Ahead of its 2027 edition, the Grammy Awards have confirmed five new categories as well as new voting changes to be implemented.
The Recording Academy has unveiled five new categories and introduced several voting and eligibility changes ahead of the 69th Grammy Awards, scheduled for February 7, 2027.
New Grammy categories
- Best Asian Pop Music Performance – Recognises outstanding performances in Asian pop genres such as K-pop, J-pop and C-pop featuring one or more Asian languages.
- Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance – Honours contemporary R&B collaborations and performances by duos and groups.
- Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance – Celebrates traditional pop songs and performances that are distinct from modern pop music.
- Best Traditional Folk Album – Rewards excellence in traditional folk recordings. As a result, the existing Best Folk Album category has been renamed Best Contemporary Folk Album.
- Best Latin Song – Recognises songwriters of newly written Latin songs with at least 51 per cent of the lyrics in Spanish.
Grammy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said the changes reflect the diversity and continued growth of the global music industry.
Voting and rule changes
- Ballot Plus introduced: Eligible voting members with expertise across multiple genres can opt into a new system that allows them to vote in up to 15 peer-related categories, replacing the standard 10/3 voting structure for participants who qualify.
- Best New Artist eligibility expanded: Artists can now be submitted a maximum of four times, up from three.
- Album eligibility requirement lowered: Albums now need only 66 per cent new recordings to qualify, down from the previous 75 per cent threshold.
- Digital-only releases become eligible: Internet-only releases can now compete in Best Album Notes and Best Historical Album, provided supporting materials are included with the commercial download.
- Songwriters and composers gain greater recognition: Songwriters and composers of new material on winning albums in most genre album categories will now receive Grammy statuettes and achievement certificates, placing them on par with producers and engineers.
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