A Home For Tradition: The Grammys Get A New Country Category [Interview]

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When the Recording Academy announced the addition of Best Traditional Country Album to its slate of Grammy Awards categories, it marked more than a simple administrative update—it was the result of years of conversation, data and, most importantly, listening.

The announcement, shared in June, outlined that with the addition of this new category, the existing Best Country Album category will now be named Best Contemporary Country Album. The purpose of the refinement is to recognize artists such as Charley Crockett, Sierra Ferrell, Colter Wall and Noeline Hoffman, who fall outside the realm of mainstream country.

“We’ve been hearing from artists for a long time,” Shelly Maree, an Awards Manager at the Academy who oversees the country music field, tells MusicRow. “They didn’t feel fully reflected in the categories as they stood, neither in the existing country categories nor in the American Roots field. So this came from them: the creators, the voting members. It’s been in the works for a while.”

Shelly Maree. Photo: Stephen Reidmiller

Maree and her colleague Ralph Olivarez, Director in the Awards Department, were part of the team that helped bring the new category to life. For Olivarez, who oversees the American Roots field (which includes genres like bluegrass, Americana, folk and traditional blues), the change brings much-needed clarity.

“In the Roots categories, we’ve often had conversations with the country screening committee because there were always these edge cases, artists who didn’t quite fit squarely into either field,” he says. “It was clear there needed to be a better home for some of these projects.”

Despite the excitement around the category’s debut, it wasn’t a snap decision. The journey began years ago and was shaped by a structured, member-driven process.

“Any member can submit a proposal [for a change],” explains Maree. “Those proposals are reviewed by our Awards and Nominations Committee in the spring, which includes artists and professionals from across genres. After rigorous discussion and voting, the proposals that pass go to our Board of Trustees for final approval.”

This particular proposal, she says, has been in its current form for about three years. “We started gathering data two years ago, drafted the proposal last summer and it was finally approved this spring. It’s really exciting because it’s been such a long time coming.”

So what exactly qualifies as traditional country?

Ralph Olivarez. Photo: Getty Images for the Recording Academy

According to the Academy’s definition, the category recognizes excellence in albums, both vocal and instrumental, that “adhere to more traditional sound structures of the country genre,” including elements like steel guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin and live drums.

It also makes room for subgenres such as western, western swing and outlaw country.

But as Maree and Olivarez are quick to point out that it’s not about labeling artists, it’s about evaluating the music on a case-by-case basis.

“We don’t judge the artist. We screen the art,” Maree emphasizes. “An artist might fall into a traditional category one year and a contemporary one the next. It depends on the music they submit.”

Olivarez agrees. “We always try to find the best home for the project. That’s what this is about, giving artists a home that reflects the sound they’ve created.”

Beyond expanding recognition, Maree sees the new category as an invitation. “I hope this encourages artists who didn’t feel represented before to join the Academy, submit their work and engage with this process,” she says. “It also expands the opportunity for artists to be recognized and spotlighted.”

In an industry where airplay and charts don’t always align with artistic success, Maree hopes this change inspires creativity and exploration. “For independent or traditional artists who might not be played on the radio, a Grammy nomination can shine a big light. It boosts streams, it builds buzz.”

It’s not uncommon for artists of any genre to see a boost in interest after Grammy nominations come out, and even more so after the big night. After the 2025 Grammy Award broadcast, Beyoncé’s first-ever Album of the Year win with Cowboy Carter earned her 25,000 equivalent album units—a 254% gain, according to data collected by the Recording Academy in partnership with Luminate Data. Doechii saw a 107% increase on her Grammy-winning Alligator Bites Never Heal, while Best New Artist winner Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of A Midwest Princess saw a 56% increase.

While commercial country has leaned heavily contemporary in recent years, Maree believes the Academy can, and should, reflect both ends of the spectrum.

“We want to be a mirror to the industry,” she shares. “Country music is so broad that it can’t be contained in just one sound or title. This is about opening the door wider.”

Though this category is new for country, the framework isn’t. “We already do this in other genres,” Maree points out. “We have traditional and contemporary blues, traditional and contemporary R&B and traditional pop vocal alongside pop vocal. It’s not a new concept, it’s something some genres need in order to fully reflect their range.”

As country music continues to grow and diversify, Maree sees this addition as a reflection of a more responsive, inclusive Recording Academy.

“I think this move shows we’re adapting, listening more closely to the community and acting on what we hear,” she sums. “We want to honor the full spectrum of what country music is, and this is one step closer to that.”

Madison Hahnen
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