Grammy Awards 2026: Overhaul of Categories, Rules and Key Dates
Los Angeles | June 12, 2025 –
The 68th Annual Grammy Awards will take place on February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The ceremony will be broadcast live on CBS and streamed on Paramount+, with nominations set to be announced on November 7, 2025.
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In a comprehensive update following its annual board meeting, the Recording Academy unveiled sweeping changes that reflect a modern, diverse, and evolving music landscape.
For the first time in Grammy history, album cover artists will be recognized with a dedicated Best Album Cover category. This long-overdue honor acknowledges the crucial role visual art plays in a record’s identity.
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Additionally, the categories for Best Recording Package and Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package have been merged into a single award, streamlining packaging honors.
Albums sold directly through artists’ or labels’ websites will now qualify for several craft categories, such as Best Album Notes and Best Historical Album. This move reflects the shift toward direct-to-fan sales and acknowledges modern distribution trends.
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In the Country genre, the Best Country Album has been rebranded as Best Contemporary Country Album, while a new category—Best Traditional Country Album—has been created to honor classic styles.
In Classical music, composers, lyricists, and librettists will now be included among Grammy recipients for award-winning albums, honoring all contributors to the artistic process.
The Best New Artist category has expanded eligibility to include artists who were credited on previous Album of the Year nominees, provided their contribution was under 20% of the total playing time. This change opens the door for talented collaborators who were previously ineligible.
“The Academy’s top priority is to represent the music people we serve each year,” said Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “These updates ensure that deserving creators across all corners of the industry receive recognition.”
With these changes, the 2026 Grammys are poised to be one of the most inclusive and visually artistic editions in the history of the awards.
Grammy Awards 2026, Recording Academy, Grammy new categories, Best Album Cover Grammy, Best New Artist Grammy rule, Grammy nominations 2025, Grammy show date, Harvey Mason Jr, music awards, Crypto.com Arena
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