“When we’re making Grammys, we don’t know whose Grammy that’s going to be, so we don’t have one favorite,” Mr. Billings said, adding: “They’re all just like children. I really never try to question why someone is getting an award; I do sometimes question why someone is not.”

Before artists can hoist the five-pound award onstage in front of their peers, a lot of work must be done, which starts when the nomination list comes in. Mr. Billings and his team review it and estimate the number of Grammys that need to be cast to cover the nominees receiving the awards. In his 2,000-square-foot Ridgway, Colo., studio, the whirring of a polishing wheel and tapping of a hammer provide the soundtrack for his team of three, who tinker five days a week, year-round.