Music awards are organised for rewarding outstanding artists. The awards differ in various aspects, depending on the music genre, location, and coverage. In this article, you can read about the various kinds of award as classified by region, genre, and organiser.
Music Awards by Region
Geographical awards are music awards intended to recognise artists from a particular region. In this category, awards can be international, continental, or in-country.
International awards have a global outlook. Artists and music hail from different countries across the globe. There is no restriction as to the eligibility of artist from certain countries. The basic rationale of these awards is that music is a global language regardless of race, nationality, or religion.
Continental or regional awards are awards intended for artists and music from a particular continent. They recognise the talent, creativity, and ingenuity of artists from that continent. Some of these awards include the MAMA awards for artists from the Asian continent, and the AFRIMA for those from the African continent.
Despite being continental, these awards also recognise artists and music from other continents in certain special-category awards. For instance, the MTV Europe Music Awards has a category for the best artists and music from places outside Europe.
Some awards are also arranged for in-country artists. They recognise creativity in music within a particular country. In these, artists and acts from other countries are ineligible.
Genre Awards
Some awards are bestowed on artists specialising in a particular music genre. These genre-based awards are intended to promote intra-genre creativity. These genres include pop music, rock, gospel, reggae, and classical music.
Commercial and Academic Awards
Some music awards are commercial. These awards are organised by financial stakeholders in the music industry, such as music producers’ or songwriters’ associations. Academic awards are also organised by entities like government agencies, and do not have any commercial interests.