Who designed the Grammy trophy used by the Recording Academy?

Bob Graves designed the Grammy trophy used by the Recording Academy.

Graves created the gramophone-shaped award, giving the Grammys one of the most recognizable trophies in entertainment. The design connects the award directly to recorded sound and the history of playback technology, rather than to a particular musical genre.

The trophies are made by hand and have been produced by specialists associated with the Recording Academy’s award manufacturing process. Their appearance has been refined over time, but the central gramophone form has remained the defining symbol of the awards.

A common mix-up is attributing the trophy to Emil Berliner, whose work was foundational to gramophone recording technology. Berliner helped develop the gramophone, but he did not design the Grammy award. The trophy’s name itself comes from the gramophone shape.