Top Grammy Categories To Expand Number Of Final Nominees

More artists will find themselves nominated for top Grammy categories in 2019, following a rule change that will increase the number of nominees in the four General Field categories of Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist, from five to eight. The change will take effect at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, as the organization aims to reflect the large number of entries in those categories and to offer voters more flexibility in selecting the year’s best recordings.

The Grammys’ additional 80 categories will continue with five nominations in each division.

Other approved changes include a move to allow music supervisors of nominated albums to be considered Grammy nominees in the Best Compilation Soundtrack Album category. Supervisors will no longer be eligible for consideration as album producers, unless they produced at least 51 percent of the album in question.

Grammy Award nominations for the World Music Field will now be determined through its own Nominations Review Committee. The top 15 selections from the general voting membership’s first ballot will be sent to a Trustee-ratified committee of Voting Member experts who will listen to the recordings and vote via secret ballot to narrow the selections to five nominations.

To reflect evolving technology, new formats and current industry practices, the Best Surround Sound Album category and Field name have been changed to Best Immersive Audio Album and Field.

Also, the Best Alternative Music Album category has redefined as: Alternative is defined as a genre of music that embraces attributes of progression and innovation in both the music and attitudes associated with it. It is often a less intense version of rock or a more intense version of pop and is typically regarded as more original, eclectic, or musically challenging. It may embrace a variety of sub-genres or any hybrids thereof and may include recordings that don’t fit into other genre categories.

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Jessica Nicholson

Jessica Nicholson serves as the Managing Editor for MusicRow magazine. Her previous music journalism experience includes work with Country Weekly magazine and Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) magazine. She holds a BBA degree in Music Business and Marketing from Belmont University. She welcomes your feedback at jnicholson@musicrow.com.

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