Grammy Awards Announce New Categories, Rule Changes For 2026 Event
"The Academy's top priority is to represent the music people that we serve each year," said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr.
Grammy Award (Source: Supplied)
The 2026 edition of the Grammy Awards will be a little different, with the Recording Academy today announcing a new batch of rules and category changes for next year.
In an announcement shared to social media today, the Recording Academy alerted the public to these changes. “Through the Recording Academy’s annual process of accepting proposals from the music creators and professionals that make up its membership body, several new changes have been made to the Grammy Awards process,” they explained.
The most notable of these changes include two new categories, such as Best Traditional Country Album. This occurs alongside the Best Country Album Category being renamed Best Contemporary Country Album, with Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter having won the award in 2025.
According to Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., these decisions have been made so as to “celebrate more artists and a wider range of music” and to create “more space for all the diverse artists who are shaping the future of country music.”
“Country music has evolved in a major way over the past decade, with traditional country experiencing a massive resurgence, growing in popularity and volume,” he explains.
“Traditional country has a timeless, distinct sound that's inspired generations of musicians throughout the years. It's an important part of the country music story and deserves to be celebrated and recognized with intention.”
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The other big category addition is that of Best Album Cover. This takes place alongside the slight shake-up to the Best Recording Package category as well.
Initially, Best Album Cover was part of the first Awards ceremony in 1959, later being separated into Classical and Non-Classical divisions, and Graphic Arts and Photography. By 1974, it was renamed Best Recording Package, and by 1995, boxed sets were no longer part of the category, being given their own sector by way of Best Boxed Of Special Limited Edition Package.
Now, boxed sets are back into the Best Recording Package category, while Best Album Cover returns after 50 years – a little too late for Charli xcx to take out the honour with Brat (though she did win for Best Recording Package this year.)
“In today's digital world, album covers are arguably more impactful than ever,” Mason explained. “Chances are, there's an iconic cover that's instantly recognizable to you, even if you never owned the physical album. Their cultural significance is undeniable.”
The 2026 ceremony also brings with it the news of composers and lyricists/librettists now being eligible for recognition in classical categories, with Mason explaining this change is designed to bring these artists “into alignment with how artists, producers, and engineers are acknowledged.”
Additionally, small tweaks – largely related to the language used – have been made to categories such as Best Musical Theater Album, Best Progressive R&B Album, Best Dance Pop Recording, and Best American Roots Performance, Song, and Album.
The other notable change related to the Best New Artist category, which was this year won by Chappell Roan. The tweaked rules expands eligibility to those who may have been previously nominated for album of the year as a featured artist, or featured on another artist’s album with their contributions falling below 20% of the playing time.
The reason for this relates to the fact that artists have been excluded from the Best New Artist category if they had previously appeared on a nominated recording.
An example of this can be traced back to how Lady Gaga never received a Best New Artist nomination in 2010 due to Just Dance having been nominated for Best Dance Recording. This exact scenario necessitated a change to the rules to allow any artist to be eligible for the award unless they had already issued an album or previously won a Grammy.
"The Academy's top priority is to represent the music people that we serve each year," Mason said in a statement. "That entails listening carefully to our members to make sure our rules and guidelines reflect today’s music and allow us to accurately recognize as many deserving creators as possible.
“As we kick off another exciting Grammy Season, we look forward to celebrating the amazing power of music and its ability to bring so many people together."
The eligibility period for the 2026 Grammy Awards wrap up on August 30th, with internal voting beginning in October. Nominations will be announced on November 7th, with the 68th edition of the awards being held on Sunday, February 1st.
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