Grammy Awards introduces five categories and new rules for 2027 ceremony

By Carla Feric, Press Association Entertainment Reporter

The Grammy Awards is adding five new categories and has made changes to its rules and eligibility, which will be introduced for its 2027 ceremony.

The annual awards show, which is regarded as the biggest night in music, hopes the changes will reflect the “breadth of today’s music industry and the many genres, crafts and creators shaping it”.

Among the new categories is best Latin song – which comes after Puerto Rican pop star Bad Bunny became the first artist to be awarded album of the year for a Spanish-language record at the 2026 ceremony.

It is also introducing a prize for best Asian pop music performance, after the song Golden from hit Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters became the first K-Pop song to win a Grammy at the ceremony earlier this year.

Other new categories being introduced include best R&B collaboration or duo/group performance, best traditional pop vocal performance and best traditional folk album.

Following the additions, the best folk album prize will now be dedicated to contemporary folk while the existing R&B category has been renamed to focus on solo performances.

The Grammys have also altered their eligibility criteria to provide flexibility for up-and-coming acts, as the number of times a performer can be submitted for best new artist has been increased from three to four.

The threshold of new recordings required on an album eligible for a Grammy Award have also been changed, lowered from 75% to 66% to reflect how singles are often released across longer timelines.

It will also better recognise songwriters and composers across most genre album categories, and digital-only albums will now be eligible for two additional categories – best album notes and best historical album.

Grammys chief executive Harvey Mason Jr said: “2027 is going to be an amazing year for the Grammy Awards, and one that reflects the extraordinary growth we’re seeing across music.

“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.”