MAIL CALL: GRAMMY BALLOTS GOING OUT

The Recording Academy confirmed that first-round Grammy ballots will be mailed to voting members on Friday (10/14). These ballots reflect the collective judgment of the 350 artists and experts who convened to listen to and organize the nearly 22k entries into the 84 awards categories in 30 fields.

All entries were due 8/24 and have since undergone a vetting process to verify eligibility in preparation for the first-round ballots.

Key changes this year include refinements to the guidelines around Best New Artist, Blues and Rap categories, a move to make streaming-only releases eligible for award consideration, and limits to the number of categories in which members may vote. Detailed info can be found here. For more information, including an infographic on the entire Grammy Awards process, go to www.grammy101.com.

Check out Grammy whisperer Paul Grein's rundown of likely nominees in the big four categories here.

Here are the key dates and deadlines:

10/14: First-round ballots sent out to voting members
11/04: First-round ballots due
11/15: Last day for Voting members to join and receive the final ballot
12/06: 59th Grammy nominations announced
12/14: Final ballots sent out to Voting members
01/13: Final ballots due
02/12: 59th Annual Grammy Awards