Angelique Kidjo, who won Best World Music Album for “Celia,” poses in the press room at the 2020 Grammy Awards.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
The Recording Academy has added three new Grammy Awards for Best African Musical Performance, Best Pop Dance Recording and Best Alternative Jazz Album.
The change was voted on and passed by the Academy’s board of directors last month. The 66th Annual Grammy Awards, which currently has 94 categories, will be broadcast live in early 2024.
The addition of the Best African Musical Performance category marks the rise of African artists such as Burna Boy, Wizkid and Thames to global chart top stars and streaming giants along with the rise of the Afrobeat genre. It reflects. New categories include Afrobeat, Afro-Fusion, Afro-Pop, Bongo Flava, Ethio-Jazz, Kizomba, High Life, Fuji, Endombolo, Mapouka, Ghanaian Drill, Afro-House and South African Hip-Hop.
The nominations for Best Global Music Performance, created in 2022, have so far been dominated by African-based songs. A new award honoring African music has been nominated for the world’s best musical performance, which could give world-famous songs in other genres such as Latin music, K-pop and Arabic music a chance.
The announcement of Best Pop Dance Recording gives pop stars releasing dance-flavoured music a chance to earn nominations without competing with artists deeply rooted in dance music. Over the years, artists with dance songs have competed for the best dance/electronic recording, with winners ranging from superstars Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, and Justin Timberlake to Skrillex, The Chemical Brothers, and Rufus de Sol. over.
The new category will give pop stars who don’t straddle other genres, such as R&B, rap, rock and country, a chance to earn more nominations at the awards ceremony. A pop artist typically wins Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, and Best Album, Song, or Best of the Year if it receives enough votes to qualify for Best Pop. It is limited to categories such as the Big 4, which includes excellent records. . That’s why artists like Beyoncé, Lizzo, and Kendrick Lamar get the most Grammy nominations compared to performers like Adele, Harry Styles, and Dua Lipa — they span multiple genres. because you can compete with
The award for Best Pop Dance Recording “features uptempo and danceable music following pop arrangements” with “significant electronic bass instrumentation with strong rhythmic beats, vocal performances, melodies and hooks. ” will be awarded.
The new Best Alternative Jazz Album award is for “a genre that fuses jazz with other genres, including R&B, hip-hop, classical, contemporary improvisation, experimental music, pop, rap, electronic/dance music, and more.” “Hybrid work that fuses and pushes the limits” will be awarded. or spoken word. ”
Other changes to the Grammy Awards include two categories, Producer of the Year (non-classical) and Songwriter of the Year (non-classical), which have been moved to general categories, including Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year. including being moved. artist. Grammy voters are limited in the categories they can vote in, but all voters can vote in the general category, so anyone can vote for Producer of the Year (non-classical) and Songwriter of the Year (non-classical). become. classical).
“These changes reflect our commitment to actively listening and responding to feedback from the music community, accurately representing the diverse musical genres involved, and staying in step with the ever-evolving music landscape. It reflects,” said Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Academy. said in a statement. “By introducing these three new categories, we are able to recognize and appreciate a wider range of artists. Moving to the general field will allow all voters to participate in recognizing excellence in these fields.” Tabata. We are excited to honor and celebrate the creators and recordings in these categories while introducing a wider range of music to fans around the world. ”
The Academy meets annually to review proposals for new awards and vote on changes to current awards. Songs and albums released between October 1, 2022 and September 15, 2023 are eligible for nominations at the 2024 show. Candidates will be announced in November.