BREAKING: Grammy Awards Add Best Traditional Country Album, Reveals 2026 Key Dates & Changes

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Lainey Wilson poses with her Grammy. Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

The 68th annual Grammy Awards will take place Feb. 1, 2026 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, streaming live on CBS and on demand on Paramount+. Nominations for the 2026 ceremony will be revealed on Nov. 7, 2025, with final round voting taking place Dec. 12- Jan. 5.

The Grammy Awards have also added Best Traditional Country Album to its 2026 awards ballot, the only new music category being added for the 68th annual awards (Best Album Cover, which is awarded to Art Directors, was also added). The existing Best Country Album category will now be named Best Contemporary Country Album.

Best Traditional Country Album will join Field 5, which currently has 13 categories. Four of those categories recognize country, while the others celebrate American roots, Americana, bluegrass, blues, folk and regional roots music. The goal for the newly added Best Traditional Country Album is to recognize artists such as Charley Crockett, Sierra Ferrell, Colter Wall and Noeline Hoffman, who fall outside the realm of mainstream country. Each of these artists have been previously nominated in Americana and American roots categories.

For a new category to be considered for the awards, proposals are sent to the Recording Academy’s Awards & Nominations committee, and then voted on by the Board of Trustees.

“Country music has evolved in a major way over the past decade, with traditional country experiencing a massive resurgence, growing in popularity and volume,” says Recording Academy CEO, Harvey Mason Jr. “Traditional country has a timeless, distinct sound that’s inspired generations of musicians throughout the years. It’s an important part of the country music story and deserves to be celebrated and recognized with intention. This action by our members now opens the door for us to celebrate more artists and a wider range of music. By adding this new category and renaming the Country Album Category, we’re creating more space for all the diverse artists who are shaping the future of country music.”

Part of the description for the new category was provided to Billboard below:

“This category recognizes excellence in albums of traditional country music, both vocal and instrumental. Traditional country includes country recordings that adhere to the more traditional sound structures of the country genre, including rhythm and singing style, lyrical content, as well as traditional country instrumentation such as acoustic guitar, steel guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, piano, electric guitar, and live drums. It also includes sub-genres such as Western, Western Swing, and Outlaw country.”

In addition to Best Traditional Country Album, the Recording Academy has also made several changes to its process, in effect for the 68th Annual Awards. The full Grammy Rule Book can be found here.

“The Academy’s top priority is to represent the music people that we serve each year,” says Mason Jr. “That entails listening carefully to our members to make sure our rules and guidelines reflect today’s music and allow us to accurately recognize as many deserving creators as possible. As we kick off another exciting Grammy Season, we look forward to celebrating the amazing power of music and its ability to bring so many people together.”

Grammy Award Field & Category Updates:

General Field
Eligibility for Best New Artist has been expanded to include artists who have been previously nominated in Album Of The Year, but whose contributions fell below the current 20 percent playing time threshold. This update allows acts who were credited as featured artists on projects that were Grammy nominated for Album Of The Year in a previous awards cycle to be eligible for Best New Artist consideration.

Country Field
The existing Best Country Album Category has been renamed Best Contemporary Country Album, and a new Category, Best Traditional Country Album, has been added.

Classical Field
In Classical Categories, composers and lyricists/librettists are now eligible for Grammy recognition alongside all other key creative personnel including artists, producers and engineers on winning albums.

Packaging Field
The existing Best Recording Package and Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package Categories have been combined into one single Category: Best Recording Package. A new Category, Best Album Cover, has also been added.

The physical product eligibility requirement for Best Recording Package, Best Album Notes and Best Historical Album has also been expanded to be more representative of today’s marketplace. This change ensures that physical album packages sold directly to fans through an artist’s or label’s website are eligible for Grammy consideration.

Additionally, the Craft Committee serving in this field is transitioning from a regional to a national model.

Key dates for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards season:

Aug. 31, 2024 – Aug. 30, 2025
Product Eligibility Period

July 7, 2025 – Aug. 22, 2025
Media Company Registration Period

July 16, 2025 – Aug. 29, 2025
Online Entry Period

Oct. 3, 2025 – Oct. 15, 2025
First Round Voting

Nov. 7, 2025
Nominees Announced for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards

Dec. 12, 2025 – Jan. 5, 2026
Final Round Voting

Feb. 1, 2026
68th Annual Grammy Awards, broadcasting live on the CBS Television Network and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+.

Madison Hahnen
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