Academy Adds Three New Grammy Categories
• The Recording Academy® has added three new Categories for the 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards®: Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording. It was also announced that the existing Categories of Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical and Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical will be moved into the General Field, allowing all GRAMMY® voters to vote in these important, non-genre-specific Categories. These Category additions and amendments were voted on and passed at the Recording Academy’s most recent semiannual Board of Trustees meeting held last month.
“The Recording Academy is proud to announce these latest Category changes to our Awards process. These changes reflect our commitment to actively listen and respond to the feedback from our music community, accurately represent a diverse range of relevant musical genres, and stay aligned with the ever-evolving musical landscape,” said Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “By introducing these three new Categories, we are able to acknowledge and appreciate a broader array of artists – and relocating the Producer Of the Year and Songwriter Of The Year Categories to the General Field ensures that all our voters can participate in recognizing excellence in these fields. We are excited to honor and celebrate the creators and recordings in these Categories, while also exposing a wider range of music to fans worldwide.”
The Recording Academy accepts proposals from members of the music community throughout the year. The Awards & Nominations Committee, comprised of Academy Voting Members of diverse genres and backgrounds, meets annually to review proposals to update Awards categories, procedures and eligibility guidelines.
