The Recording Academy is already starting preparations for the 68th annual Grammy Awards, which will take place at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on February 1, 2026, with many new changes underway now, having 95 categories, the most since 2010.
A Category Shake-Up
One of the biggest changes made was the Best Country Album category being rebranded into two separate categories: Best Contemporary Country Album and Best Traditional Country Album. This change has frustrated many, as they feel like this is just a way to allow artists like Beyoncé and Sabrina Carpenter to receive more nominations.
However, according to the CEO of the Recording Academy, Harvey Mason Jr., this is a way to make awards for the country genre more inclusive, as traditional country music is “experiencing a massive resurgence,” and “it’s difficult to argue with the popularity of artists with a vintage flair going viral.”
Best New Artist Rule
Some changes were better received, though, such as the change to the Best New Artist category, where up-and-coming artists were originally disqualified from this category for having minor roles on releases that were nominated in the Album of the Year category. Now, however, according to the new regulations, a featured artist is still eligible for Best New Artist if their contribution to a nominated album is less than 20%, which could benefit many new artists like The Marías.
The Changing Sound of Recognition
The Recording Academy is also making adjustments to the American Roots category, putting more emphasis on different subgenres like go-go, zydeco, and second line brass band as a way to appreciate the vast diversity of American music.
Another new category for next year’s Grammys is the Best Progressive R&B Album category, which seeks to acknowledge changes in the traditional R&B genre structure, potentially opening doors for artists like Tyler, the Creator, Raye, and The Weeknd to receive more recognition from the Recording Academy.
The Double-Edged Sword
All in all, the 2026 Grammys are implementing many new changes aimed at recognizing the vast array of styles and genres in this industry. However, these changes could potentially hurt the credibility of the Recording Academy, with many believing that all of these categories are taking away from the prestige of the Grammys. Overall, the Recording Academy must do its best to balance tradition with staying updated on new developments being made in the industry.