Story perspectives

Grammy adds five categories, tightens rules for 2027

6/16/2026

Summary

Academy Announces Categories

Academy announced five Grammy categories—Best Asian Pop Music Performance, Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance, Best Traditional Folk Album, and Best Latin Song—for 2027 ceremony on February 7, 2027.
Academy increased Best New Artist entries to four, cut album eligibility to 66% new recordings, allowed online releases for Album Notes, awarded statuettes and certificates to winning-songwriters and let voters use Ballot Plus for up to 15 categories.

Summary

Grammys Shift Platforms

The 69th Grammys on Feb. 7, 2027 will air on ABC and stream on Disney+ and Hulu, ending CBS’s era.
The broadcast shift follows the Recording Academy’s push to reach younger audiences through digital platforms.
Category count rose to 100 for 2027 after dropping to 78 in 2012 and topping 110 in 2008-2009.
The Academy launched a Composers Wing and a Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical award to boost songwriter recognition.

History

Historical Context

The Recording Academy’s 2011 overhaul slashed categories from 109 to 78, beginning a cycle of gradual additions that lifted the field to 95 categories by the 68th Grammys in 2026. In 2027 the Academy will debut five new categories, move the live telecast to ABC and stream simultaneously on Disney+ and Hulu, and launch a Composers Wing to attract younger audiences.

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Academy Announces Categories

Academy announced five Grammy categories—Best Asian Pop Music Performance, Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance, Best Traditional Folk Album, and Best Latin Song—for 2027 ceremony on February 7, 2027.
Academy increased Best New Artist entries to four, cut album eligibility to 66% new recordings, allowed online releases for Album Notes, awarded statuettes and certificates to winning-songwriters and let voters use Ballot Plus for up to 15 categories.

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