1. Grammy Awards - January
The Grammy Awards were established by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States in 1958. They are awarded annually as a prize voted on by members of the academy who are peers in the music industry. The Grammy Awards are considered the most prestigious of US music awards. They are given out in 29 different fields. The eligibility period for the Grammy Awards recently changed. It will now run from September 1 through August 31 of the following year.
2. People's Choice Awards - January
The People's Choice Awards was established in 1975 as general pop culture awards. The annual event is sponsored by Proctor & Gamble. The nominees in recent years have been selected through contracting with polling firms. Final winners in 2009 were selected in an online vote. People's Choice Awards are given out to TV and movie achievements as well as music.
3. Brit Awards - February
The Brit Awards were established in 1982 by the British Phonographic Industry to honor pop music. They have grown in prominence to be roughly the UK equivalent of the Grammy Awards. Currently three category winners are selected through public vote. In 2008 the Brit Awards created a Critic's Choice accolade to be selected by industry experts.
4. NME Awards - February
The NME Awards are presented annually by the UK music magazine NME. The first awards presented were in 1953. The show has received criticism in recent years for becoming too commercial and too similar to the Brit Awards.
5. Juno Awards - April
The Juno Awards were established to honor Canadian music by RPM magazine as the RPM Gold Leaf Awards in 1970. In 1971 the awards were renamed the Juno Awards and an advisory committee to operate the annual event became the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 1977. This organization continues to present the annual awards. Nominees and winners are determined in a variety of ways depending on the individual award. Some nominees are selected by sales and others by panels of experts. The winners in some categories are selected by members of the academy and others by experts.
6. Ivor Novello Awards - May
The Ivor Novello Awards were established in 1955 by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. They are intended to recognize achievement by British songwriters and composers. They are the only UK awards presented entirely by the music writing community.
7. MuchMusic Video Awards - June
The MuchMusic Video Awards were established in 1990 by the Canadian MuchMusic video channel to recognize achievement in music video. The presentation of the awards takes place through a massive street party in Toronto. Winners in four award categories are selected through online voting.
8. Teen Choice Awards - August
The Teen Choice Awards were established in 1999 by Fox Television. Winners are presented with a full-size surfboard allowing the awards to claim they give out the biggest award in entertainment. Achievements in TV, movies and sports are recognized as well as music. However, the Teen Choice Awards are seen as targeting a very significant portion of the pop music market. Winners are chosen through an online vote.
9. Mercury Prize - September
The Mercury Prize was established in 1992 by the British Phonographic Industry and British Association of Record Dealers as an alternative to the perceived commercialism of the Brit Awards. This prize has grown into one of the most prestigious in music in the UK. The Mercury Prize intends to recognize the best albums of the year in artistic terms regardless of commercial success.
10. MTV Video Music Awards - September
The MTV cable network established the MTV Video Music Awards in 1984 to recognize the year's top achievements in music video. They have a reputation of being the most unpredictable US music awards show often generating controversy. The statuette given out is referred to as the MTV "Moonman." As of 2008 a number of the nominees are selected through viewer voting. Some award nominees and winners are selected by music industry professionals.
