Updated March 7, 2021.

Given how this year has gone, perhaps you're ready to fast-forward to 2021 (we're almost there!). Beyond it no longer being 2020, next year has some other big things going for it, including Music's Biggest Night, a.k.a. the 2021 GRAMMYs. Airing Sunday, March 14, 2021, on CBS, the 63rd GRAMMY Awards recognize excellence in music released in late 2019 and 2020. Hopefully, you're as excited about the show as we are! 

To help make sure you stay in the loop, read on to learn more important dates and details about GRAMMY nominations (they were announced on Nov. 24), the Recording Academy member voting process and everything else 2021 GRAMMY Awards show!

It's Here! 2021 GRAMMYs: Complete Nominees List

When Is It?

On Sunday, March 14, 2021, the 63rd GRAMMY Awards will be happening. The health and safety of the artists, guests, crew and staff is always front of mind during every GRAMMYs, so, logistically, things will be a little different this year.

How To Watch The 2021 GRAMMY Awards Show

Ahead of Music's Biggest Night, GRAMMY.com has put together a useful guide about the different ways you can watch the show and experience the 2021 GRAMMY season in full. Check out our official Watch The 2021 GRAMMYs Live page and read below for more details.

Meet The New Class: Meet This Year's Best New Artist Nominees | 2021 GRAMMYs

Who Is Nominated?!

One of the biggest days in music outside of the show itself is the nominations announcement, when hundreds of artists learn they're in the running for a golden gramophone. For the upcoming 63rd GRAMMY Awards, the nominees were announced on Nov. 24. You can peruse the complete 2021 nominees list here and rewatch the star-studded nominations annoucement livestream here. You can also find out who are the most-nominated artists this year here.

GRAMMY nominations are always a very celebratory day for those nominated. It is truly a moment when all the love, long hours and hard work that was put into the music feels worth it. Celebrate with the 2021 nominees in this joyful reactions roundup. 

Revisit The Magic Noms Moment: "This doesn’t feel real:" 2021 GRAMMY Nominees Celebrate On Social Media

Who Is Performing?!

Performers for the 2021 GRAMMY Awards show include Bad Bunny, Black Pumas, Cardi B, BTS, Brandi Carlile, DaBaby, Doja Cat, Billie Eilish, Mickey Guyton, Haim, Brittany Howard, Miranda Lambert, Lil Baby, Dua Lipa, Chris Martin, John Mayer, Megan Thee Stallion, Maren Morris, Post Malone, Roddy Ricch, Harry Styles, and Taylor Swift.

To view a list of current nominations per artist, please visit our GRAMMY Awards performer and presenter page here.

What About The Premiere Ceremony?

Preceding the 2021 GRAMMY Awards show, the 63rd GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony will take place Sunday, March 14, at noon PT, and will be streamed live internationally via GRAMMY.com.

Hosted by current three-time GRAMMY nominee Jhené Aiko, the Premiere Ceremony will feature a number of performances by current GRAMMY nominees, including: Nigerian singer, songwriter and rapper Burna Boy, jazz band Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science, blues musician Jimmy "Duck" Holmes, classical pianist Igor Levit, Latin electropop musician Lido Pimienta, singer, songwriter and performance artist Poppy, and singer, songwriter and composer Rufus Wainwright. 

Learn more about the 63rd GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony.

What Releases Are Eligible?

The Product Eligibility Period for the 63rd GRAMMY Awards is Sept. 1, 2019—Aug. 31, 2020.

Read: 62nd GRAMMY Awards & "Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince" Earn Emmy Nominations

What Will The Show Look Like?

Just ahead of the nominees announcement on Nov. 24, the Recording Academy revealed GRAMMY-nominated South African comedian Trevor Noah will host the 2021 GRAMMYs.

While the format of next year's GRAMMY Awards has not been announced, Harvey Mason jr., the Recording Academy Interim President/CEO, offered some insight on what to expect at the 2021 show back in June during an interview with Variety. "We are simultaneously developing three plans for what the show would look like: One is the traditional show with the full crowd, two is a limited crowd, and three is no crowd, and there's creative around all three of those ideas: how and where we would film it. But none of them involve changing or postponing the date," said Mason. 

"I've spent a lot of time talking to artists, managers and labels and getting a feel for how the pandemic is affecting the release of music—and as I'm sure you've noticed, the amount of music released has actually increased during the pandemic, so we would not want to delay our date with so much great music coming out," he continued.

"But I also think it's important and helpful to have shows like this, when there's been so much uncertainty and unrest—to have something you know is coming around every year and to know there's a time when we all sit down together and watch great entertainment and art… We're trying to build the next evolution of the Academy, and the show will go hand-in-hand with that. Whether it's with a crowd or not, we're going to try to take things to the next level," Mason added.

Let's Add It Up: Find Out Who Has The Most GRAMMY Nominations, Which Categories Are All-Female & More: 2021 GRAMMYs By The Numbers

More recently, on Sept. 30, he spoke to Variety again and added that no matter what, the show will be executed fully live, with no pre-recorded segments.

"We're looking at Staples [Center] with a limited audience, although that seems increasingly unlikely; Staples with live performances and no audience; or something a little more virtual, with some elements from different locations," Mason said. "We're still waiting to hear back from our partners at the network and the venue and our medical experts, because obviously we want this to be safe for everyone ...

"Obviously, this is a very unique year. We've been looking at all of the [2020 awards] shows really closely and I've been talking with some of the people who put them together—the creative and also the business side. I think there have been some great examples of how to present music and awards at these shows, and I think there's some other things that we're gonna do pretty differently. The civic and social unrest deserves to be addressed, and we always encourage artists to voice their opinions, so I expect we'll see messages both from the artists' side and the Academy side."

We can't wait for all the magical GRAMMY moments, epic performances and moving speeches—it's exactly what we need to start 2021 off on an inspirational note. While you'll have to wait to closer to the show to find out who the performers and presenters are (which are always announced in multiple waves), what's certain is things will be off the chain.

Read: The Recording Academy Announces Changes For 63rd Annual GRAMMYs, Releases Rules And Guidelines

What's New For 2021?

There are quite a few exciting changes going into effect with the 63rd GRAMMY Awards! Following Ken Ehrlich's celebrated 40-year run as the show's executive producer, Emmy Award-winning producer Ben Winston is taking over the reins. The highly experienced TV/film writer/director/producer has worked on "The Late Late Show with James Corden," co-creating Corden's beloved "Carpool Karaoke" show with the comedian himself.

Additionally, several major changes to the voting guidelines and rules, the latter which affects five award categories, go into effect this year. These updates, announced in June, reflect the Recording Academy's ongoing commitment to evolve with the musical landscape and to ensure that the nomination process and rules are more transparent and fair. More details on the changes can be found in the above link, but, the rule/category updates are highlighted below.

• Best Urban Contemporary Album has been renamed Best Progressive R&B Album to include a more accurate definition to describe the merit or characteristics of music compositions or performances within the genre of R&B.
• Best Rap/Sung Performance has been renamed Best Melodic Rap Performance to represent the growing hybrid performance trends within the rap genre.
• Latin Pop Album has been renamed Best Latin Pop Or Urban Album AND Latin Rock, Urban Or Alternative Album has been renamed Best Latin Rock Or Alternative Album to represent the current state and prominent representation in the Latin urban genres.
• There is no longer a specified maximum number of releases prohibiting artists from entering the Best New Artist category. The screening committees will determinine whether the artist had attained a breakthrough or prominence prior to the eligibility year, with such a determination would result in disqualification.

Another exciting category update occured in November, when Best World Music Album changed to the more inclusive Best Global Music Album. While this might appear subtle to those not familiar with the baggage the term "world music" carries, it represents an important honoring of its past and movement towards a more inclusive, adaptive future.

The new name was decided after extensive conversations with artists, ethnomusicologists and linguists from around the world, who decided it was time to rename it with "a more relevant, modern, and inclusive term," an email sent to Recording Academy members explained. "The change symbolizes a departure from the connotations of colonialism, folk and 'non-American' that the former term embodied while adapting to current listening trends and cultural evolution among the diverse communities it may represent."

Related: Travel Around The World With The Best Global Music Album Nominees | 2021 GRAMMYs

Key Voting Dates

As the only peer-recognized music award, the GRAMMY is the music industry’s highest honor. This means GRAMMY nominations and winners are determined by the music professionals who are voting members of the Recording Academy. 

• Sept. 1, 2019—Aug. 31, 2020: Product Eligibility Period
• Sept. 30—Oct. 12, 2020: First-Round Voting—eligible members vote to determine the 2021 nominees!
• Nov. 24: Nominations Announcement!
• Dec. 7, 2020—Jan. 4, 202: Final-Round Voting—this round determines the GRAMMY winners!
• Sunday, March 14, 2021: 63rd GRAMMY Awards & Premiere Ceremony

Find more at the GRAMMY Awards FAQ page here, including on the voting process.

To make sure you don't miss a beat on anything GRAMMY Awards related, make sure to follow us on our social channels (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) and subscribe to our newsletter (sign up below) and YouTube channel.

2021 GRAMMYs: Complete Nominees List

Harvey Mason jr. didn't just visit Africa — he was transformed by it.

In 2022, the Recording Academy CEO visited a number of African countries, where he met with leaders in the local music communities and intently listened to what each had to say.

"Mind-bending. Game-changing. Eye-opening," Mason jr. said of his trips to Africa. "There's so much music, so much creativity over there. Africa is the birthplace of, well, everything, but definitely music."

Accordingly, the universe of sounds coming out of the African continent can't be boiled down to just those having an international impact today, like Afrobeats or Amapiano. No, every corner of Africa is a fount of brilliant musical offerings. So it's incumbent on the Recording Academy, the world's leading community of music professionals, to reflect the momentum happening across Africa.

With this as the engine, the Recording Academy has revealed a thrilling new GRAMMY category in time for the 2024 GRAMMYs: Best African Music Performance.

Announced in tandem with two other exciting, new GRAMMY categories, including Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording, the category elevates all flavors of African music — from Afrobeats to kizomba to Ghanaian drill to South African hip-hop — without regard to borders. Musical excellence from anywhere and everywhere in Africa will be carefully considered in this progressive category. 

While this development is a forward-thinking expansion for the Recording Academy, the GRAMMYs, and the international music industry as a whole, the new Best African Music Performance category is the "first step toward a much bigger, more fruitful journey ahead," Mason jr. tells GRAMMY.com. "And we're not done as an Academy: We're making sure that we represent music from that region fairly and accurately."

Read More: 2024 GRAMMYs: 4 Things To Know About The New Categories & Changes

To celebrate the new category, GRAMMY.com sat down with industry leaders — including Mason jr. — to discuss the story behind the brand-new Best African Music Performance GRAMMY category, its impact on the global music industry, and the future of African music.

These interviews were edited and condensed for clarity and brevity.

Harvey Mason jr. Photo: Emma McIntyre by Getty Images

Harvey Mason jr. 
CEO, The Recording Academy

Harvey, you've spoken extensively about your recent travels to a number of African countries. I've got to imagine those trips informed the new Best African Music Performance category.

Absolutely. I've done three trips to Africa in the last year. I spent a lot of time listening to and hearing from the music community there. There's such a massive amount of talent and creativity in that region, and we're starting to see that penetrating the U.S. market and global market — with Afrobeats and Amapiano and other African genres becoming so popular, driving the sound, and dictating the creativity of artists that are not from that region. You're seeing collaborations and features happening around those genres, which are becoming so popular and are moving the music landscape.  

During my time there, I heard from the African music industry, and they all felt like they weren't being represented in our GRAMMY Awards process. It was an eye-opening experience to see the love and respect for the GRAMMYs and the Recording Academy from the continent of Africa. But it was also disheartening to think that they weren't being heard in our process. 

That's why I'm really excited about this new GRAMMY category. And I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of submissions we get and what impact that has on the genres coming from Africa. 

It's great to see the Recording Academy's purview spanning the entire African continent — not just popular sounds like Afrobeats or Afro Pop. 

It was important for us to make sure we tried to include as many genres as possible, knowing that we were not going to be able to put all the genres being created across the continent.  

We can't cover every genre as much as we'd like to and as much as they deserve to be recognized, so this is the first step toward a much bigger, more fruitful journey ahead. And we're not done as an Academy: We're making sure that we represent music from that region fairly and accurately. 

Read More: Love Burna Boy & Wizkid? Listen To These 5 African Genres 

Can you tell me about the deliberations behind the scenes at the Recording Academy that led to the creation of the Best African Music Performance GRAMMY category? 

Deliberations were pretty brief and succinct. Everybody acknowledged the importance of the music coming from that region, and everyone was supportive of the idea. The conversation really centered mostly around the nomenclature — what we were going to call the category — and how we were going to ensure that we represented all the different music that's coming from the region fairly, accurately and inclusively. 

Once we realized we couldn't cover everything, we tried to find the sweet spot for making sure that the category was named properly and fairly and in a way that would invite participation from as many people as possible. 

Where would you like to see the Recording Academy go from here, as per its embrace of African music from across the continent? 

I'd love to see the Academy continue to make sure that we're respecting all music, not just Western music. And I'd like to see us continue to evolve as we have been these past three years: remaining fluid and accommodating, quickly and swiftly, as new genres and new markets emerge. 

We need to go deeper and in more detail within different genres of music. We know there are multiple different types of music — hundreds of genres, in fact — coming from Africa and from all 54 countries on the continent. I'd love to see us be able to honor even more music from Africa and other areas of the world. 

The future of the Recording Academy is going to build on equity. We're not just honoring music breaking in our country — we're celebrating music from around the world. 

Read More: 7 Incredible Sets From AfroNation Miami: WizKid, Uncle Waffles, Black Sherif & More 

Ghazi. Photo: Jessica Chou 

Ghazi 
CEO/Founder, EMPIRE 

Tell me about the deliberations behind the scenes at the Recording Academy that led to the creation of the Best African Music Performance category.  

When we first had Shawn Thwaites, [the Recording Academy's] genre manager for Global Music & African Music, at our EMPIRE headquarters in San Francisco, we discussed the potential for this category to come to life. Not only has African music exploded on a commercial level, which warrants recognition, but on a cultural level, its impact has been immeasurable. Behind the scenes, we focused on sharing information with the Recording Academy that would be valuable to their committee deciding on this category, the consumption and the growth, specifically in North America.  

One could spend several lifetimes exploring the diversity of African music. How do you begin to boil all those sounds down to a small list of nominees?  

I think we'll see expanded categories in African music in the years to come, but this is a great start toward recognizing the merits and impact of African music. In the meantime, we look forward to working with the Recording Academy in putting together programming to help educate the current membership on the nuances and history of African music.  

This new GRAMMY category shows how the Recording Academy is truly a global entity with a global mission to support all music creators and professionals. Where would you like to see the Recording Academy go from here in its global mission to support the international music community? 

This is an exciting time in music. Fans are able to access any genre of music from any region of the world at any time. With that, it's inevitable that we'll see large-scale growth in international music in the coming years. It'll be imperative for the Recording Academy to establish a footprint, large or small, on every continent to work side by side with growing music communities around the world and support these artists and creators.  

Tunde Ajaba-Ogundipe. Photo: Harvard Business School 

Tunde Ajaba-Ogundipe 
GM, African strategy at Sony Music 
Co-founder, No Wahala

Tell me about the deliberations behind the scenes at the Recording Academy that led to the creation of the Best African Music Performance category.

With the Latin community as a reference, we knew that if we could assemble a group of like-minded folks to push the inclusion of diverse African music categories using a long-game strategy, we would be able to try, learn from the misses, optimize, and try again until we found ourselves reaching our goal. We successfully saw that change greenlighted, with the [Best World Music Album] category officially being renamed to [Best Global Music Album] [in 2020].

Throughout the process of appealing to the Recording Academy to have this category added, a key factor was finding like-minded individuals within the organization to form cultural bonds, exchange knowledge, and champion the goal as a unit. We formed think tanks with key allies across the African, American and U.K. music industries, like Angelique Kidjo, Don Jazzy, John Legend, Juls, Riggs Morales, Sevi Spanoudi, Joy Wayodi, and Falu.

After the inclusion of the [Best Global Music Album] category in 2020, we were able to gauge how to collectively push for more inclusion via African music categories. I am grateful that everyone really rallied together to reach the end goal.

In general, what does the international music industry need to do to elevate and honor the African music community and industry?

I always remain an optimist [regarding] African music continuing to influence the global pop scene. With recent waves of music dominance from the current generation of African stars, like Burna Boy, CKay, Oxlade, Black Coffee, etc., I've witnessed many in the industry [mistakenly believe] that similar waves of global recognition of African Music haven't occurred in the past across genres.

I think it means more because of the way music is consumed today and how the African music business — and the business overall — has evolved. It's a lot more challenging to break acts with the attention spans of listeners being more finite now than ever before. Yet, African labels are finding their way into the current landscape.

That said, we should recognize the African icons of the past generations, like Babatunde Olatunji, Sade Adu, Ali Farka Touré, Angélique Kidjo, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Seal, Sikiru Adepoju, Youssou N'Dour, RedOne, and more, for their wins across GRAMMY categories in the past. It's hard to imagine African music having this moment across the industry without those pioneers opening the doors in an era where it was harder than ever to gain a global audience. They still laid the groundwork, which inspired this generation — directly and indirectly.

[The Recording Academy has] always recognized the opportunities for amplification of African artists, songwriters and producers. I'm a direct witness to their advocacy, championing, and, in some cases, direct education in the past few years to ensure that gaps are bridged between African and diaspora communities and the organization. I'm excited to see the evolution that lies ahead for African music within the Recording Academy and beyond.

Shawn Thwaites. Photo: Reid Fowler

Shawn Thwaites
Project Manager, Awards, The Recording Academy 

Why is it important that the Recording Academy created the Best African Music Performance category?

African music has been a direct influence on America [and other countries]. The unique musical styles and traditions of Africa are too undiluted not to have its own category. Giving African music its own category would highlight and celebrate the diversity and richness of Africa. This is a great step forward! 

Can you tell me about the deliberations behind the scenes at the Recording Academy that led to the creation of the Best African Music Performance GRAMMY category? 

We met with African music leaders, including artists and executives, and had in-depth conversations on ideas like the name of the category. This collaboration and discussion was a valuable way to ensure that the category for African music was created and remains healthy.

One could spend several lifetimes exploring the diversity of African music. How do you begin to boil all those sounds down to a small list of nominees?

The Recording Academy is a peer membership organization. Tracks will be considered by the merit of a song among the voting membership, regardless of its country of origin. This process includes a listening component where screeners are carefully selected to screen the music. 

Our product eligibility period for the 2024 GRAMMYs is Oct. 1, 2022, through Sept. 15, 2023. Eligible tracks/singles include vocal and instrumental performances, with strong elements of African cultural significance that blend a stylistic intention, song structure, lyrical content and/or musical representation found in Africa and the African diaspora.

In general, what does the international music industry need to do to elevate and honor the African music community and industry?

By celebrating the diversity of African music, we can spread awareness through cultural exchange: more collaborations between artists of different genres and more artist relations between labels and executives in America. 

Where would you like to see the Recording Academy go from here in its global mission to support the international music community? 

By recognizing the talent and creativity of musicians from diverse backgrounds, the Recording Academy can promote greater understanding and create a more inclusive and diverse global music community. 

Rikki Stein. Photo: Chantal Azari 

Rikki Stein 
CEO, Kalakuta Sunrise LTD, a holding company for Knitting Factory Records and Partisan Records

Why is it important that the Recording Academy created the Best African Music Performance category?

Stein: I have long considered Africa as having a tremendous contribution to make in the world, which has yet to be seen and fully appreciated. One day, one day!

Meanwhile, the simplest and most easily accessible aspect of Africa's attributes is its cultural treasure, within which music takes pride of place. In clubs and venues throughout the world today, music from Africa is being enjoyed. Good reason, indeed, for including Best African Music Performance as a GRAMMY category!

One could spend several lifetimes exploring the diversity of African music. How do you begin to boil all those sounds down to a small list of nominees?

Stein: There are certainly a plethora of young [artists] vying for well-earned attention, but let's not forget the previous generation of artists whose music continues to delight fans across the globe.

As Fela Kuti's friend, manager and defender of his legacy, I derive great satisfaction, 25 years after his passing, from seeing the millions of monthly streams of his music. And when I look more deeply into where people are listening to his 50-album catalog, I discover it's everywhere! Khazakstan, Jakarta, Reykjavik, Osaka, as well as the more predictable U.S. and European destinations. So let's not forget the golden oldies!

In general, what does the international music industry need to do to elevate and honor the African music community and industry?

Stein: As a promoter of African music for over 50 years and having spent many of those years banging my head against a glass ceiling, I'm able to give a sigh of relief at seeing serious cracks appearing in that ludicrous structure which — who knows — may well even burst asunder and be no more!

So, let's big up the GRAMMYs and the Recording Academy for making this major contribution to its demise.

Julian "Juls" Nicco-Annan. Photo: Dbcaptures

Julian "Juls" Nicco-Annan 
Record producer, DJ and songwriter

Why is it important that the Recording Academy created the Best African Music Performance category?

I think it is an amazing addition to the category, given the fact that Africa has a massive impact on music and culture worldwide. It's important for the roots of African culture and sounds to be showcased on a higher stage such as the GRAMMYs to show the world how powerful and influential our sound is. African pop music and culture have been on the steady rise for the last 15 years. It's great to see the GRAMMYs finally take the step to make this happen for us and the continent.

One could spend several lifetimes exploring the diversity of African music. How do you begin to boil all those sounds down to a small list of nominees?

This is where it gets tough. People love to look at West Africa and South Africa predominantly because currently, those sides of the continent are at the forefront.

But East Africa has given birth to some incredible talent. It's important for Africans to push forward to become Recording Academy members, so they can have a voice to push their talent. Experts from different sides of the continent have to advocate. Representation is so important.

In general, what does the international music industry need to do to elevate and honor the African music community and industry?

I think a bit more research into who has been shaping the sound over the last few years is important. Engaging with many who have been documenting the journey of the genre [is important] as well. An African GRAMMYs show would be incredible. Latin America has one, and it has been incredibly successful over the years. 

This new GRAMMY category shows how the Recording Academy is truly a global entity with a global mission to support all music creators and professionals. Where would you like to see the Recording Academy go from here in its global mission to support the international music community? 

We need more members and more seminars to educate the artists and management back home about the [GRAMMY Awards] process and actually explain things properly. There's a massive disconnect — that gap should be bridged.

What are some African music albums, songs or artists you're personally enjoying right now and would like to shout out?

At the moment, Davido dropped an incredible body of work, Timeless, with the hit record "Unavailable." Worlasi from Ghana dropped a very in-depth and incredible album called The.rap.y, which touches on social issues men and women face; very deep album. I released a single with South African sensation Ami Faku called "Terrified" and J Hus' new record, "Who Told You."

Read More: 5 Artists Essential to Contemporary Soca: Machel Montano, Patrice Roberts, Voice, Skinny Fabulous, Kes The Band

Mobolaji Kareem. Photo courtesy of EMPIRE

Mobolaji Kareem
Regional Head West Africa, EMPIRE

Why is it important that the Recording Academy created the Best African Music Performance category? 

Africa has a rich and vibrant history with 54 diverse countries. There are just as many, if not more, genres of music across the continent, so it's viable to have this category as a starting point that can help define the music coming from here. With this category, a lot more artists/songs … can now have their own stage to compete and be celebrated globally. 

In general, what does the international music industry need to do to elevate and honor the African music community and industry? 

The African music landscape has exploded globally and needs to continue to be exposed to the masses to help promote inclusivity and appreciation for the art.

Every mainstream music or sporting event, radio station, and beyond should have African music as part of the program to allow for maximum impact. African voices also need to be represented and involved in the decision-making, so this is a crucial step taken by the Recording Academy to give the music coming out of this continent the exposure and reach it deserves.

What are some African music albums, songs or artists you're personally enjoying right now and would like to shout out?  

Burna Boy - Love Damini
Asake - Work of Art
Black Sherif - The Villain I Never Was
Bad Boy Timz - No Bad Boy, No Party

7 Incredible Sets From AfroNation Miami: WizKid, Uncle Waffles, Black Sherif & More

Every year, the Recording Academy continues to strive for fairness and transparency in the annual GRAMMY Awards voting process, and the 2024 GRAMMYs are no different. 

The Recording Academy has updated the GRAMMY Awards Rules and Guidelines for the 2024 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 66th GRAMMY Awards, to implement a number of important amendments ahead of Music's Biggest Night next year. These recent changes include the three newly announced GRAMMY categories; the migration of Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical and Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical, both existing categories, to the General Field; and much more.

For a deeper look at all the big changes occurring at the 2024 GRAMMYs, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. chatted with GRAMMY.com to discuss the decision-making process behind the latest rule amendments and how the new rules and guidelines even the playing field for music people worldwide.

View the official GRAMMY Awards Rules and Guidelines Book for the 2024 GRAMMYs and visit the GRAMMY Award Update Center for a list of real-time changes to the GRAMMY Awards process.

Read More: Three New Categories Added For The 2024 GRAMMYs: Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album & Best Pop Dance Recording

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a massive topic of discussion and debate in every industry today. The new GRAMMY Awards rules state, “Only human creators are eligible to be submitted for consideration for, nominated for, or win a GRAMMY Award.” Why was it important that the GRAMMYs process account for this emerging technology and its impact on human artistic expression?

It's important because AI is going to absolutely, unequivocally have a hand in shaping the future of our industry. The idea of being caught off guard by it and not addressing it is unacceptable. 

Not knowing exactly what it's going to mean or do in the next months and years gives me some pause and some concerns. But I absolutely acknowledge that it's going to be a part of the music industry and the artistic community and society at large.

So, we have to start planning around that and thinking about what that means for us. How can we adapt to accommodate? How can we set guardrails and standards? There are a lot of things that need to be addressed around AI as it relates to our industry.

We actually held a summit recently with industry leaders, tech entrepreneurs, streaming platforms, and people from the artist community. We talked about the subject and discussed how the Recording Academy can be helpful: how we can play a role and the future of AI in music.

Can you speak to the AI-related protocols instituted for the 2024 GRAMMYs?

At this point, we are going to allow AI music and content to be submitted, but the GRAMMYs will only be allowed to go to human creators who have contributed creatively in the appropriate categories. If there's an AI voice singing the song or AI instrumentation, we'll consider it. But in a songwriting-based category, it has to have been written mostly by a human. Same goes for performance categories – only a human performer can be considered for a GRAMMY. 

If AI did the songwriting or created the music, that's a different consideration. But the GRAMMY will go to human creators at this point.

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. | Michael Kovac

The number of GRAMMY Award fields has been consolidated from 26 to 11. How does this open up the process rather than close it off?

This gives so many voters the opportunity to actually use the full 10 votes that they have under the 10-3 voting system. The idea was to make sure voters were voting in categories and genres they had expertise or experience working in, as opposed to voters coming in, looking at the ballot, and just tracking names or voting for people that they thought were interesting or voting for music they had just heard, but did not fairly evaluate.

The 10-3 voting system restricts the number of Fields a voter can enter to three, and within those three Fields, a voter can cast 10 votes. What we were hearing from the community was that people were not able to use their full 10 votes because many of the Fields only had one, two or three categories in those Fields. So, depending on how you picked your three Fields, there was a potential that you would only be able to cast three votes total. 

We're leaning into the idea of utilizing our expertise and enabling our peers to really evaluate and vote in categories and genres that they are working in and are experts in.

The existing categories of Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical and Producer of the Year, Non-Classical have been moved to the general field, what's widely known as the Big Four categories. Why did the Recording Academy decide to make this change? What will be the impact of this change?

The Big Four is now the Big Six. Songwriting and producing are some of the fundamental building blocks of our industry — in addition to, of course, performing and recording.

We feel this change is an opportunity to allow our full voting membership to participate. We have done a lot of work around qualifying and requalifying our voters, and inviting a diverse group of voters to the table in our last three membership classes.

We are excited that our entire voting body will be able to contribute to such important categories like Songwriter Of The Year and Producer Of The Year. Again, these are such important parts of our Awards process. But bigger than that, they're an important part of the music ecosystem.

Since these categories are not genre-specific, and they are across many different genres, we felt it was responsible to put them in the General Field so everyone could vote for these important awards.

At the 2022 GRAMMYs and 2023 GRAMMYs, the number of nominees in the General Field went from eight to 10. Now, at the upcoming 2024 GRAMMYs, that number is going back to eight. Can you explain this change and how it's a positive for the overall GRAMMYs process?

We're always going to try and listen to the music community. When they have suggestions or ideas, we're going to react quicker than we ever have in the past. This change is a result of that.

Two years ago, we felt that expanding to 10 nominees would be more inclusive, allowing us to recognize a greater variety of genres and artists; that expansion was instituted. 

Now, with the dynamic realignment between our diverse membership and our Awards process, we felt 10 was too many. We want to make sure the award is inclusive enough, while still being prestigious and exclusive.

These are all things that we take into consideration as an Academy — from our membership to our Trustees to our voters — when trying to find the sweet spot in terms of the number of nominees. We don't know if it's five or 10 or eight, but we're going to go with eight next year. 

If it feels wrong, or if there's another way to improve the process in subsequent years, we'll entertain that and move forward as best as we can to try and make sure we get this right and honor music.

In the Album Of The Year category, the baseline for earning a nomination has been raised to 20 percent of the album's playing time for credited artists, featured artists, songwriters, producers, engineers, mixers, and mastering engineers. What necessitated this change, and how does this even the playing field?

Similarly, we're trying to find the sweet spot of how to make sure we honor the key music creators who have dedicated so much time and effort to making the Album Of The Year. 

Is 20 percent the right number? Is 33 percent the right number? Is zero the right number? I don't have the definite answer other than our committees voted at 20 percent, the Trustees approved 20 percent, and we're going to go with 20 percent and see how that feels to our members and community.

If it feels too exclusive, we can adjust and lower the percentage threshold. Or, if it feels like we have too many nominees and it's not exclusive enough, then we can adjust again.

In the big picture, how will these amendments make the GRAMMYs process more open, transparent and fair?

Each and every amendment was created exactly with this in mind: openness, transparency, fairness. Every process that we undertake — every amendment or change to our Awards process that gets initiated — is done to make the process more fair, transparent and accurate. And when we find things that can be improved, we're in the position now to be able to make those changes, thankfully.

Everything you're seeing now is with the goal of being better and more accurate, honoring more music fairly and in relevant fashion, and making sure the process is transparent, fair and working.

2024 GRAMMYs: 4 Things To Know About The New Categories & Changes

As we continue to honor Black Music Month this June, the Recording Academy is proudly producing uplifting content and inclusive programming across the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) space all month long. With support from our partners at United Airlines, the official airline partner of the GRAMMY Awards, the Academy's Black Music Collective is today celebrating Black and Brown students attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Through this partnership, now in its second year, United recently provided air transportation for a select group of HBCU students to attend professional development programming in New York, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. The immersive events across the nation and have helped propel their burgeoning careers in the music industry.

The Recording Academy, along with its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team and the Black Music Collective, culminated this past year of programming with a once-in-a-lifetime experience: Made possible by United, 10 HBCU students from across the U.S. were gifted travel to attend the 2023 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 65th GRAMMY Awards, and the coinciding, week-long GRAMMY Week celebration in Los Angeles.

While in Los Angeles, these students assisted with the production of the 2nd annual Recording Academy Honors Presented By The Black Music Collective event during GRAMMY Week. They also attended the event as guests, representing their HBCUs while walking the beloved Black carpet.

To expand their learning, the students also experienced a private tour of the GRAMMY Museum, watched an industry panel featuring six-time GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter The-Dream, and attended the first-ever GRAMMY House event.

Below, watch the students experience the immersive GRAMMY Week 2023 program in full and hear directly from them about their HBCU education, career aspirations, and the lessons they learned from this remarkable, unique initiative.

Through this immersive experience, the students had numerous opportunities to build their network with music industry professionals and develop essential skills that bolstered their rising careers within the industry.

"Being a part of the Recording Academy, I not only know more about the industry, but have gained extended family in the process," Jasmine Gordon, a sophomore at Spelman College, said of her experience during GRAMMY Week.

"The experience has just been surreal. Being in this environment at such a young age is a life-changing experience," Jayden Potts, a freshman at Jackson State University, added.

The Recording Academy sends a heartfelt thank-you to United Airlines for their partnership and help in providing opportunities for the next generation of Black leaders and changemakers in the music industry.

Learn more about the Black Music Collective and the Recording Academy's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives.

With reporting from DeMarco White, Client Services Manager, Partnerships & Business Development at the Recording Academy.

The Recording Academy's Black Music Collective & Amazon Music Announce Recipients For The 2023 "Your Future Is Now" Scholarship

Today, the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum have announced a total of 212 music teachers as quarterfinalists for the 2024 Music Educator Award, which recognizes current educators — kindergarten through college across public and private schools — who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. The quarterfinalists, who hail from 197 cities, were selected from more than 2,000 initial submitted nominations. In addition to the quarterfinalists, 123 legacy applicants from 2023 will also be eligible to win the Music Educator Award this year.

Semi-finalists for the 2024 Music Educator Award will be announced this September. The ultimate recipient will be recognized during GRAMMY Week 2024.

Read More: Meet The 2023 Music Educator Award Recipient: How Pamela Dawson Helps Her Students Achieve Healing And Catharsis

A joint partnership and presentation between the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum, the Music Educator Award is open to current U.S. music teachers, and anyone can nominate a teacher — students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans, and administrators. Teachers are also able to nominate themselves, and nominated teachers are notified and invited to fill out an application.

Each year, one recipient is selected from 10 finalists and recognized for their remarkable impact on students' lives. The 10th annual honoree will be flown to Los Angeles to attend the 2024 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 66th GRAMMY Awards, as well as a range of GRAMMY Week events. The nine additional finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the schools of all 10 finalists will receive matching grants. Fifteen semi-finalists will receive a $500 honorarium with matching school grants.

Read More: 8 Artists Who Were Inspired By Their Teachers: Rihanna, Adele, Jay-Z & More

The matching grants provided to the schools are made possible by the generosity and support of the GRAMMY Museum’s Education Champion Ford Motor Company Fund. In addition, the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association support this program through outreach to their constituencies.

Learn more about the Music Educator Award.

See the full list of the 2024 Music Educator Award quarterfinalists and legacy applicants below:

2024 MUSIC EDUCATOR AWARD QUARTERFINALISTS

2024 MUSIC EDUCATOR AWARD LEGACY APPLICANTS

Working For Students: How Music Industry Professionals Find Fulfillment In Education