Does this update automatically?

It's refreshed by hand once each real award season, not a live feed.

Does it need an internet connection?

No — it runs entirely offline once the page loads.

Yes — free, no download, in your browser.

What is the difference between Record and Song of the Year?

Record of the Year honours a specific recording and the people who made it, such as the artist, producer and engineers, while Song of the Year honours the songwriters of the composition.

Voting members of the Recording Academy, rather than sales or streaming figures, decide the winners.

Is the year the release year?

Usually it is the ceremony year, so the winning record was typically released in the preceding eligibility period.

Grammy Record of the Year Archive Screensaver

The Grammy Record of the Year Archive screensaver is a real, curated archive of Grammy Award for Record of the Year winners. It is free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.

How the Grammy Record of the Year Archive screensaver works

The saver rotates through a real, curated list of Grammy Award for Record of the Year winners, drawn from the award's own published history.

Each entry holds on screen for a few seconds before easing to the next.

The list is updated by hand once each real award season, not streamed live.

It runs entirely offline — no key and no connection needed.

What Record of the Year honours

The first Grammy Awards were presented in 1959 by what is now the Recording Academy, and Record of the Year was among the awards from the start. The first winner was Domenico Modugno for Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu, known as Volare.

The award goes to a single recording, not to a song or an album. The Recording Academy today describes it as honouring the artist, producer, recording engineer, mixer and mastering engineer for the best overall achievement on a single or track, judged on performance, production and engineering. That sets it apart from Song of the Year, which honours the songwriters, and from Album of the Year, which honours a full album. Early listings credit only the performer, so the credited names have changed over the decades.

Winners are chosen by the Academy’s voting members, not by sales or streams. The year shown is normally the ceremony year, and the recordings were released in an eligibility window before it. For the first awards, the Recording Academy lists that window as running from 31 August 1957 to 30 August 1958, so the winning record usually comes out the year before the ceremony.

A worked example

A real winner appears with its year, holds for a few seconds, then fades into the next real entry in the archive.

Settings & tips

Record of the Year honors a single song's recording and production.
Accent recolours the text and highlights.
It's a distinct Grammy category from Album of the Year.

Frequently asked questions

Is this real award history?: Yes — a real, curated archive of Grammy Award for Record of the Year winners, drawn from the award's own published record.
Does this update automatically?: It's refreshed by hand once each real award season, not a live feed.
Does it need an internet connection?: No — it runs entirely offline once the page loads.
Is it free?: Yes — free, no download, in your browser.
What is the difference between Record and Song of the Year?: Record of the Year honours a specific recording and the people who made it, such as the artist, producer and engineers, while Song of the Year honours the songwriters of the composition.
Who votes?: Voting members of the Recording Academy, rather than sales or streaming figures, decide the winners.
Is the year the release year?: Usually it is the ceremony year, so the winning record was typically released in the preceding eligibility period.

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