Recording Academy Unveils Voting & Category Updates

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The Recording Academy has unveiled updates to the voting process and eligibility requirements for the 2027 Grammy Awards.

For Voting Members, Ballot Plus is an opt-in alternative to the 10/3 voting structure that allows Voting Members with expertise across multiple genres to vote in up to 15 peer-related categories, regardless of field, based on their verified professional credits and contributions. Voting Members who opt in must submit credits by a specified deadline. Participation in Ballot Plus is subject to verification of credits. Voting Members who do not opt-in, miss the selection window, or do not meet the verification requirements will receive the standard 10/3 voting ballot. Voting Members will receive more information about Ballot Plus in the coming months.

Additionally, category description language and guidelines have been refined and a maximum number of times an artist may be submitted increased from three to four. The threshold of new recordings required on an eligible album is lowered from 75% to 66% to reduce the exclusion of entries that are widely recognized throughout the music industry as new albums. Internet-only releases are now eligible in Best Album Notes and Best Historical Album if the additional materials and album notes are part of the commercial download, ensuring albums released solely in digital form remain eligible for consideration. Songwriters and composers of new material on the winning albums in most genre album categories will now receive Grammy statuettes and achievement certificates in parity with the recognition currently afforded to producers and engineers in those categories.

A full list of updates can be found here.

“2027 is going to be an amazing year for the Grammy Awards, and one that reflects the extraordinary growth we’re seeing across music,” says Grammys CEO Harvey Mason jr. “The changes advanced by our Recording Academy members speak to the breadth of today’s music industry and the many genres, crafts and creators shaping it. We’re excited to see these updates come to life in the year ahead as we celebrate the music people who are driving music forward.”

The 2027 Grammy Awards will also feature five new categories including Best Asian Pop Music Performance, Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance, Best Traditional Folk Album and Best Latin Song.

Lauryn Sink
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