Grammys Announce Major Changes To Top Categories

Published: Tuesday 26th Jun 2018 by Sam

With the music industry adapting to changing tides, so too are the award shows which reward the year’s top releases.

And at the forefront of this shapeshifting is the Grammy Awards.

Heavily critiqued in recent years after seismic snubs, questionable wins, and a still raging gender debate, organisers for music’s biggest calendar night have announced changes – which amount to being some of the most profound in Grammy history.

Find out what they are below…

Effectively immediately (and thus reflective in nominations for the 2019 Grammys), all four of the top categories expands its pool of nominees from five to eight.

This impacts the following: Album Of The Year, Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best New Artist. 

While the remaining 80 categories will stay capped at five, this is a major shift and undoubtedly one of the most historic to be implemented on the watch of the Grammys’ outgoing president Neil Portnow. 

Explaining the change, he said:

“Throughout the year, we team up with music people across all genres and disciplines to consider revisions and subsequently make amendments to our rules and entry guidelines to ensure we’re keeping up with our ever-changing industry and meeting the needs of music creators. This creates more opportunities for a wider-range of recognition in these important categories and gives more flexibility to our voters when having to make the often challenging decisions about representing excellence and the best in music for the year. We look forward to celebrating all of our nominees when they are announced later this year.”

We’re here for it! This promotes variety, diversity, and adds a layer of excitement to forecasting winners (as the increase in options may see “surefire” votes split and thus make it more difficult to predict who’ll be taking home awards).

That said, the true test of the effectiveness of the changes will be in who ends up winning.

In recent times, it’s become routine to see the same ol’ Grammy darlings bag awards. So hopefully this is more than clever optics designed to be make the voting committee be “seen” to be more inclusive while rewarding the usual candidates. Fingers crossed this actually amounts to the major shake-up it looks like on paper.

Your thoughts?

[Photo credit: Getty]

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  1. TeaOnly June 26, 2018

    The Carter’s coming for a Best New Artist nomination. ????

    • ??? June 26, 2018

      lmao you mean the carter wont be able to purchase no more awards lmfaooooooo

    • gina June 26, 2018

      Um nope, the carters flopped, they cant cheat their way into getting a grammy by changing their names.

      • Bravo!! June 26, 2018

        Who your fave?

    • Angello June 26, 2018

      The Tankers will win FIop of the Year

  2. Fancy BISH June 26, 2018

    Cool! ?

  3. I HATE WHYYYTE…N BLLLLLACK B.ITCHEEZ THEY NOT SHT June 26, 2018

    Hello hold on. Stop awarding a arist who steal art. Music videos….the people she steal from should. Awar

  4. Mark111 June 26, 2018

    Means nothing when they gonna give it to the same boring White people still.

    • Bam June 26, 2018

      Eh there’s bigger problems than that call me when a gospel album, a Latin album, or an album of some other genre not country, pop, r&b, or hip hop is nominated. I refuse to believe the best albums are all by popular artist.

    • Jasmine Shaniqua Shanishaniquaisanana Jazmenique Jazmine Jazzneka Jazznifa Ting Tong Lee June 26, 2018

      WOW the same racist remarks from Mark111. Why don’t you go on an airplane ride and get it piloted by Luis Morales III I’m sure you will have lots of fun on his airplane I would love to watch that happen for you.
      Bye Gurl!

  5. DIABETES UNBOTHERED June 26, 2018

    These days the grammys are no different from the VMAS… “Oh beys winning video of the year so let’s give female video of the year to Taylor swift.” “WAIT jayz is old now and already has 20 grammys, he doesn’t need anymore… Even tho 4:44 is his best album, give his grammys to Kendrick, he’s hot right now”

    • Jasmine (The Real Jasmine) June 26, 2018

      Shut up.

    • Jasmine Da Bi Asian NOT Trashmine or TROLLmine??‍♀️??‍♀️ June 26, 2018

      4:44 is not even close to his best album hahahahaha ur just a beyonce fan who listens to jay z just cause .

      • DIABETES UNBOTHERED June 26, 2018

        I been listening to jayz long b4 Bey even got signed. 4:44 is an instant classic as is ?

  6. Erica June 26, 2018

    I never understood how the Grammy’s vote. I use to think it was base on the body of work, but in some cases they go for popularity or what album sold more. adele beat Beyoncé over sells not material. but Britney for example lost over material not sells. It just seems shady and they pick by personal preference & by no other logic

    • DIABETES UNBOTHERED June 26, 2018

      I think they increased it to 8 cause Adele low key embarrassed them TWICE last year. even adele knew Lemonade was HEAVY as hell even compared to 25

    • Jasmine (The Real Jasmine) June 26, 2018

      Many people, myself included, felt Adele’s album was better and more enjoyable than Lemonjuice. Who are you to tell me Lemonjuice is better when I strongly feel 25 was better? Adele won that award fairly. More people feel the same say I do because Adele’s album sold over 22 million copies worldwide. Beyonce makes music for hood rats and chickenheads but Adele makes music for everyone.

      • Theman June 26, 2018

        Facts. 25 > Lemonjuice. Beyoncé just had a great visuals/back story.

      • DIABETES UNBOTHERED June 26, 2018

        Unfortunately ADELE AND METACRITIC disagree with u both. Lemonade is damn near is the most critically acclaimed album ever

      • Jasmine (The Real Jasmine) June 26, 2018

        Nope Thrililer is the most critically aclaimed ever followed by Prince’s Purple Rain. Lemonjuice ain’t sh!t and it is only likeable if u are a chickenhead or ratchet. Lemonjuice is too elementary for a sophisticated and intelligent woman like me to enjoy or relate to. Lyrics like ‘call becky with the good hair’ are childish, ghetto, and dumb.

      • DIABETES UNBOTHERED June 26, 2018

        There are only 2 ghetto (trap) songs on that album and I also hate sorry lol. But to get off topic here, B**** U AINT S*** but a half black b****. Find another word to describe yurself u ugly biracial ho£… yur NOTHING compared to REAL biracial goddesses like Giselle Carter U FAT HO£.

      • Jasmine (The Real Jasmine) June 27, 2018

        Beyonce is basic. I am more attractive than Beyonce and so is Ashanti, Rihanna, and Lupita.

  7. DIABETES UNBOTHERED June 26, 2018

    Want me to tell 4 jokes? Lol

    Best Rap Performance: “HUMBLE.” — Kendrick Lamar

    Best Rap/Sung Performance: “LOYALTY.” — Kendrick Lamar featuring Rihanna

    Best Rap Song: “HUMBLE.” — K. Duckworth, Asheton Hogan and M. Williams II, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)

    Best Rap Album: “DAMN.” — Kendrick Lama

    Yet Jayz 8-0 smdh

    • Jasmine (The Real Jasmine) June 26, 2018

      Kendrick won those awards fairly. The brotha won a noble peace award too. Stop hating. Everyone is not a Jiggaboo fan so shut up. 4:44 ducked anyway. Kendrick’s album was enjoyable.

      • DIABETES UNBOTHERED June 26, 2018

        I own both albums and the 4th track on 4:44 (with Frank ocean) alone is better than kendrivks entire album

      • Jasmine (The Real Jasmine) June 26, 2018

        No Kendrick’s album is solid. Jay-z’s album is just gay.

      • DIABETES UNBOTHERED June 26, 2018

        Kendrick is just an OVERRATED Gospel parody version of Tupac. 4:44 is GOAT b****

  8. cuca June 26, 2018

    Watch Beyoncé release more than one album in the same year to strengthen her chances of winning AOTY

  9. ??? June 26, 2018

    lmao now the roaches cant buy any more awards, Everything Has FLOPPED can wait for the inevitable snub now lmfaooooo.

  10. Bravo!! June 26, 2018

    I want to know who ya lady’s fave? This question will prove how much hate ya have for Beyoncé. Tell me what your fave doing right now in tour & music sells? This post is not about Beyoncé but it seems like she going thrown in every post for what!?

    • Bravo!! June 26, 2018

      Don’t forget to tell me how many Grammys your fave has as well..

  11. Ispeakfacts June 26, 2018

    Now hopefully this stops these artists from winning awards based off their popularity not the music!

  12. audreyherbsburn June 26, 2018

    who cares if there’s more in the category. that’s just more to snub

  13. DanYiel Iman June 26, 2018

    Well that’s awesome hopefully all the winners will win because of talent and being better then whoever wasn’t the best!!

  14. mr.m June 26, 2018

    Liberation = AOTY. period.
    Everything is fraud = flop of the year.
    apeflop = flop record of the year
    apeflop = flop song of the year
    the carters = best new flop

  15. Kai2dasuan June 26, 2018

    This shouldn’t be a problem so that mean Cardi B will be nominated for all four because she is really taking over right now. She will also win Best New Artist if post Malone don’t win but wait Post Malone last album Stoney hit number 4 in 2016 so he won’t be able to get the Best New artist nominated.

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