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The Recording Academy is focusing on broader inclusivity and representation with a slate of major updates ahead of the 2026 Grammy Awards.

Following what many hailed as a redemptive and landmark 2025 ceremony, where Beyoncé made history with Cowboy Carter and artists like Chappell Roan and Doechii delivered rousing speeches, the Grammys are ushering in new rules and categories to adhere to the complexities of today’s musical landscape.

Country gets a genre split

Chief among the changes is the reworking of the Best Country Album category, which has now been split into two distinct honours — Best Traditional Country Album and Best Contemporary Country Album. The decision arrives on the heels of Cowboy Carter’s triumph, a genre-defying album that drew from the deep well of Black musical history within country music and ignited discourse about the genre’s gatekeeping.

In a statement, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr spoke about the importance of refining the Grammys’ frameworks to accommodate the breadth of musical expression.

“It’s so important that our rules and guidelines are fair and equitable for musicians of all crafts and varying expertise, and that the Grammy Awards truly reflect and honour the full spectrum of music creators,” he said, according to the Rolling Stone.

According to the Academy, the Best Traditional Country Album will be awarded to recordings that maintain “the more traditional sound structures of the country genre,” characterised by classic instrumentation such as fiddle, banjo, steel guitar, mandolin, and live drums. Lyrical content, rhythm, and singing style will also play a role in qualifying a submission as “traditional”.

On the other hand, Best Contemporary Country Album is aimed at works that are informed by the country genre’s legacy while embracing sonic experimentation and modern storytelling. Eligible albums should “create a sensibility that reflects the broad spectrum of contemporary country style and culture,” though the definition is purposefully flexible, perhaps a nod to the boundary-pushing nature of recent works like Cowboy Carter.

With this update, the Country & American Roots field now boasts 14 Grammy categories, dwarfing the Pop and Dance/Electronic fields, which have seven combined, despite recent efforts to modernise those too, including the introduction of Best Dance Pop Recording in 2024.

The ‘new’ in Best New Artist

Another notable shift comes in the eligibility criteria for the Best New Artist category. Previously, artists who had been nominated in major categories like Album of the Year — even as featured artists — were often ruled out.

The 2026 rules soften that stance. Now, if an artist contributed to an Album of the Year-nominated project but their role comprised less than 20 per cent of the album’s total runtime and they didn’t win, they remain eligible for Best New Artist, provided they meet other requirements.

The move could open doors for emerging talents who have garnered early exposure through high-profile collaborations without having had a proper solo breakthrough, offering a fairer shot at recognition in a career-defining category.

Album art gets its moment

The Grammys are also updating how they recognise the visual and physical presentation of music releases. Instead of presenting two separate awards for Best Recording Package and Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package, the Recording Academy will present one holistic Best Recording Package award.

Additionally, the Recording Academy is reintroducing the Best Album Cover award, which will focus specifically on art direction, design, photography, and graphic elements across an album’s packaging. The category emphasises the importance of visual storytelling, something increasingly vital in the age of digital and physical hybrid consumption.

The 2026 Grammy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 1, 2026, with nominations announced on Friday, November 7 this year. Eligible releases must fall between August 31, 2024, and August 30, 2025.