A GRAMMY® For Your Consideration message should make the recording easy to identify and hear. Before sending yours, check what belongs in the message, what needs to stay out, and whether the recipient can opt out.
For artists, producers and songwriters, accurate credits matter here. Give the people who made the recording their proper identification, without turning the outreach into a sales pitch.
What does GRAMMY For Your Consideration mean?
For Your Consideration, often shortened to FYC, presents eligible work for consideration in the awards process. An entry is not a nomination.
Use the recording’s verified status. Do not describe a submission as GRAMMY-nominated before nominations have been announced and the recording has actually received one.
The Academy permits references to announced nominations, with the category written by its full name. Its rules distinguish permitted references to the GRAMMY name from restricted use of Academy logos. Official FYC rules
What belongs in an FYC email or DM?
Build the message around useful identification:
- Artist and recording title.
- Accurate category name, without category or entry numbers.
- A working listening link.
- Relevant creator credits.
- A brief factual description, if needed.
- An opt-out option that you can actually honor.
Check the link on your phone before sending. The recipient should reach the intended recording without hunting through a crowded page.
The Academy’s communications policy covers emails, social posts, websites and other promotional formats. Its opt-out requirement is not limited to an email newsletter. Voting and solicitation guidelines
What should stay out?
The Academy’s FYC rules prohibit stream totals, chart positions, sales figures and RIAA awards in these communications. Popularity is not the argument.
They also prohibit exaggerated claims, attacks on competing recordings, personal signatures, personal regards and personal pleas to listen. A familiar email sign-off can therefore be inappropriate for this particular message.
Leave out the awards year and telecast number in FYC promotional copy. Use the category’s name, not its ballot number.
Do not promise votes, arrange exchanges or offer something valuable for consideration. The voter code separately prohibits vote trading and coordinated voting agreements. Official FYC rules, voter code
Can you buy Recording Academy member lists?
The Academy says businesses do not have authorized access to its member lists. Its rules warn that an entry can be disqualified for using a vendor that wrongfully obtained an accurate list.
There is a separate rule for subscriber publications: distributing promotional material through them requires the member to have intentionally requested that publication. The subscription does not necessarily have to be paid.
That is a specific exception, not permission to purchase a supposed voter database. Official FYC rules
Who can promote a recording?
The FYC communications rules restrict members or their designated publicists to promoting their own recordings and prohibit lobbying on behalf of other members.
Before sending a campaign for someone else, verify that your role and proposed outreach fit those rules. A working relationship alone should not be treated as an exception. Official FYC rules
Can you follow up by phone or send materials to Academy offices?
The rules prohibit telephone lobbying, including calls framed as checking whether promotional materials arrived.
They also prohibit mailing FYC recordings or marketing materials to Academy offices for distribution. Keep those routes out of your outreach plan. Official FYC rules
A restrained FYC email example
Subject: GRAMMY® For Your Consideration: [Artist], [Recording]
GRAMMY® For Your Consideration
Artist: [Artist]
Recording: [Recording title]
Category: [Verified full category name]
Listen: [Direct recording link]
Credits: [Accurate creator names and roles]
To stop receiving FYC messages from this sender, reply “unsubscribe.”
A concise FYC DM example
GRAMMY® For Your Consideration
[Artist], “[Recording title]”
Category: [Verified full category name]
Listen: [Direct recording link]
Credits: [Credits link]
Reply “stop” to receive no further FYC messages from this account.
These are illustrative structures, not Academy-approved templates. Replace every placeholder, verify eligibility and category, and make the opt-out operational before using either.
Professional etiquette is a separate consideration
Beyond the Academy’s rules, respect the recipient’s attention.
Avoid large unsolicited attachments. Do not add people to promotional group chats without permission. Silence is not an invitation to keep following up. Honor an opt-out across the relevant outreach list.
Those are Creative Space’s professional recommendations, not additional rules attributed to the Academy.
Check the current rules before sending
Review the Academy’s current FYC rules before distributing a campaign. For uncertain tactics or a final campaign check, contact awards@grammy.com. The Academy offers advance review and cautions against assuming an unaddressed tactic is acceptable.
This guide explains outreach requirements. It does not establish a recording’s eligibility, confirm its entry status or approve a campaign.
Make the recording accessible. Identify the work accurately. Leave the decision with the listener.