
When they’re not working on Grammy campaigns in the months leading up to music’s biggest night, executives across the industry are crossing off another item on their to-do lists: congratulating artists and colleagues with gifts. “Grammys are our Super Bowl,” says Steve Carless, vp A&R at Def Jam — and that means making sure star players feel appreciated. Still, there are multiple factors to consider when it comes to celebrating Grammy success.
Sarah Mary Cunningham, senior director of publicity at Columbia Records, advises to do your homework: “Years ago, I had a client who was nominated who had just bought a weekend farm home upstate and I gifted them a Patagonia puffer,” she says. “I always take note when an artist-client follows a brand on socials or tweets/posts about one.” She also suggests considering the client’s hobbies, personal collections or passion projects outside of music. Similarly, Carless suggests that “racing lessons in your favorite luxury sports car or an engraved timepiece is always a great gift. I’ve also sponsored some extravagant club nights in the past to celebrate.”
While Carless says he doesn’t opt for Grammy-themed gifts often, Cunningham believes they can be done on occasion if done right: “I am a big fan of giving something related to the creation [of the nominated] album and/or song,” she says. “If you want to send a case of wine, pick wine from the region or town where the album was recorded or the tour kicked off and design a private label. Or, if the artist or client wrote their hearts out, send leather-bound notebooks and engraved pens from a fine pen retailer like Lamy.”
And if all else fails, Carless and Cunningham agree on a handful of tried-and-trues, from fresh flowers to tech like smart home devices or headphones (“especially earbuds — of course, the most expensive,” says Carless). But, if gifting flowers, Cunningham cautions to choose a more modern florist company like UrbanStems — “and don’t gift flowers if the artist or client is on the road for promo or tours: They can’t take them with!”
This article originally appeared in the Dec. 7 issue of Billboard.