Depending on how much you follow the music industry, you may have noticed the announcement of the Grammy Award nominees yesterday. For those who don’t follow the entertainment industry closely, the annual event honors the best in music where the winners receive a gramophone-shaped award to signify their musical accomplishments. Have you ever been curious about the origins of these awards? It may be hard to believe, but they’re made in a small workshop situated in Ridgway, our northwest neighbor.
John Billings is the man who has been responsible for manufacturing the physical Grammy Awards. These small gramophones are built without the use of machines, instead relying on standard tools and using one’s hands the old-fashioned way. For over thirty years now, Billings has been in charge of making these awards that can singlehandedly boost an artist’s sales. As you might expect, he is also in charge of making the awards set to be given out during 2018 awards show. Besides the standard Grammy Awards, Billings has also created the awards given out during the Latin Grammy Awards.
A single Grammy is a building process encompassing over thirteen hours. To somewhat illustrate what goes into its building, the award is comprised of a base, cabinet, and tone arm which contains the bell. Each part is cast from a mold, filed, and polished before the Grammy is assembled and eventually plated in 24-karat gold.
If you’re curious about John Billings, check out the Los Angeles Times article.
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