Grammy Awards Announce Five New Categories Ahead of 2027 Ceremony

The Grammys is adding more categories to its ceremony. The Recording Academy has added five new categories to the mix ahead of the 69th Grammy Awards.

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First, there is the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category. The new award, which will be presented to the artist(s), will recognize artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances. The songs will originate from markets including K-pop, J-pop and C-pop. They must also employ meaningful use of one or more Asian languages.

Next, the Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance Grammy will be awarded to the performing artists who exhibit excellence in contemporary R&B performances. With this award’s addition, the Best R&B Performance Category has been revised and renamed Best R&B Solo Performance.

The Grammys will also introduce the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance category. Set to be presented to the performing artist(s), the award recognizes excellence in singles and tracks that consist of a type and style of song and/or performance that cannot properly be intermingled with present forms of pop music.

The Best Traditional Folk Album will also make its debut at the 2027 Grammy Awards. The category will recognize excellence in albums of traditional folk recordings. The award will go to the to artist(s), producer(s), engineer(s)/mixer(s), and songwriter(s) of new songs. With this award’s addition, the Recording Academy has revised and renamed the Best Folk Album Category to Best Contemporary Folk Album.

The final new category is Best Latin Song. The distinction will recognize the achievement of songwriters for newly written Latin songs predominantly in the Spanish language.

What to Know About the 2027 Grammy Awards

In addition to the new categories, the Recording Academy has introduced a new voting structure. It has also updated the guidelines for the Best New Artist, Best Album Notes, and Best Historical Album awards. Additionally, the Academy has clarified album eligibility rules and expanded songwriters and composers’ recognition.

“2027 is going to be an amazing year for the Grammy Awards, and one that reflects the extraordinary growth we’re seeing across music,” Grammys CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said in a press release. “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.”

He added, “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 air live across ABC, Disney+, and Hulu on Feb. 7.

Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy