Latin, Asian Pop, R&B get Grammy recognition
The Grammy Awards have announced five new categories for the 2027 ceremony, expanding recognition in Latin, Asian Pop, and R&B genres. Key rule changes include extending Best New Artist eligibility to four submissions and lowering the threshold for new recordings on albums from 75% to 66%.
Los Angeles: The Grammy Awards have added 5 new categories after deliberation with its members. The organising committee updates rules and adds to their categories in response to proposals from the members every year.
The next show, taking place on February 7, 2027, will see 5 new categories, including in the Latin, Asian Pop and R&B genres, and several key updates, including the Best New Artist and Best album categories, reports ‘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 recognized throughout the music industry as new albums”.
As per ‘Variety’, Best new artiste is traditionally the most controversial award, inevitably, as the concept of who considers the artist to be 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.
Likewise, as the concept of what constitutes a new album has changed, some that featured, say, four new songs but included remixes or live versions of previously released songs inspired the 75% threshold, but apparently that was determined to be excessively high.
In a related move that extends recognition for songwriters, contributors to winning albums in most genre album categories will now receive Grammy statuettes and Achievement Certificates, which producers and engineers already receive.
Songwriters and Composers of new material on the winning albums in most genre album Categories will now receive Grammy statuettes and Achievement Certificates in parity with the recognition currently afforded to Producers and Engineers in those categories.
