Every year there is one particular night that every musician, no matter how big or small, looks forward to almost as much as Christmas morning. The Grammy awards are the biggest night in music and have been for more than 50 years. After watching this year’s “award show” I became interested in knowing who picks the winners and why they were chosen.

There is a little group called the Recording Industry Association of America that submits the talent, and an esteemed panel of judges from all throughout the music industry carefully select nominees for each category. Ballots are placed and then the final votes are cast and the association selects the big winners.

It seems like a somewhat simple process right? But what do they base nominations on? Do they base it on record sales, public concerts, popularity or sheer talent in the track they are nominated for? Well, the answer is all of the above, but of course they’re most concerned with the work that is up for the award. We all have opinions about people that we sometimes cannot control, and in the music industry everyone has an opinion about everything.

I became curious after watching America’s sweetheart Taylor Swift during her oh-so-surprised speech, three times. It is becoming a little much, Taylor. You know you’re going to win by now so go up to the podium with a look of utter appreciation and take the stupid award, stop your crying and get that ridiculous open-mouthed, flabbergasted look off your face; it’s getting a little old.

There are several people in the music industry that I deem worthy of the prestigious award and I do believe that musicians like Swift deserve it to some degree. Miss Swift is a fad in the music scene right now with her songs inspired by her diary and her innocent, approachable look. I am a fan of Swift through-and-through, but I would rather watch William Hung sing “She Bangs” than hear Swift sing live any day.

Swift is a perfect example of what a little program called Auto-tune can do for a recording artist. Auto-tune, in my opinion, has always seemed like such a fraud of talent. Record labels look for the whole package, yes, but primarily they want a face that will sell and in Swift’s case she is a charming, beautiful young woman that sadly is tone-deaf. Natural talent or not, sir Auto-tune can make you sound like a Grammy-worthy musician, and in this case it has worked once again.