Overview
- The Recording Academy announced Tuesday, June 16, that five new categories will take effect for the 69th Grammys and the ceremony will air on Feb. 7, 2027 with nominations set for Nov. 16, 2026.
- The new categories 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.
- The Best Asian Pop Music Performance will honor K‑pop, J‑pop, C‑pop and other Asian‑market works that show “meaningful use” of one or more Asian languages, but the academy has not defined a numerical threshold for that language requirement.
- Rule changes include a Ballot Plus voting option that lets verified cross‑genre voters cast ballots in up to 15 peer‑related categories, Best New Artist submissions rising from three to four entries, and album eligibility for new recordings lowered from 75% to 66%.
- Songwriters and composers who contribute original material to winning albums will now receive statuettes and certificates, and K‑pop fandoms have mobilized online to protest the new Asian pop field as potentially marginalizing rather than fully integrating artists into general‑field awards.