How to Pitch Stories to GRAMMY.com

GRAMMY.com is looking for pitches about diverse artists, genres and musical communities with national relevance. We recommend familiarizing yourself with the Q&As and features we’ve published on our site.

We are mainly looking for larger culture features and lists highlighting the intersection of music with broader issues such as politics, history, health and technology. These pieces may focus on a rising local/statewide musical group or scene, which has a larger tie to mainstream culture. We are also interested in stories about the behind-the-scenes creators (producers, songwriters, engineers, etc) contributing to popular music today.

We are also seeking artist interviews in feature or Q&A formats. These interviews should be timely and tied to a current news peg, e.g. an album release; such pitches should be sent at least 2-4 weeks in advance of the related news peg. We also welcome pitches on artist “discoveries” and evergreen features/lists.

Please Note: GRAMMY.com prioritizes coverage of artists and members of the music industry who are part of the Recording Academy ecosystem: past & current GRAMMY winners and GRAMMY nominees, Recording Academy members, Recording Academy Chapters and Affiliates, etc.

We do not run album reviews. We do not run personal essays.  

See examples below.

General Types of Stories We’re Looking For

Timely reported features (interviews with +2 or more sources): $400-$500

• The Psychology Of "Sad Girl" Pop: Why Music By Billie Eilish, Gracie Abrams, Olivia Rodrigo & More Is Resonating So Widely
• How Queer Country Artists Are Creating Space For Inclusive Stories In The Genre
• The Environmental Impact Of Touring: How Scientists, Musicians & Nonprofits Are Trying To Shrink Concerts' Carbon Footprint

Artist Q&As: $300

• "Nasty" Girl Tinashe On 'Quantum Baby' & Her Newfound Agency As An Independent Artist
• Dave Navarro Talks Jane's Addiction's "Imminent Redemption" & The Foursome’s "Secret Sauce"
• Inside Adam Lambert's 'Afters': How '90s House, Clubbing & Lots Of Sex Inspired His Most "Liberated" Music Yet

Industry / Creator Q&As (producers, songwriters, engineers, composers): $300

• Producer/Engineer Paul Womack On Happily Making A Million Mistakes, The Value Of Affordable Gear & Not Being "Apologetic" While Making Music
• Producer & Engineer Susan Rogers Worked With Prince And Barenaked Ladies. Now, She Wants To Know Why We Love The Music We Do.
• Atlantic Records’ Senior Producer, Engineer Ebonie Smith Talks Craft, Moving The Conversation Around Gender Forward With Nonprofit Gender Amplified

Scene and genre reports (regional/national/international music scenes and emerging genres with interviews with +2 or more sources): $400-$500

• UK Drill Is An International Sensation. Will It Be Censored To Death?
• Drill Music Is On The Rise Around The World. Can Latin Drill Take Over Next?
• What Is Trap Gospel? How A New Generation of Christian Rappers Are Grabbing The Attention Of Believers & Non-Believers
• Learn From Texas: How A New Generation Of Artists And Creatives Is Blazing Trails In Today's Texas Rap Scene
• "Portland Goes Harder": How PDX's Disparate, Diverse Music Scene Has Coalesced Around Progressive Politics
• "What Doesn’t Grow Is Dead’: How Klezmer Musicians Are Creating For A Modern Jewish World

Album anniversary tributes (prose/written-through features & interviews): $300

• How 'Illmatic' Defined East Coast Rap: Nas’ Landmark Debut Turns 30
• Gangsta Goes Global: Coolio Reminisces On The Worldwide Success Of His Signature Hit, "Gangsta’s Paradise"  
• Revisiting 'Re': How Café Tacvba’s 1994 Masterpiece Changed Mexican Music Forever
• Revisiting ‘Private Dancer’ At 40: How Tina Turner’s Liberation Album Remains A Musical Salvation

Music industry/business and technology reported features (interviews with +2 or more sources): $400-$500

• We're Probably On An Irreversible Course Into The Metaverse. What Role Will Music Play In It?
• Can CDs Make A Comeback? Reevaluating The CD At 40
• From "Sounds" To Millions Of Streams: How TikTok Became A Major Player In The Musical Ecosystem

Cultural/music moments anniversary features (prose/written-through features & interviews): $300

• How 1994 Changed The Game For Hip-Hop
• One Year After #TheShowMustBePaused, Where Do We Stand? Black Music Industry Leaders Discuss
• Big Voices, Ballads and Blockbuster Hits: How 1996 Became The Year Of The Pop Diva
• How 1986 Became The Epicenter Of A New Metal Sound: Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, And The Albums That Defined Thrash Metal
• How 1995 Became A Blockbuster Year For Movie Soundtracks

Album/artist guides: $300-$400

• Songbook: A Guide To Billie Eilish's Musical Ventures & Artistic Ingenuity
• Songbook: An Era-By-Era Breakdown Of Taylor Swift's Journey From Country Starlet To Pop Phenomenon
• Every Moment Flame On: A Guide To The Expanded Universe Of Robert Pollard & Guided By Voices
• Songbook: A Guide To Every Album By Progressive Rock Giants Jethro Tull, From 'This Was' To 'The Zealot Gene'

Evergreen & Timely Lists: $250

• Fight The Power: 11 Powerful Protest Songs Advocating For Racial Justice
• 10 Songs You Didn't Know Dolly Parton Wrote: Hits By Whitney Houston, Kenny Rogers & More
• Is Eminem's “Stan” Based On A True Story? 10 Facts You Didn't Know About The GRAMMY-Winning Rapper

News Trends/Quick Reactions: $250

• Breaking Down The Coachella 2022 Lineup: Headliners Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Ye Are Just The Beginning Of An Epic, Long-Awaited Return

On-site Festival Coverage (multi-day festivals; lists and prose/written-through festival recaps; GRAMMY.com does not provide stipends or reimbursements for food, travel, parking, or lodging related to assigned festival coverage): $300 for single-day festivals; $350-$400 for multi-day festivals

• 7 Show-Stopping Sets From Coachella 2025 Weekend 1: Lady Gaga, Megan Thee Stallion & More
• 9 Outstanding Sets From Barcelona’s Primavera Sound Festival 2024: SZA, Amaarae, Charli XCX & More
• Newport Folk Festival 2022 Recap: Taj Mahal, Brandi Carlile With Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon & A Crowdsurfing Singer

Online & In-Person Event Coverage (lists and prose/written-through event recaps; GRAMMY.com does not provide stipends or reimbursements for food, travel, parking, or lodging related to assigned event coverage): $300

• The Recording Academy's Washington D.C. Chapter 2024 Block Party Kicked Off Summer With A Celebration Of Impactful & Empowering DMV Creatives
• 7 Highlights From The 2024 Jewish American Heritage Concert, An Empowering Celebration Of Music & Community
• Inside The Recording Academy Nashville Chapter's 2024 Block Party, A Tribute To Music City's Thriving Scene

Festival Previews/Lists (written in advance of a musical festival): $250

• 10 Acts You Can't Miss At Bonnaroo 2024: Four Tet, Teezo Touchdown, Chappell Roan & More
• 15 LGBTQIA+ Artists Performing At 2024 Summer Festivals
• K-Pop Summer 2024 Guide: ATEEZ, IU, TXT & More Live In Concert & On Tour

Obituary tributes (interviews/lists/features): $300

• Remembering Betty Davis: 5 Essential Tracks By The Singer/Songwriter, Fashion Icon & Funk Pioneer
• How Ronnie Spector And "Be My Baby" Changed Music Forever
• In Remembrance: DMX Alchemized Pain Into Power
• Remembering The Artistry Of Tina Turner, "The Epitome Of Power And Passion"

Round-Table Features (artist profiles, tributes, album anniversaries, oral histories): $400-$500

• What's Next For Latin Music? A Roundtable Discussion About Reggaetón, Indie Acts, Regional Sounds & More
• What's Next For K-Pop? A Roundtable Unpacks The Genre's Past, Present And Future
• Celebrating Missy Elliott: How The Icon Changed The Sound, Look & Language Of Hip-Hop
• All You Need Is Happy Thoughts: Chance The Rapper & Collaborators Reflect On 'Coloring Book' At 5
• Why Is Biggie's 'Ready To Die' So Great? Open Mike Eagle, Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence & Others Weigh In On The Album's 30th Anniversary

How to Pitch

Please send a short email with your idea and links to your portfolio/published clips to GRAMMY.com Managing Editor Jessica Lipsky (Jessica.Lipsky@grammy.com). Your pitch should have a clear angle, reflect your writing style, and demonstrate why you’re the right person to tell this story.

NOTE: Please file all assignments via Google Docs.

We look forward to hearing from you!