What was the Grammy Awards' original name before the trophy became known as a Grammy?

The Grammy Awards were originally called the Gramophone Awards before the nickname “Grammy” became established.

The name reflected the ceremony’s trophy, which depicts a gramophone. The awards were created by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize achievement in recorded music, with the first ceremony taking place in 1959.

“Grammy” emerged as a shorter, more memorable name for the awards and eventually became the official public identity of the event. The trophy’s design has retained the gramophone concept even though its construction and details have changed over the decades.

This history is distinct from the Recording Academy’s founding and from the later creation of the Grammy Museum. The award’s original name describes the trophy and the early presentation, while the modern name is now used for the ceremony, the statuettes, and the broader awards program.