Grammys Revamp Awards With Five New Categories and Rule Updates

WHO:

Deadline - The Recording Academy is the organization making the changes to the Grammy Awards.

Variety - Harvey Mason Jr. is the CEO of the Grammys.

WHAT:

ABC News - The 69th Grammy Awards will air live on ABC, Disney+, and Hulu on February 7, 2027.

ABC News - The new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category recognizes artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets, including K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop recordings that feature meaningful use of one or more Asian languages.

ABC News - The Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance category recognizes excellence in contemporary R&B performances for works by established duos or groups, as well as collaborative works between solo artists, duos, and groups.

ABC News - The Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance category recognizes excellence in singles and tracks that consist of a type and style of song and/or performance that cannot properly be intermingled with present forms of pop music.

ABC News - The Best Traditional Folk Album category recognizes excellence in albums of traditional folk recordings, with awards presented to artist(s), producer(s), engineer(s)/mixer(s), and songwriter(s) of new songs, if other than artist(s), of greater than 50% playing time on the album.

Rolling Stone Music - The new categories added to the Grammy Awards include Best R&B Collaboration, Best Latin Song, Best Asian Pop Music Performance, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance, and Best Traditional Folk Album.

Variety - The Best Traditional Folk Album category recognizes excellence in albums of traditional folk recordings, with awards presented to artist(s), producer(s), engineer(s)/mixer(s), and songwriter(s) of new songs, if other than artist(s), of greater than 50% playing time on the album.

Variety - The Best Latin Song category recognizes the achievement of songwriters for newly written Latin songs predominantly in the Spanish language (at least 51% of the lyrics).

Variety - The Best R&B Performance Category has been revised and renamed Best R&B Solo Performance.

Variety - The Best Folk Album Category has been revised and renamed Best Contemporary Folk Album.

Variety - Songwriters and Composers of new material on winning albums in most genre album categories will now receive Grammy statuettes and Achievement Certificates.

Deadline - The Grammy Awards have added five new categories.

Billboard - The total number of categories at the 2027 Grammys will be 100, up from 78.

Variety - The Best New Artist category will now allow nominees to submit a total of four times, an increase from three.

Variety - The threshold of new recordings required on an eligible album has been lowered from 75% to 66%.

Rolling Stone Music - The new categories include Best R&B Collaboration, Best Latin Song, Best Asian Pop Music Performance, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance, and Best Traditional Folk Album.

WHERE:

Rolling Stone Music - The Grammy Awards ceremony will take place in February 2027.

WHEN:

Variety - The next Grammy Awards show is scheduled for February 7, 2027.

WHY:

Variety - The changes to the Best New Artist category were made in response to feedback from the music community regarding the evolving nature of artist development.

Variety - The updates to album eligibility criteria aim to reduce the exclusion of entries that are widely recognized as new albums.

HOW:

Variety - The Ballot Plus is an opt-in alternative to the 10/3 voting structure that allows Voting Members with expertise across multiple genres to vote in up to 15 peer-related categories, regardless of field, based on their verified professional credits and contributions.

Variety - The Grammy Awards update rules and categories annually based on proposals from members.

Variety - The Best New Artist task force reviewed the current guidelines and made recommendations for changes.

(UPDATED June 16, 2026 23:24 UTC)

The 69th Grammy Awards will air live on ABC, Disney+, and Hulu on February 7, 2027. This year, a new category for Best Asian Pop Music Performance has been introduced to honor artistic excellence in Asian pop music, including genres like K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop that prominently feature Asian languages. Additionally, the awards will recognize excellence in contemporary R&B with the Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance category, as well as celebrate traditional styles with categories for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance and Best Traditional Folk Album.

(UPDATED June 16, 2026 21:51 UTC)

The Grammy Awards are introducing several new categories, including Best R&B Collaboration, Best Latin Song, Best Asian Pop Music Performance, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance, and Best Traditional Folk Album. The Best Traditional Folk Album category will honor excellence in traditional folk recordings, recognizing artists, producers, engineers, and songwriters, while the Best Latin Song category will celebrate songwriters of newly written Latin songs that are predominantly in Spanish. Additionally, the Grammy voting process is evolving with the introduction of the Ballot Plus, which allows Voting Members with expertise in various genres to vote in up to 15 peer-related categories, enhancing the inclusivity of the awards.

(UPDATED June 16, 2026 18:31 UTC)

The Grammy Awards have announced significant changes, including the revision and renaming of the Best R&B Performance Category to Best R&B Solo Performance and the Best Folk Album Category to Best Contemporary Folk Album. Additionally, songwriters and composers of new material on winning albums in most genre album categories will now receive Grammy statuettes and Achievement Certificates. In a move to enhance participation, the Ballot Plus will offer an opt-in alternative to the traditional voting structure, allowing Voting Members with expertise across multiple genres to vote in up to 15 peer-related categories, regardless of their field.

(UPDATED June 16, 2026 16:26 UTC)

The Recording Academy, led by CEO Harvey Mason Jr., has announced the addition of five new categories to the Grammy Awards, bringing the total to 100 for the upcoming ceremony. Notable changes include allowing nominees in the Best New Artist category to submit four times instead of three, and lowering the threshold for new recordings on eligible albums from 75% to 66%. The next Grammy Awards show is set to take place on February 7, 2027, with these updates reflecting feedback from the music community about artist development and album recognition.