[1] According to the Wing's chair Evan Bogart, the new award is proof that composers and songwriters are now "able to make this dream of having an award that honors the compendium of an artist's yearly output and the impact it has each year on the musical landscape in the way the GRAMMYs have been honoring producers since 1975.

[3] To qualify for the award, writers “must have written a minimum of five songs in which they are credited ‘solely’ as a songwriter or co-writer” and that “songs in which the songwriter was also credited as a primary or featured artist, producer or any other supporting role do not qualify to achieve a minimum song threshold for consideration”, a distinction that was mandated in order ensure that the award honored songwriting and prevents big-named artists who write and perform or produce the majority of their own music from dominating the category.

According to Evan Bogart, CEO of the Recording Academy's Songwriters & Composers Wing, “we were able to strike the right balance and tone between people who are professional songwriters, who wake up every day and think about crafting songs for artists, and not just make this another award for a producer or an artist to win”.

[4] Prospective nominees can submit up to nine songs that they have written or co-written during the eligibility period of each Grammy year that demonstrate their skill and talent.

The Recording Academy stated that these amendments were implemented with the hopes of allowing a "wider representation of the songwriter community" .