Grammy Awards Expand Eligibility Rules And Add Five New Categories

The Recording Academy expanded the Grammys‘ Best New Artist eligibility from 3 to 4 submission attempts, sparking debate over established acts receiving nominations years after their breakthrough albums. CEO Harvey Mason Jr. explained that “artists are often releasing more music before they actually break through the consciousness of consumers or of our voters.” Previous controversial nominees include Phoebe Bridgers nominated 3 years after her debut and Kaytranada 5 years after his breakout album. The change benefits artists like Ravyn Lenae and Geese, who exhausted previous submission limits. Additional updates include five new categories: Best Asian Pop Music Performance, Best Latin Song, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance, Best R&B Collaboration, and Best Traditional Folk Album. The Academy also lowered album eligibility requirements from 75% to 66% new recordings.