Los Angeles [US], June 16 (ANI): From next year onwards, audiences will see a few changes in the Grammy Awards.
The next edition of Grammys, scheduled for February 7, 2027, will introduce five new categories, including Latin, Asian Pop, and R&B, along with key updates to major awards such as Best New Artist and Best Album, as per Variety.
The latter two moves are the most far-reaching, as they see the maximum number of times an artist may be submitted increased from three to four; and the “threshold of new recordings required on an eligible album is lowered from 75% to 66% to reduce the exclusion of entries that are widely recognised throughout the music industry as new albums.”
Best new artist is traditionally the most controversial award — inevitably, as the concept of “new” is always a judgement call — and this year will see multiple artists getting an unexpected fourth shot at being nominated, including Ella Langley, who was reportedly submitted in three past years, but whose Hot 100 No. 1 single “Choosin’ Texas” and the album “Dandelion” have led her star to rise dramatically.
Similarly, as the definition of a “new album” has evolved, some releases that included, for instance, four new tracks but were largely made up of remixes or live versions of previously released songs led to the introduction of a 75% threshold. However, that benchmark has now been deemed excessively high.
Details from the new categories and updates, and more information, appear below:
NEW CATEGORIES
Best Asian Pop Music Performance
This Category recognizes artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets, including but not limited to K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, with meaningful use of one or more Asian languages. Awards are presented to the performing artist(s).
Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance*
This 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. Awards are presented to the performing artist(s).
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance
This 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. Awards are presented to the performing artist(s).
Best Traditional Folk Album**
This Category recognizes excellence in albums of traditional folk recordings. Awards are 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.
Best Latin Song
This Category recognizes the achievement of songwriters for newly written Latin songs predominantly in the Spanish language (at least 51% of the lyrics). Awards are presented to the songwriter(s) of new material.
*With the addition of this new category, the Best R&B Performance Category has been revised and renamed Best R&B Solo Performance.
**With the addition of this new category, the Best Folk Album Category has been revised and renamed Best Contemporary Folk Album.
VOTING PROCESS UPDATES
Ballot Plus
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.
Voting Members who opt in must submit credits by a specified deadline. Participation in Ballot Plus is subject to verification of credits. Voting Members who do not opt-in, miss the selection window, or do not meet the verification requirements will receive the standard 10/3 voting ballot. Voting Members will receive more information about Ballot Plus in the coming months.
DEFINITION, ELIGIBILITY & CRITERIA UPDATES
Best New Artist
Category description language and guidelines have been refined and a maximum number of times an artist may be submitted increased from three to four. These updates provide greater clarity around an artist’s impact during the eligibility period and more flexibility in the number of times an artist can submit, reflecting the evolving nature of artist development, as per Variety.
Album Eligibility
The threshold of new recordings required on an eligible album is lowered from 75% to 66% to reduce the exclusion of entries that are widely recognized throughout the music industry as new albums. (ANI)
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