live Through This , Jeff Buckley 's Grace , and
2280-509: The majority of their own music from dominating the category. If a writer meets the threshold with external songs, they are permitted to submit up to four additional songs in which they are also the performer. According to Evan Bogart , CEO of the Recording Academy's Songwriters & Composers Wing, “we were able to strike the right balance and tone between people who are professional songwriters, who wake up every day and think about crafting songs for artists, and not just make this another award for
2337-532: The most votes in each category become the nominees, while in some categories (craft and specialized categories) review committees determine the final five nominees. There may be over five nominees if a tie occurs in the nomination process. Although members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences generally are invited to screenings or are sent DVDs of films nominated for Oscars, NARAS members do not receive nominated recordings, but instead receive access to
Nija Charles - Misplaced Pages Continue
2394-463: The music industry. Because of the large number of award categories (94 as of 2024), and a desire to feature several performances by various artists, only awards with the most popular interest – typically about 10 to 12, including the four general field categories and one or two categories in the most popular music genres (i.e., pop, rock, country, and rap) – are presented directly at the televised award ceremony. Most other Grammy trophies are presented in
2451-477: The new Best Rap Performance category. The roots category had the most eliminations. Up through 2011, there were separate categories for regional American music forms, such as Hawaiian, Native American, and Zydeco/Cajun music. A consistently low number of entries in these categories led the Recording Academy to combine these music variations into a new Best Regional Roots Music Album , including polka , which had lost its category in 2009. In same-genre fields,
2508-457: The new award is proof that composers and songwriters are now "able to make this dream of having an award that honors the compendium of an artist's yearly output and the impact it has each year on the musical landscape in the way the GRAMMYs have been honoring producers since 1975. I think the time to do that is now (...) People in the songwriting world have been calling for this award for more than
2565-456: The number of awards was increased from 86 to 91. Performance categories were added for the Americana and alternative music genres alongside new categories for video game score and spoken word poetry albums. A songwriter category (non-classical) and a song for social change category were also added and several categories were adjusted slightly. In 2023, several key changed were announced for
2622-687: The original Grammy design was reworked, changing the traditional soft lead for a stronger alloy less prone to damage, making the trophy bigger and grander. Billings developed Grammium, a zinc alloy which they trademarked. Trophies engraved with each recipient's name are not available until after the award announcements, so "stunt" trophies are re-used each year for the ceremony broadcast. By February 2009, some 7,578 Grammy trophies had been awarded. The "General Field" are four awards which are not restricted by music genre. To date, three artists have won all four awards, two won all four at once: Christopher Cross (1981) and Billie Eilish (2020). Adele won
2679-559: The past" and out of touch with "new media" and trends among music listeners such as music sharing , stating: The major nominations for the 54th annual awards clearly show that the recording academy has been working overtime to be all-inclusive, but more significantly, they also reveal a deep chasm between its goals and the listening habits of the general population...The focus is still on the old music industry model of cash-cow hits, major label investments and commercial radio... In an article for Time , journalist Touré also responded to
2736-420: The shock of critics and Carey herself. In 2011, Los Angeles Times journalist Randall Roberts criticized the exclusion of Kanye West 's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy from Album of the Year nominations for the 54th Grammy Awards . He described West's album as "the most critically acclaimed album of the year, a career-defining record". Roberts went on to criticize the Grammy Awards for being "mired in
2793-525: The snub and expressed general displeasure with the awards, stating "I don't pretend to understand the Grammys. I have never been able to discern a consistent logic around who gets nominated or who gets statues. I comprehend the particular logic of the Oscars, but not the big awards for music. My normal state of confusion around what drives Grammy decisions was exponentialized this week when, to the shock of many, Kanye's masterpiece My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
2850-428: The traditional and contemporary blues categories and the traditional and contemporary folk categories each were consolidated into one per genre due to the number of entries and the challenges in distinguishing between contemporary and traditional blues and folk songs. In the world music field, the traditional and contemporary categories also were merged. In the classical field, its main category Best Classical Album ,
2907-627: The world that has been released either in Ibero-America , the Iberian Peninsula , or the United States. The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards were postponed from its original January 31, 2021, date to March 14, 2021, due to the music industry impact of COVID-19 pandemic . The 64th Annual Grammy Awards were also postponed from its original January 31, 2022, date to April 3, 2022, due to health and safety concerns related to
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#17327725228682964-504: Was announced on October 30, 2024, that the Grammys would move to ABC , Disney+ and Hulu as part of a ten-year broadcast deal between the Recording Academy and The Walt Disney Company . Harry's House Midnights The Grammys had their origin in the Hollywood Walk of Fame project in the 1950s. As recording executives on the Walk of Fame committee compiled a list of significant recording industry people who might qualify for
3021-500: Was discontinued because most recipients in the category had also won in other classical categories for the same album. Classical recordings are now eligible for the main Album of the Year category. A few minor name changes were also made to better reflect the nature of the separate categories. The Recording Academy determined that the word "gospel" in the gospel genre field tends to connote images and sounds of traditional soul gospel to
3078-540: Was established. The total number of fields was consolidated from 26 to 11 to ensure that all voting members would be able to exercise their allocated ten genre votes, as some members were prevented from doing so previously due to some fields only containing one category. Members of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), both media companies and individuals, may nominate recordings for consideration. Entries are made and submitted online. When
3135-476: Was increased from four to five. The Recording Academy stated that these amendments were implemented with the hopes of allowing a "wider representation of the songwriter community" . 2 nominations Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards , stylized as GRAMMY , and often referred to as the Grammys , are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in
3192-479: Was named to Rolling Stone's "Future 25" in October, 2020. Charles has described growing up listening to R&B all around her. She claims The-Dream, Usher, Ryan Leslie, Chris Brown, Amerie, NSYNC, Britney Spears, Beyoncé, and Paramore as influences, describing herself as "a melting pot of everyone that I've ever listened to." In reference to her 2022 EP Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You, Charles cited Pop Smoke as
3249-416: Was one of the inspirations." She views the album as the result of combining rap, pop, and R&B she was listening to at the time. Charles also described wanting to bring themes of female empowerment from rap into an R&B space, saying that she "always want[s] to come from a position of power" in her music. Grammy Award for Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical The Grammy Award for Songwriter of
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