The Grammys introduced Thursday it will add “greatest conventional nation album” to the class of awards after Beyoncé’s victory within the genre’s sole 2025 classification.
“The Academy’s high precedence is to characterize the music folks that we serve every year,” Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said in a release.
“That entails listening fastidiously to our members to ensure our guidelines and tips replicate right this moment’s music and permit us to precisely acknowledge as many deserving creators as attainable. As we kick off one other thrilling GRAMMY Season, we sit up for celebrating the superb energy of music and its means to convey so many individuals collectively,” he added.
Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” album despatched shockwaves by the nation style that was historically dominated by folklore singers. Subsequent yr, nominees shall be separated into two areas for greatest up to date nation album and greatest conventional nation album, marking a transparent distinction between fashionable and traditional sounds.
The Grammys stated music designated as conventional nation should adhere to the extra conventional sound constructions of the nation style, together with rhythm and singing fashion, lyrical content material, in addition to conventional nation instrumentation comparable to acoustic guitar, metal guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, piano, electrical guitar and dwell drums.
It is going to additionally embrace subgenres comparable to Western, Western swing and outlaw nation.
The area for the brand new classes was carved out after the Recording Academy’s awards and nominations committee reviewed a submitted proposal that was finally authorised by the Academy’s board of trustees.
“The group of individuals which can be making nation music in all completely different subgenres got here to us with a proposal and stated we want to have extra selection in how our music is honored,” Mason stated in an interview with Billboard.
“They stated, we predict we’d like more room for our music to be celebrated and honored.”
The Grammy Awards are slated to happen Feb. 1, 2026.