Grammy Awards For more than 40 years the Grammy Awards have grown in popularity and prestige, recognizing the best musicians and celebrating their artistic achievement.

May 4, 1959 The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, organized in 1957 by music professionals and label executives in Los Angeles, holds its first awards ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The peer-presented awards, called Grammys, celebrate the previous year's artistic achievement of musicians, singers, songwriters, producers and engineers.

May 29, 1962 To reflect the latest trend in popular music, a new category, Best Rock and Roll Recording, is added to the awards list. The first award goes to Chubby Checker for Let's Twist Again.

Feb. 29, 1968 For its 10th annual awards ceremony, the Recording Academy switches venues, holding the black-tie event at the new Century Plaza Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

March 16, 1971 For the first time, the same artist or group wins the three top awards - Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Album of the Year. The winner: Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Waters.

March 14, 1972 For the first time, the ceremony is held in New York City. Also for the first time, the awards are presented on live television.

March 3, 1973 For the first time, the awards ceremony takes place in Nashville, at the Tennessee Theater. This is the only time the ceremony is held in a city other than New York or Los Angeles.

March 25, 1986 The awards for Record of the Year and Best Vocal Performance by a Group go to We Are The World. by USA for Africa. The group includes most of the country's premier performers, from Michael Jackson to Bruce Springsteen to Kenny Loggins.

March 2, 1988 Michael Jackson performs live for the first time in five years at the 30th annual Grammys. Although his new album Bad is among the nominees, the Album of the Year is Paul Simon's Graceland.

Feb. 28, 1996 Frank Sinatra wins a Grammy award for the first time since 1966. His Duets II wins Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

Feb. 24, 1998 For a while, it looked like this would be the last time the Grammys would be held in New York. Grammy officials and New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani engaged in a public spat over plans for the mayor's appearance at a conference to announce nominees. The mayor told the Academy to take its award show back to California.

Sept. 13, 2000 Latin music comes of age with its own Grammy awards ceremony. The first annual Latin Grammys are awarded in a ceremony at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

2002 It is announced that the Grammys will move back to New York City for its 45th anniversary, with the awards to be presented Feb. 23, 2003, at Madison Square Garden.

Feb. 20, 2003 CBS News confirms that the Grammy telecast will feature a reunion of Simon and Garfunkel.