The Recording Academy has announced the addition of five new categories starting the 2027 iteration of the Grammy Awards.
As per the latest announcement, the 69th Grammy Awards, scheduled to take place in February, will introduce five new categories of awards, with traditional music getting a special nod.
The five new award categories, as shared by the organization, 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.
Apart from the introduction of the new categories, the Grammys also revealed that they are renaming the Best R&B Performance Category and Best Folk Album Category have been revised and renamed Best R&B Solo Performance and Best Contemporary Folk Album respectively.
Mentioning the changes, Grammys CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said, “2027 is going to be an amazing year for the Grammy Awards, and one that reflects the extraordinary growth we’re seeing across music.
“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. 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,” continued Mason.
The additions are especially important to the Grammys as through the new categories like Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance and Best Traditional Folk Album, the academy aims to honor traditional music which cannot be clubbed with their contemporary counterparts.
Moreover, with steady globalization, the influence of the Grammys is no longer restricted to the Western sphere. With Chinese, Japanese and Korean pop culture slowly becoming global, it’s probably the right time for the Grammys to take note.
Thus through the addition of the Best Asian Pop Music Performance, the Recording Academy will specifically focus on the music coming from the Asian countries, “including but not limited to K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, with meaningful use of one or more Asian languages.”
The latest addition quite correctly received the attention of the fans, who welcomed the move, including the addition of a section specifically dedicated to Asian music.
Following the latest development, the Grammys are bound to be more exciting and eventful. The events leading to the 69th Grammy Awards will begin July 7 at large when the online entry period starts. Following a 10-day first round voting period in October, the nominees for the 69th Grammy Awards will be announced on Nov. 16.
The main program is scheduled to take place on Feb. 7 from Los Angeles.