The Recording Academy Thursday announced some changes to the categories for the Grammy Awards that will go into effect for the next edition of the annual extravaganza.
The 68th Annual Grammy Awards will take place on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena.
The rule changes are as follows:
— 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% playing time threshold.
— The existing Best Country Album Category has been renamed Best Contemporary Country Album, and a new category, Best Traditional Country Album, has been added.
— 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..
— The existing Best Recording Package and Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package categories have been combined into a 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 Thursday’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.
Also, minor updates to definitions, eligibility and criteria across multiple fields and awards have been reviewed and revised to be more expansive and inclusive.
“The Academy’s top priority is to represent the music people that we serve each year,” Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said. “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.”
Nominations for the awards will be announced on Nov. 7.