The Grammys have officially announced a series of updates for the 2027 ceremony, introducing five new categories and implementing significant rule changes regarding the Best New Artist and Best Album awards. These adjustments reflect the Recording Academy's ongoing efforts to adapt to the evolving landscape of the global music industry.
New Categories and Genre Recognition
The five newly introduced categories are Best Asian Pop Music Performance, Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance, Best Traditional Folk Album, and Best Latin Song. The Best Asian Pop Music Performance category is designed to honor artistic excellence in music originating from Asian markets, with a requirement that entries feature meaningful use of one or more Asian languages.
Meanwhile, the Best Latin Song category will recognize newly written compositions where at least 51 percent of the lyrics are in a Spanish language. Additionally, the Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance category has been established to highlight collaborative efforts, leading to the revision of the existing Best R&B Performance category, which has been renamed Best R&B Solo Performance.
The GRAMMYs have unveiled five new categories ahead of next year’s ceremony:
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance
Best Latin Song
Best Asian Pop Music Performance
Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance
Best Traditional Folk Album pic.twitter.com/Vz6Q704D8x— Pop Base (@PopBase) June 16, 2026
Refining Eligibility and Rule Standards
Beyond the new categories, the Recording Academy has updated its rulebook to address concerns regarding artist and album eligibility. Notably, the maximum number of times an artist may be submitted for the Best New Artist category has been increased from three to four. Furthermore, the threshold for new recordings required on an eligible album has been lowered from 75 percent to 66 percent, a change intended to prevent the exclusion of albums widely recognized as new within the industry.
Grammys CEO Harvey Mason Jr. emphasized that these updates are a direct response to the breadth of the modern music industry. "The changes advanced by our Recording Academy members speak to the breadth of today’s music industry and the many genres, crafts, and creators shaping it," Mason Jr. stated. "We’re excited to see these updates come to life in the year ahead as we celebrate the music people who are driving music forward."
The GRAMMYs will now allow artists to be submitted for the Best New Artist category up to four times.
Previously, an artist could only be considered for the category three times. pic.twitter.com/D9RI2mM2Q4
— Pop Base (@PopBase) June 16, 2026
The 69th Grammy Awards are scheduled to take place on February 7, 2027, and will be broadcast live across ABC, Disney+, and Hulu. The full details regarding the updated rulebook and category descriptions are available for review by industry professionals.