IBM, the official artificial intelligence (AI) & cloud partner of the Grammy Awards for nearly a decade, has announced the launch of a new fan engagement solution.
By tapping into the power of agentic AI, GRAMMY® IQ built with IBM watsonx transforms the Recording Academy’s vast reserves of music industry data into interactive quizzes that put the knowledge of music lovers to the test.
IBM plans to also continue to design AI-driven solutions that automate workflows and deliver more personalised and engaging digital experiences for Recording Academy members, potential new members and millions of music enthusiasts around the world.
“Our partnership with IBM continues to push the boundaries of how technology can celebrate and deepen the world’s connection to music,” says Adam Roth, executive vice-president of global partnerships at the Recording Academy. “With GRAMMY IQ built with watsonx, we’re not only unlocking the richness of our history and data – we’re inviting fans and members everywhere to engage with music in more meaningful, interactive and inspiring ways.
“This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to innovation, creativity and honoring the artists and stories that shape culture across generations.”
Jonathan Adashek, senior vice-president of marketing and communications at IBM, comments: “The Recording Academy and IBM are bringing fans closer to the music they love by leveraging AI with the Academy’s vast reserves of music industry data spanning all genres and generations.
“We are excited to collaborate together to help deliver more personalized and engaging digital experiences for the members of the Recording Academy and millions of music enthusiasts all around the world.”
GRAMMY IQ built with IBM watsonx features an AI-assistant embedded across the Grammys®’ digital channels for seamless fan interaction, leaderboards and sweepstakes for daily engagement and social sharing. It uses watsonx technologies, including IBM’s Granite 3.0 large language model (LLM), to generate questions, hints and answer explanations based on historical Grammys data. Clues will be provided, if requested, before final answers are revealed, and top fan scores will be featured in a GRAMMY IQ leaderboard on Grammy.com.
Also for the GRAMMYS 2026, IBM plans to work with the GRAMMY Museum® to reinvent Musical Crossroads, an interactive experience on their fourth floor that uses watsonx to allow visitors to explore artists and music across nearly 200 genres and give music lovers a new way to understand the rich and complex history of the industry.
Each genre features artists, songs, photos, and interpretive text that connects to other genres, encouraging musical exploration and discovery.
In addition to this year’s fan features, IBM plans to continue to evolve how the Recording Academy enhances its membership digital processes for each of its 30 000+ members who represent every genre and creative discipline the music industry has to offer, from folk songwriters and classical composers to hip hop producers and sound engineers. This includes reimagining the member portal and offering translations in four additional languages.
This year’s solutions – a product of IBM technologies including its latest Granite LLMs, IBM’s consulting expertise, and ongoing collaboration with the Recording Academy digital and editorial teams – aim to scale content capabilities of the Recording Academy and deliver music fans, Recording Academy members and prospective members more engaging and informative digital experiences around the event.