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Grammy Awards Expand to 100 Categories, Adding Best Asian Pop Music and Best Latin Song for 2027
The Recording Academy is widening the lens of its most celebrated ceremony. On June 2026, it announced that the 69th Annual Grammy Awards—set for February 7 2027 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles—will feature a total of 100 categories, a figure last reached after the 2012 overhaul. Five new awards will join the existing roster, signaling a deliberate push toward a more inclusive representation of the global music landscape.
The additions are: 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. These new honors bring the ceremony’s catalog of recognitions to a historic peak, while also reshaping the competitive framework for artists across continents.
Beyond expanding the category count, the Academy unveiled several rule changes designed to keep pace with the industry’s evolution. The Best New Artist eligibility window now allows an artist to submit up to four times instead of the previous three, granting emerging talent a broader berth for consideration. The threshold for new recordings on an eligible album has been lowered from 75 % to 66 %, a move that will prevent well‑received releases from being sidelined by technicalities. Additionally, songwriters and composers on winning albums will receive Grammy statuettes and achievement certificates—an honor that was previously reserved for producers and engineers.
Harvey Mason Jr., the Recording Academy’s chief executive officer, outlined the motivation behind the expansion. “The changes advanced by our Recording Academy members speak to the breadth of today’s music industry and the many genres, crafts, and creators shaping it,” he said. “These changes and expansions give even more people a place for their music to be respected, heard, and evaluated.”
The introduction of Best Asian Pop Music Performance has sparked a lively debate. The category is defined to honor contemporary popular music originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets, including K‑Pop, J‑Pop, and C‑Pop. Eligible recordings typically feature melody‑driven composition, mainstream pop songwriting, and commercially oriented production. Proponents argue that the award acknowledges the genre’s global influence, while critics worry it could create a separate track for Asian pop, distancing it from the main categories.
Best Latin Song will recognize newly written Spanish‑language songs and award the songwriter(s) rather than the performing artist. The category was created in response to the Academy’s goal of honoring the creative forces behind Latin music and will debut at the 69th ceremony.
The 69th Grammy Awards will return to ABC for the first time since 1972, with simultaneous streaming on Disney+ and Hulu under a ten‑year partnership with the Walt Disney Company. The live broadcast will also be available on the ABC network, expanding the ceremony’s reach across traditional and digital platforms.
These changes reflect a broader industry trend toward recognizing diverse musical traditions within a mainstream awards framework. By adding categories that spotlight Asian pop, Latin songwriting, and traditional folk, the Recording Academy signals a shift toward a more globally representative set of honors. The rule adjustments will also streamline eligibility, encouraging a wider array of artists to submit.
While nominees for the new categories have not yet been announced, the Academy’s decision marks a clear commitment to broader inclusion across global music genres. The 69th Grammy Awards will open on February 7 2027, showcasing the expanded slate of categories and the updated rules that will shape the night’s nominations and winners.
The additions are: 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. These new honors bring the ceremony’s catalog of recognitions to a historic peak, while also reshaping the competitive framework for artists across continents.
Beyond expanding the category count, the Academy unveiled several rule changes designed to keep pace with the industry’s evolution. The Best New Artist eligibility window now allows an artist to submit up to four times instead of the previous three, granting emerging talent a broader berth for consideration. The threshold for new recordings on an eligible album has been lowered from 75 % to 66 %, a move that will prevent well‑received releases from being sidelined by technicalities. Additionally, songwriters and composers on winning albums will receive Grammy statuettes and achievement certificates—an honor that was previously reserved for producers and engineers.
Harvey Mason Jr., the Recording Academy’s chief executive officer, outlined the motivation behind the expansion. “The changes advanced by our Recording Academy members speak to the breadth of today’s music industry and the many genres, crafts, and creators shaping it,” he said. “These changes and expansions give even more people a place for their music to be respected, heard, and evaluated.”
The introduction of Best Asian Pop Music Performance has sparked a lively debate. The category is defined to honor contemporary popular music originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets, including K‑Pop, J‑Pop, and C‑Pop. Eligible recordings typically feature melody‑driven composition, mainstream pop songwriting, and commercially oriented production. Proponents argue that the award acknowledges the genre’s global influence, while critics worry it could create a separate track for Asian pop, distancing it from the main categories.
Best Latin Song will recognize newly written Spanish‑language songs and award the songwriter(s) rather than the performing artist. The category was created in response to the Academy’s goal of honoring the creative forces behind Latin music and will debut at the 69th ceremony.
The 69th Grammy Awards will return to ABC for the first time since 1972, with simultaneous streaming on Disney+ and Hulu under a ten‑year partnership with the Walt Disney Company. The live broadcast will also be available on the ABC network, expanding the ceremony’s reach across traditional and digital platforms.
These changes reflect a broader industry trend toward recognizing diverse musical traditions within a mainstream awards framework. By adding categories that spotlight Asian pop, Latin songwriting, and traditional folk, the Recording Academy signals a shift toward a more globally representative set of honors. The rule adjustments will also streamline eligibility, encouraging a wider array of artists to submit.
While nominees for the new categories have not yet been announced, the Academy’s decision marks a clear commitment to broader inclusion across global music genres. The 69th Grammy Awards will open on February 7 2027, showcasing the expanded slate of categories and the updated rules that will shape the night’s nominations and winners.