Recording Academy^® Adds Two GRAMMY^® Categories and Makes Procedural Updates for 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards^® Set to Take Place Sun, Feb. 1

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Recording Academy^® has revealed the key dates, deadlines and rule amendments for the 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards^®, taking place on Sun, Feb. 1, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with nominations set to be announced on Fri, Nov. 7, 2025. Through the Recording Academy's annual process of accepting proposals from the music creators and professionals that make up its membership body, and as part of the organization's commitment to evolve with the ever-changing musical landscape, several new changes have been made to the GRAMMY Awards^® process. The expansive list of updates is outlined below and goes into effect immediately for the 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards. The full GRAMMY^® rulebook can be accessed here.

"The Academy's top priority is to represent the music people that we serve each year," said Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. "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."

For more on this year's category updates, including insights from Recording Academy CEO, Harvey Mason jr., visit here.

GRAMMY AWARD FIELD AND CATEGORY UPDATES

General Field
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 percent playing time threshold. This update allows acts who were credited as featured artists on projects that were GRAMMY nominated for Album Of The Year in a previous awards cycle to be eligible for Best New Artist consideration.

Country Field
The existing Best Country Album Category has been renamed Best Contemporary Country Album, and a new Category, Best Traditional Country Album, has been added.

Classical Field
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.

Packaging Field
The existing Best Recording Package and Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package Categories have been combined into one 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 today’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.

Category Definition, Eligibility, & Criteria Updates
Minor updates to definitions, eligibility and criteria across multiple fields and awards have been reviewed and revised to be more expansive and inclusive. A full list of those changes can be found on page six of the rulebook.

Key dates for the 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards season are as follows:

Aug. 31, 2024 – Aug. 30, 2025
Product Eligibility Period

July 7, 2025 – Aug. 22, 2025
Media Company Registration Period

July 16, 2025 – Aug. 29, 2025
Online Entry Period

Oct. 3, 2025 – Oct. 15, 2025
First Round Voting

Nov. 7, 2025
Nominees Announced for the 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards

Dec. 12, 2025 – Jan. 5, 2026
Final Round Voting

Feb. 1, 2026
68th Annual GRAMMY Awards, broadcasting live on the CBS Television Network and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+.

For more information regarding the upcoming 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards season, click here. To learn more about the annual GRAMMY Awards process, click here.

ABOUT THE RECORDING ACADEMY

The Recording Academy represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural heritage, the Academy honors music's history while investing in its future through the GRAMMY Museum^®, advocates on behalf of music creators, supports music people in times of need through MusiCares^®, and celebrates artistic excellence through the GRAMMY Awards^® — music's only peer-recognized accolade and highest achievement. As the world's leading society of music professionals, we work year-round to foster a more inspiring world for creators.

For more information about the GRAMMY Awards and the Recording Academy, please visit GRAMMY.com and RecordingAcademy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @RecordingAcad on X, "like" Recording Academy on Facebook, and join the Recording Academy's social communities on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn. For media assets, please visit the Recording Academy's Press Room.