Ahead of the 69th Grammy Awards, which culminate with the 2027 Grammys on Sunday, Feb. 7, the Recording Academy has announced several updates to the annual Grammy Awards process, including the introduction of five new Grammy Categories, several rule updates, an exciting, new voting option called Ballot Plus, and a greater degree of recognition for songwriters and composers.
These recent changes, which will all go into effect at the 2027 Grammys, are the result of the Grammys' annual member-driven process, which began a year ago for the upcoming Grammy season, in which Recording Academy members submit proposals for changes and updates to the Grammy Awards process. The changes announced today reflect the Grammy organization's continual efforts to adapt with the ever-changing music world and accurately represent and celebrate the artists, creators, and professionals fueling the music industry today.
"[These changes] were all inspired by our music community sharing with us that they felt they needed to have more opportunities to celebrate different and new genres of music. That is the motivation in all we do: to make sure we're serving music and representing music people accurately, inclusively and representatively," Grammys CEO Harvey Mason jr. said in an exclusive interview with Grammy.com. "These changes and expansions give even more people a place for their music to be respected, heard and evaluated. With more Categories, we can represent more music creators, artists, writers, and producers, and it gives us a great opportunity to be more inclusive.
"We as an organization need to make sure we're nimble, we're listening, and we're adjusting to what's happening in the music industry," he continued. "Now more than ever, we have to keep pace because things are changing and evolving so quickly. These changes are a reflection of that fast-paced evolution."
Mason jr. spoke to Grammy.com about the inspiration behind these wide-spanning changes, the thinking behind the new Grammy Categories and Ballot Plus voting option, and the importance of listening to the music community during a period where the industry is transforming in real time.
The 69th Grammy Awards culminate with the 2027 Grammys live across ABC, Disney+ and Hulu on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2027.
The Recording Academy is introducing five new Categories at the 2027 Grammys. What inspired these additions, and what impact do you hope they'll have on artists and the music community?
They were all inspired by our music community sharing with us that they felt they needed to have more opportunities to celebrate different and new genres of music. That is the motivation in all we do: to make sure we're serving music and representing music people accurately, inclusively and representatively. These changes and expansions give even more people a place for their music to be respected, heard and evaluated. With more Categories, we can represent more music creators, artists, writers, and producers, and it gives us a great opportunity to be more inclusive. That's always the goal. Anytime we can celebrate more music, that's a great outcome.
As music evolves, genres change and break out and create new sub-genres. We as an organization need to make sure we're nimble, we're listening, and we're adjusting to what's happening in the music industry. Now more than ever, we have to keep pace because things are changing and evolving so quickly. These changes are a reflection of that fast-paced evolution.
It's great to see there's a Best Latin Song Category being introduced at the 2027 Grammys. What does this new Category say about the growth and influence of global music and the Latin market specifically?
As an organization aiming to honor all music, this new Category is an important step in that direction. We all know the popularity and the success of Latin music. Bad Bunny just won the Grammy for Album Of The Year for an all-Spanish-language album this year. Latin music is one of the most vibrant and influential forces in the world, but until now, Latin songwriters have not had a dedicated award within the Latin Field. This new Category creates meaningful recognition for those songwriters, expanding representation for the genre within the Grammy process as it continues to make a global impact.
Another globally focused Category we're seeing debut next year is Best Asian Pop Music Performance. What excites you about this new addition?
Asian pop music is one of the most significant and sustained forces in the global music industry. Its impact is well-established, and it continues to grow and shape music culture around the world. There's so much music coming out of that region, between J-pop and Mandopop and K-pop, and I'm so excited to recognize its impact in next year's show.
Can you speak to the conversations behind the scenes that led to this Category's creation?
As Asian pop's influence has continued to grow within our process, our members and Trustees felt this was the right moment to create a Category that more accurately reflects the genre's scale, artistry and global impact. With an integrated approach to music, performance and presentation, Asian pop is distinct in its musical identity. As we move forward, we can continue to explore additional ways of recognizing even more creators within the broader Asian music community.
R&B will now include Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance along with a reimagined Best R&B Solo Performance Category. And Best Folk Album has been reimagined as Best Contemporary Folk Album, while Best Traditional Folk Album has also been added. Can you speak to the thinking behind those changes?
When we hear from the people in those communities that say we need a different definition or we need a different title for a Category, we listen very closely because they know their space and they help us understand how we need to change or evolve. Adding Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance helps establish a dedicated space to recognize that collaboration is a defining element of R&B, while reimagining Best R&B Performance as Best R&B Solo Performance ensures that those creators are also represented in our process. And the change to the folk album Categories provides more precise recognition across different forms of folk music and better reflects the breadth of that musical landscape.
A key aspect of keeping the Grammys' credibility is making sure the Grammy Awards are an accurate reflection of the musicians they represent. How does the awards process ensure that the evolution of the Grammy Awards is informed or guided by the music community directly?
It's a very direct conversation with the music community, and the annual process, which begins about a year in advance, is driven by members of the Recording Academy. They're all creators, they're people that are working in our industry, and they're the people that are driving this evolution and this change. Anytime something new is introduced, it is voted on by music people. If it's not relevant and it's not realistic or applicable to what's happening in music today, generally that group of creators in the Awards & Nominations committee, which is made up of creators who are in the trenches every day working in music, will not approve it. They give us their insight and their guidance around what needs to change and how we as an organization can continue to stay relevant based on what's going on in the industry today. It's all very timely, too. All the changes and new Categories are going into effect for the 2027 Grammys.
It sounds like these changes to the Grammy Awards process adapt to what's happening in music right now.
That's exactly why we revisit these rules every year.
Ballot Plus is a secondary Grammy voting option that's being introduced this year. This new option expands voting opportunities for Voting Members whose work spans many Fields. What exactly is Ballot Plus? Why do you believe it's an important addition to the Grammy voting process?
An important goal for us as an organization is to make sure our voters are active in the music community and up to speed on what's going on in their different genres of music. Ballot Plus gives Grammy voters that are working in more than just a couple of genres the ability to vote across the ballot, ensuring that ability and access is tied to credits and authenticating that person is actually an expert or creator in the different Fields they want to vote in. It is a great use of our voting body because we need their expertise, we need their ears, we need their opinions in all the areas that they're familiar with.
There were also updates made to the eligibility criteria for the Best New Artist Category. How do these changes reflect the evolving nature of the music industry?
With Best New Artist, we've heard from the music community that the way artists are being developed is changing, and the time it's taking to find success or recognition can take longer than it once did. Artists are often releasing more music before they actually break through the consciousness of consumers or of our voters, and that evolution directly impacts this Category. Last year, we formed a Best New Artist task force and charged them with reviewing the current guidelines and Category description to determine if anything needed to be refreshed or changed. That task force met, discussed, deliberated, and convened artists, and they came to the table with recommendations, which is what you're seeing implemented this year. The changes that have been made to this Category will allow for a little bit more flexibility and reflect the reality that artist development looks different than it did even a few years ago. Again, it all goes back to making sure our process is reflective of what's happening in our industry today.
It's great to see that songwriters and composers will now receive Grammy Awards and Achievement Certificates in most genre album Categories, similar to how producers and engineers are recognized. What does this change mean for the songwriting and composing communities?
It's a huge step and hopefully a great accomplishment that lets them realize that they are so important to the whole process, the whole ecosystem of music, and the music business. We have made so much great progress and changes in respect to the songwriter craft in recent years, from our launch of the Songwriters & Composers Wing to the addition of the Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical Category just a few years ago. It all starts with songwriters; none of the awards really can happen without songwriters. It's really important they feel acknowledged and celebrated in the same way producers and engineers do. I'm excited about this expansion.
Let's address the elephant in the room: AI in music. Generative AI has evolved quickly over the past few years. Are there any updates to AI eligibility within the Grammy Awards process?
We were early in putting rules around AI in place back in 2023, and those rules still stand today. Only human creators are eligible to be nominated for or win a Grammy Award.
Works that include AI-generated material may still be eligible, but there has to be meaningful human authorship or performance in the appropriate Category. For example, in a songwriting Category, a majority of the song must be written by a human. In a performance Category, only a human performer can be recognized.
We know AI is moving fast, and we're going to keep looking at this year by year. We're listening to our members and adjusting as needed to make sure our rules reflect where music is at, while continuing to recognize musical excellence in a thoughtful and relevant way.
Looking at all these changes being introduced ahead of the 2027 Grammys, what do these updates reveal about where both the Grammy organization and the music industry as a whole are headed next?
The industry as a whole is moving quickly, and it's an exciting time in music. There's a lot of creativity, there's a lot of output, there's also a lot of consumption. It feels like we're in a very healthy place, and I think the same would be true for our organization. The Grammys have evolved. We've built on what we've done over the last 68 years and will continue to do so. These changes reflect that we are listening intently to our members and to the music community, and we're very aware, with eyes wide open, of how the business is moving forward. We'll continue to do that through our processes, listening to our members and our wider music community. It's a great place for us to be in both as an industry and as the Grammy organization.
— With additional reporting by John Ochoa
