<P> Prior to the first live Grammys telecast in 1971 on ABC, a series of filmed annual specials in the 1960s called The Best on Record were broadcast on NBC . The first Grammy Award telecast took place on the night of November 29, 1959, as an episode of the NBC anthology series NBC Sunday Showcase, which was normally devoted to plays, original TV dramas, and variety shows . Until 1971, awards ceremonies were held in both New York and Los Angeles, with winners accepting at one of the two . Pierre Cossette bought the rights to broadcast the ceremony from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and organized the first live telecast . CBS bought the rights in 1973 after moving the ceremony to Nashville, Tennessee; the American Music Awards were created for ABC (by Dick Clark) as a result . </P> <P> The Recording Academy announced on June 21, 2011, that it had reached a new deal with CBS to keep the awards show on the network for another 10 years . As part of the new contract the network also could air "nominations concert" special in the last week of November where the nominees are released during the special that is exclusive to CBS, rather than the traditional early - morning press conference with a release of the nominations seen with most major awards ceremonies which any network takes as part of a press pool (though it was not done in 2017). Beginning in 2006, the number of viewers was counted in live + SD . </P> <P> The Grammys are usually held on the second Sunday of February (with the exception of February 14 as that day is Valentine's Day, whenever February 14 falls on a Sunday then the Grammys are held on February 15 as a result) but is held on the last Sunday of January in years where the Winter Olympics take place . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Year </Th> <Th> Viewers (Millions) </Th> <Th> Rating / Share (Households) </Th> <Th> Average Ad Price (30s) </Th> <Th> Source (s) </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2018 </Td> <Td> 19.80 </Td> <Td> 5.9 / 21 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2017 </Td> <Td> 26.05 </Td> <Td> 7.8 / 22 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2016 </Td> <Td> 24.95 </Td> <Td> 7.7 / 22 </Td> <Td> $1,200,000 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2015 </Td> <Td> 25.30 </Td> <Td> 8.5 / 23 </Td> <Td> $1,000,000 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2014 </Td> <Td> 28.51 </Td> <Td> 9.9 / 25 </Td> <Td> $800,000 - $850,000 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2013 </Td> <Td> 28.37 </Td> <Td> 10.1 / 25 </Td> <Td> $850,000 - $900,000 + </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2012 </Td> <Td> 39.91 </Td> <Td> 14.1 / 32 </Td> <Td> $766,000 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2011 </Td> <Td> 26.55 </Td> <Td> 10.0 / 25 </Td> <Td> $630,000 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> 25.80 </Td> <Td> TBD </Td> <Td> $426,000 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2009 </Td> <Td> 19.04 </Td> <Td> 10.3 / 16 </Td> <Td> $592,000 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2008 </Td> <Td> 17.18 </Td> <Td> 10.3 / 16 </Td> <Td> $572,700 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2007 </Td> <Td> 20.05 </Td> <Td> 12.1 / 19 </Td> <Td> $557,300 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2006 </Td> <Td> 17.00 </Td> <Td> 10.9 / 17 </Td> <Td> $675,900 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2005 </Td> <Td> 18.80 </Td> <Td> 11.6 / 18 </Td> <Td> $703,900 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> 26.29 </Td> <Td> 15.7 / 24 </Td> <Td> $654,600 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2003 </Td> <Td> 24.82 </Td> <Td> 14.7 / 23 </Td> <Td> $610,300 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2002 </Td> <Td> 18.96 </Td> <Td> 11.9 / 19 </Td> <Td> $573,900 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2001 </Td> <Td> 26.65 </Td> <Td> 16.7 / 26 </Td> <Td> $574,000 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2000 </Td> <Td> 27.79 </Td> <Td> 17.3 / 27 </Td> <Td> $505,500 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1999 </Td> <Td> 24.88 </Td> <Td> 16.6 / 26 </Td> <Td> $472,000 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1998 </Td> <Td> 25.04 </Td> <Td> 17.0 / 27 </Td> <Td> $315,600 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1997 </Td> <Td> 19.21 </Td> <Td> 13.4 / 22 </Td> <Td> $346,300 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> 21.50 </Td> <Td> 14.6 / 23 </Td> <Td> $304,800 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1995 </Td> <Td> 17.27 </Td> <Td> 11.8 / 19 </Td> <Td> $399,100 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1994 </Td> <Td> 23.69 </Td> <Td> 16.1 / 24 </Td> <Td> $407,700 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1993 </Td> <Td> 29.87 </Td> <Td> 19.9 / 31 </Td> <Td> $401,500 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1992 </Td> <Td> 23.10 </Td> <Td> 16.2 / 27 </Td> <Td> $352,900 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1991 </Td> <Td> 28.89 </Td> <Td> 18.8 / 31 </Td> <Td> $319,200 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1990 </Td> <Td> 28.83 </Td> <Td> 18.9 / 31 </Td> <Td> $330,600 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1989 </Td> <Td> 23.57 </Td> <Td> 16.0 / 26 </Td> <Td> $318,300 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1988 </Td> <Td> 32.76 </Td> <Td> 21.1 / 33 </Td> <Td> $299,900 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> 27.91 </Td> <Td> 18.3 / 27 </Td> <Td> $264,200 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1986 </Td> <Td> 30.39 </Td> <Td> 20.3 / 32 </Td> <Td> $205,500 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1985 </Td> <Td> 37.12 </Td> <Td> 23.8 / 35 </Td> <Td> N / A </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1984 </Td> <Td> 51.67 </Td> <Td> 30.8 / 45 </Td> <Td> N / A </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> 30.86 </Td> <Td> 25.6 / 33 </Td> <Td> N / A </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1982 </Td> <Td> 24.02 </Td> <Td> 18.2 / 29 </Td> <Td> N / A </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1981 </Td> <Td> 28.57 </Td> <Td> 21.2 / 34 </Td> <Td> N / A </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1980 </Td> <Td> 32.39 </Td> <Td> 23.9 / 39 </Td> <Td> N / A </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1979 </Td> <Td> 31.31 </Td> <Td> 21.9 / 34 </Td> <Td> N / A </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1978 </Td> <Td> N / A </Td> <Td> 26.6 / 44 </Td> <Td> N / A </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1977 </Td> <Td> 28.86 </Td> <Td> 21.3 / 38 </Td> <Td> N / A </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1976 </Td> <Td> N / A </Td> <Td> 23.8 / 47 </Td> <Td> N / A </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> N / A </Td> <Td> 16.4 / 30 </Td> <Td> N / A </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> N / A </Td> <Td> 30.3 / 52 </Td> <Td> N / A </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> </Table>

When did the american music awards come on