The Recording Academy Revamps Grammy Awards / Add New Categories

Published: Saturday 9th Jun 2012 by David

Yesterday, four months after 2012 Grammy Awards took place in Los Angeles, The Recording Academy revealed exciting new plans with regards to the ceremony’s future.

Plans, which will effect many an act’s chance of taking home an award due to the inclusion of brand new categories and nomination guidelines.

Details below…

The new categories are as follows:

Best Classic Compendium

Best Latin Jazz Album

Best Urban Contemporary Album

In the past the likes of Rihanna have come under fire for landing nominations in R&B categories despite her music being predominantly Pop.

Now, with the inclusion of the ‘Best Urban Contemporary Album’ category acts who draw on elements of R&B as well as in tandem with other genres will no longer have to compete with the likes of Ledisi whose music is predominately R&B.

Important, as it takes the various sub-genres that exist within ‘Urban music’ into account, giving the Minaj’s, Drake’s and Melanie Fiona’s of the world an even greater shot at picking up an award.

The official release reads:

Best Urban Contemporary Album is for albums containing 51percent playing time of newly recorded contemporary vocal tracks derivative of R&B. This category is intended for artists whose music includes the more contemporary elements of R&B and may incorporate production elements found in urban pop, urban europop, urban rock, and urban alternative.

The eligibility year for the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards is Oct. 1, 2011, to Sept. 30, 2012.

The submissions process for the 55th GRAMMY Awards begins on July 2, 2012, and will be followed by various Academy Screening Committee meetings later this year. Nominations for the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be announced as part of “The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music’s Biggest Night®,” a one-hour special that sets the stage for the annual GRAMMY Awards telecast with nominations announced in several categories and performances by past GRAMMY winners and/or nominees. This year’s nominations special will be broadcast live on CBS on Wed., Dec. 5, 2012.

So, taking this new category into consideration, which album released this year is most deserving of the award?

Weigh in below…

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  1. @BeyHive_FBI_4 June 9, 2012

    @Beyonce the queen so she will be taking some home

    • MissImpartial June 9, 2012

      For what? She didn’t get any nominations last year therefore doubt that she will get any this year.

      • salah June 9, 2012

        so ? beyonce realsed i am sasha fierce on 2008,
        and got her 6 grammy awards on 2010, so im sure
        she will get more grammys on 2013! Lets go for 21
        grammys eh bey!?

        #kingB

      • beeyonceknight June 9, 2012

        Beyonce got two nominations. She submitted too early for the Grammys that’s why it all didn’t pass. Wait for 2013 (that’s if she releases new materials)

  2. ASAP (As Sincere As Possible) June 9, 2012

    Oh no! People have already messed up the definition of R ‘n’ B enough! Electro artists like The Black Eyed Peas are unfairly labelled as r ‘n’ b and this new category is only going to make it worse! R ‘n’ B means rhythm and blues, everything else is irrelevant. Can’t they simply make an urban pop category?

  3. Viciousss June 9, 2012

    LMAO. nice pic choice TGJ.

  4. 12345 June 9, 2012

    they should have named it best contemporary urban album sounds better

  5. YouDoRealize… June 9, 2012

    To me ubran = black. Thats there way of saying your pop enough to be pop but since your black and have thismuch of R&B we’re going to give you Best Urban Contemporary Album ( which p.s. isn’t much different from Best R&B Contempory Album)

    • TRUDI June 10, 2012

      urban = urban. its where the music originates from, an urban area. They’re making clear lines because as stated certain folks who stick closer to a specific genre are booted by the more “popular” acts who started in one and branched out into everything else.

  6. I.D. June 9, 2012

    These were the nominations for Best R&B album at the 54th Grammy Awards (2012):

    Best R&B Album

    F.A.M.E. – Chris Brown

    Second Chance – El DeBarge
    Love Letter – R. Kelly
    Pieces of Me – Ledisi
    Kelly – Kelly Price

    Even though Chris Brown won, the category was dominated by traditional R&B/soul artists. So this is clearly to give the pop/r&b artists (Beyonce, Rihanna etc) a look-in, just in case they do not win Album Of The Year.

    • mobwife June 9, 2012

      They should have keep the orginal categories that sepearated the TRADITIONAL R&B, Jazz & Rock from the more CONTEMPORARY R&B, Jazz & Rock!

      **smfh at the Grammy nonsense!

  7. Benron June 9, 2012

    I think ThatHateJuice accidently shades the artists they like, first calling Nicki Minaj the queen of rap, (waits for missy elliots return even tho I do not even like her) Just because Nicki has had 2 hit songs. Then when talking about the grammys uses Chris’ picture of his ONE grammy….

    And wait, Did Sam forget to make a post about the ACTUAL details of Chris attacking his girlfriend? (Ms. Fenty, not Kahoochi Mama/ Kacoochie or whatever her name is.) Cuz they are right here
    http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/66624525.html?page=8&cut_expand=1#cutid1

    Sounds interesting right like this: “Brown looked at Robyn F. and stated, ‘I’m going to beat the sh– out of you when we get home! You wait and see!” or this “After Robyn F. faked the call, Brown looked at her and stated, “You just did the stupidest thing ever! Now I’m really going to kill you!”

    But alas, chris is innocent!

    • mobwife June 9, 2012

      YES, CHRIS BROWN IS!

      Who gives a f*ck? What does a THREE-YEAR-OLD FIGHT have to do with this post? You fools are SICK and you are EVIL!

      So you’re quoting ONE-SIDE of the STORY! It still doesn’t make her side of the story FACTUAL or ACTUAL! It’s merely what Rih-GET-AROUND-THE-DAMN-INDUSTRY had to say! Yawn….snooze….get the f*ck over it!

      • Benron June 9, 2012

        Its the official report, not what rihanna said, MAYBE BROWN SHOULD OF NOT PLEAD GUILTY if he didn’t assault her

    • Lax June 9, 2012

      @Benron Cosign U…

    • aishaaguilerakeys June 9, 2012

      It’s been three yrs, let that s*** go.

    • X,Y,”and Z” June 9, 2012

      @Benron re: June 9th, 11:08 am — “..ACTUAL details of Chris attacking his girlfriend?”

      Just the facts, please, sans the fog of hyperbole, ignorance, emotional diatribe, and maybe a “working” understanding of the differences between a “Cell Phone Search Warrant” and a “Witness Statement”:

      1.) A “Witness Statement” is signed by the witness. This, then makes the document “official” and admissible in a court of law. If the “witness” does NOT sign the document, then how do we know it was/is his/her accounting of the events that had transpired? WE WOULDN’T! A Warrant, in this case, the “Cell Phone Records Warrant”, was NOT signed by Rihanna.

      If you unchain yourself from emotion, and take careful notice of the document, then you’d see that it bears only two signatures:

      (1.) Judge Patricia Schnegg.
      (2.) LAPD Detective Deshon Andrews.

      Furthermore..

      The author of said document, Det. Deshon Andrews, was NOT the “first responder” upon the scene. The “first responders” were 8-year LAPD veteran Rebecca M. Reyes and rookie officer Blanca Lopez. It was, said two officers, who sold Rihanna’s picture to TMZ. It was ALSO said two officers who spoke to Det. Andrews and told him THEIR unfolding of the events of Feb 8th, 2009. And it IS their hearsay/second-hand, with-criminal-intent-in-mind tale of woe that you’ve made yourself s**** to. Safe to say, they’d already decided to collude, contrive, connive, and sensationalize the story that MUCH more, to THEN get THAT much more MONEY by/from selling TMZ their illegally attained picture.

      That said, let us NOW reference Rihanna’s GOOD friends over at TMZ to hear what REALLY happened on that fateful Feb 8th, 2009 evening:

      “Sources say Rihanna was the first one to strike — slapping and striking Brown “numerous times” while he was driving, after seeing the text message from another woman.”

      “We’re told much of this is reflected in the OFFICIAL POLICE REPORT based on what Rihanna told cops.”
      (www.tmz.com/2009/03/09/brown-wants-misdemeanor-plea-no-jail-time/)

      ..Alas, Chris IS innocent..!!

      X,Y,”and Z” — OUT..!!

      • Benron June 11, 2012

        Who are these sources? Amd crazy breezy fans could pretend to be sources!

  8. joker June 9, 2012

    lol. why they not just nominate rihanna in pop instead? just cause she’s black doesn’t make her music any more r’n’b. i could say the same about the post’s photoed cb and sure others.

    • joker June 9, 2012

      let’s leave it at that. the category fits for some. grammies wanna do it like that?!. so… they do it. more awards for all. 😀

    • addy3096 June 9, 2012

      I agree with your comment on so many levels. They only call Rihanna R&B because she is black. SMH

  9. Kingphoenix June 9, 2012

    This award is perfect for the Rihannas and Chris Browns, but i bet you Justin Beiber willl be the first person to win this award!lol

    • Benron June 9, 2012

      TRUTH!

  10. Benron June 9, 2012

    Oh and don’t act like your little “Alexandra burke” won’t be called a R&B Singer for being black, as if it just happens to Rihanna…

    Best urban contemperary is B*******, just a reason to snub artist like Rihanna, this Alexandra girl, and other black pop singers, then give them a “special” award to cover it up.

    Oh and Question for the Beyhive, Is Beyonce considered Pop? Because some ppl call her pop and others say r&b, which is it?

    • Kingphoenix June 9, 2012

      She’s both….technically. But more Urban Pop and R&B. That’s why she is consider apart of the triniity of pop Right now Britney (who seems to be getting replaced by Rihanna), Lady Gaga, and Beyonce). Beyonce will never fully be R&B because her fanbase is too wide…she will always incorporate different elemnents from different genres, thats where the money is. As long as she makes good music, and not generic s*** like some other artist, i am here for it.

      Btw, Alexander Burke is a none-factor so dont waist your time coming for her. You need to be worried about Rita Ora coming for Rihanna’s latest wig contraption bew.

    • Lax June 9, 2012

      @Benron and i notice that bey often times tries to have a song in pop, comp, and r&b to try and cover all the bases.
      Of course the Bee Hive is always going to defend, shield
      and fight to the death to make beyonce qualify for all or
      nothing and it don’t matter if her ass had a hit or not.

    • Jay June 9, 2012

      Why does she have to be restricted to one genre? why can’t she be both pop and r&b?

  11. DIGGER BEY June 9, 2012

    It looks like KING B will own this catergory, like Aretha owns Best Female Vocal Performance!

    • Lax June 9, 2012

      Wrong shes not going to own jack shyt, many people or sick
      of her no singing ass.

  12. MH June 9, 2012

    Good because there is no way that Chris Brown should’ve won a best R&B Album award.

  13. mobwife June 9, 2012

    DING DING DING “exciting new plans with regards to the ceremony’s future” <– THIS IS WHAT Lauryn Hill was just TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE!

    Why did they revamp the awards in 2011 after 44 (?) years? WTF is REALLY GOING ON? There is no way that MEN & WOMEN should be judged in the same category unless it's for an overall CD! I knew they were up to somethinng! We will see how long these "new categories" will last 0_O???

    • Kingphoenix June 9, 2012

      They don’t wont black artist like Beyonce, Rihanna, Chris Brown, and even a Florida or LMFAO..to compete with the white artist and possibly win. In this way, they can all compete with each other, and the white pop artist get their own seperate award. Hhhhmm, things are becoming more clearer now. Thats why you have an artist like Allison Kraus with more Grammies than Aretha Franklin. No doubt, they will try to get adele to have more than Beyonce soon.

      • BeyHiveYourself June 9, 2012

        Mobwife your stupidity knows no bounds.
        Why shouldnt men and women be nominated in the same category if they are in the same genre and compete on the same charts.
        You’re probably a Riwhorena stan.

      • aishaaguilerakeys June 9, 2012

        Whatever. Keep playing the race card.

      • mobwife June 10, 2012

        @BeyHiveYourself

        Dumbass if you could discern fact from fiction you would know that in addition to removing the NEEDED categories of TRADITIONAL & CONTEMPORARY music (R&B, Jazz Rock) they also removed the NEEDED MALE & FEMALES artist categories!

        For 43 years there had been a BEST FEMALE CATEGORY and a BEST MALE CATEGORY in all genres. WOMEN should compete for this title (in R&B Jill Scott, Ledisi, Beyonce, Fantasha, Marsha Ambrosia, M Fiona, Rihanna etc). As the MEN should compete for theirs. Why do away with these categories all of a sudden? As there are distincted differences WITHIN GENRE, hence the need to have a return of the TRADITIONAL & CONTEMPORARY R&B categories, there is also a musical difference between MEN & WOMEN! There was nothing wrong with celebrating both groups independently as well as a group (e.g Best Song, Best Album/CD etc which are group -male & female- competitions).

    • Lax June 9, 2012

      @MOBWIFE i agree with you on that, Thanks
      you know we fight but hey you speak the truth
      in that comment.

  14. JohnVidal(RIP Whitney-truegreat) June 9, 2012

    WHY????????
    They did great when last year they eliminated so many categories, making the grammys return to what they were before (at least a little bit). I mean, less categories, not that easy to win grammys (cos 00´s decade was a joke with so many easy ones, big example Beyonce, and suddendly this year when they didn´t have those many R&B categories she wasn´t hugely nominated, she was really lucky in the 00´s)
    But now, this year they add new categories again. I don´t like the idea. Easier for average artists to win grammys again: Chris Brown, Beyonce, Rihanna, etc

  15. Lucy Lu June 9, 2012

    chris brown will def bring home a couple of awards..

    Chris Brown Says “EVERYbody Worried About Rihanna Face, Nobody Ever Stopped to Ask Me How My Hand Felt” http://goo.gl/p0UYI .. Wow really??

    • Lax June 9, 2012

      You or a liar chris had a set down with Larry King,
      he wore a bow tie.

  16. Jay June 9, 2012

    This category is similar to “best contemporary RNB album” but they removed that award before the 2012 Grammys. Beyonces 4 album was not quite RNB enough to win RNB album but she would definitely win this. Chris brown’s music aswell as Usher’s and Emili Sande’s would be nominated. Rihanna was nominated in the POP section of the Grammys earlier this year so idk what he’s talking about. I think they should remove that URBAN bs and just name it contemporary RNB

    • Gilberto June 9, 2012

      “Beyonces 4 album was not quite RNB enough to win RNB”
      You’re talking a lot of b*******. What does make you think 4 isn’t R&B enough? Are you retarded? Chris Brown’s F.A.M.E. even had generic dance songs!!! And it won Best R&B Album. Is that R&B for you? I don’t think so.
      4 is a pure old school R&B album. It’s vocally, emotionally, lyrically better than anything Chris Brown has ever done. It was even more successful.
      Grammy is changing this category because they know they did a big mistake when they gave an award to Chris Brown. Many famous singers were pissed that 4 wasn’t nominated, Jill Scott was one of them.
      I loved when S*** Brown hit the stage and lip-synched his performance. It was liking he was shitting on Grammy member face and making them look like damn fools. <3

      • Teacher June 9, 2012

        Run The World is old school R&B? LOOOOOOOOOOOOOL EOT? CD? etc. Girrrrl BYE!

      • Jay June 9, 2012

        You obviously don’t understand what im saying. Beyonce did deserve a nomination for 4, but End of Time, Countdown etc those songs are not RnB. Dangerously in Love for example is just as RnB as “4” but it was NEVER nominated in the RnB album category, instead she won BEST CONTEMPORARY RNB ALBUM for “Dangerously In Love” which is equivalent to this new category. If they had this category earlier then Beyonce would’ve been nominated in it. I agree Chris’ album isn’t RnB either but he would also be nominated in this new category.

      • aishaaguilerakeys June 9, 2012

        Thatalbum wasn’t 100% RnB, so it’s true that it wasn’t RnB enough. Don’t worry about B, she still got her millions.

    • Kingphoenix June 9, 2012

      This is not just for R&B though, its for R&B and Hip-Hoppish muscic that is really more pop. Like i can see the nomination list now: Talk that Talk, Born to Die, Believe, The Fame (if its any good), Pink Friday Roman Reloaded, and then maybe some really random artist.

  17. QueenOfTheNavy June 9, 2012

    Hold that GRAMMY tight Chris, because we all know you bought it.

    • mobwife June 10, 2012

      How can you BUY A GRAMMY?

      If you could read, there is a complete listing of Grammy rules that state how each person is nominated, selected, and has an equal opportunity to win. The Grammy Awards are both committee and peer based nominations. No other music award is like the Grammy process! A 60 (SIXTY) PERSON COMMITTEE & EVERY….E V E R Y PERSON WHO HAS EVER WON A GRAMMY AWARD has a chance to cast a VOTE per category!

      Let me put it this way, if Chris Brown bought his Grammy then Jayz bought the four GENERIC Grammy’s that Rihanna “won”! ***Didn’t Riri win for the” Best Video Lighting” or some BULLSH** like that? 🙂

  18. Sterling Infinity June 9, 2012

    Urban Pop is what it is right?

  19. Teacher June 9, 2012

    Cool

  20. Mika June 9, 2012

    Talk That Talk – Rihanna 🙂

  21. steph June 9, 2012

    CIARA – ONE WOMAN ARMY 🙂

    The Evolution would of won this category if it was done then btw

  22. JER June 9, 2012

    In other words, BeYAWNce’s camp complained so they opened up a category specifically for her to win. GURL BYE

  23. X,Y,”and Z” June 9, 2012

    @Benron re: June 9th, 11:08 am — “..ACTUAL details of Chris attacking his girlfriend?”

    Just the facts, please, sans the fog of hyperbole, ignorance, emotional diatribe, and maybe a “working” understanding of the differences between a “Cell Phone Search Warrant” and a “Witness Statement”:

    1.) A “Witness Statement” is signed by the witness. This, then makes the document “official” and admissible in a court of law. If the “witness” does NOT sign the document, then how do we know it was/is his/her accounting of the events that had transpired? WE WOULDN’T! A Warrant, in this case, the “Cell Phone Records Warrant”, was NOT signed by Rihanna.

    If you unchain yourself from emotion, and take careful notice of the document, then you’d see that it bears only two signatures:

    (1.) Judge Patricia Schnegg.
    (2.) LAPD Detective Deshon Andrews.

    Furthermore..

    The author of said document, Det. Deshon Andrews, was NOT the “first responder” upon the scene. The “first responders” were 8-year LAPD veteran Rebecca M. Reyes and rookie officer Blanca Lopez. It was, said two officers, who sold Rihanna’s picture to TMZ. It was ALSO said two officers who spoke to Det. Andrews and told him THEIR unfolding of the events of Feb 8th, 2009. And it IS their hearsay/second-hand, with-criminal-intent-in-mind tale of woe that you’ve made yourself s**** to. Safe to say, they’d already decided to collude, contrive, connive, and sensationalize the story that MUCH more, to THEN get THAT much more MONEY by/from selling TMZ their illegally attained picture.

    That said, let us NOW reference Rihanna’s GOOD friends over at TMZ to hear what REALLY happened on that fateful Feb 8th, 2009 evening:

    “Sources say Rihanna was the first one to strike — slapping and striking Brown “numerous times” while he was driving, after seeing the text message from another woman.”

    “We’re told much of this is reflected in the OFFICIAL POLICE REPORT based on what Rihanna told cops.”
    (www.tmz.com/2009/03/09/brown-wants-misdemeanor-plea-no-jail-time/)

    ..Alas, Chris IS innocent..!!

    X,Y,”and Z” — OUT..!!

    P.S. — AT NO TIME WAS CHRIS BROWN EVER CHARGED WITH “BATTERY”! “Assault”, under the California Penal Code, is the wanting/intent to do bodily harm! Chris wanted to do as much “bodily harm” to Rihanna as she’d wanted to him after she read HIS cell phone text messages, and then “slapped, punched, and struck him numerous times.” Furthermore, California regularly expunges records. Chris will soon have his records completely expunged, and Rihanna will, yet sooner, sink to the abyss with her “Battleship”.

    • mobwife June 10, 2012

      THANK YOU!! 🙂

  24. POP ROYALTY ( Révolution) June 9, 2012

    i can see BEYONCE winning in this one …………………

    • Kingphoenix June 9, 2012

      Who the f*** is that in your Avi? Anastasia? You really tried it!

  25. Virtuoso Intellect June 9, 2012

    Rihanna’s album was nom’d in pop category last year. Halo also won in the pop category against 4 other white females so i dont think race is in play here. I can see Robin Thicke winnin an RnB grammy

    Obviously CB was set up to win that album. They couldnt put him up against Beyonce & Jill to achieve that. Anyways thats all in the past. The brat will prolly diss em if he doesnt win any in the fortune era like he has done in the past

    I dunno why they took out best contemporary album category. The messed up my Bey’s streak; all her prev albums bar 4 won in that category … Welp

    I hope love on top & emeli sande’s album win in 2013

    • mobwife June 10, 2012

      How was CB set up to win? He didn’t need to be set up! That Grammy Award was his as he earned his Best CD honor just like Beyonce “earned her 16” awards…..right?! 0_O

  26. I Judge Flops June 9, 2012

    For all those Rihanna fans.

    TTT has NO elements of R&B so it will DEF NOT even be nominated let alone win.

    Chris Brown will win this one again.

    Sorry Navy, you will only win Grammys if you collaborate with Jay or Kanye

    • Teacher June 9, 2012

      Ur moms a Flop!

      What’s UD1,TTT,Cockiness,Bday Cake,WNL?..those songs have RnB n hiphop elements!

      • theman June 9, 2012

        No Usher will !

  27. Girrrl June 9, 2012

    TGJ is filled with idiots. Rihanna is ALWAYS nominated in the pop category. Loud was nominated for best Pop Album as was GGGB. Chris Brown is the one who shouldn’t have been in that category with all that rap music on his album. The Grammys realized that they shaded real R&B artists last year and are trying to fix their mistake.

    • Teacher June 9, 2012

      Yep!

    • mobwife June 10, 2012

      Chris Brown had 2 Rap Song LAMN & Dueces but he sang on that track! “All what rap songs? He had more R&B then anything else on F.A.M.E.

  28. S****** Blonde June 9, 2012

    I’m the only one here who has not respect for the Grammy’s.

  29. theman June 9, 2012

    The Shammy’s should have left the regular awards alone.

  30. EBONY CLAWS June 10, 2012

    4 won’t be nominated for any s***. Maybe “Love on Top” for “Best R&B Vocal Performance”, though, and I guess it’s gonna be her 17th. Songs like “Birthday Cake” won’t be even nominated in that catabrogy.

    and What do you MEAN “Talk That Talk” is gonna grab that new award and go home?

    Even “Good Girl Gone Bad” and “Loud” couldn’t win any s***. How the hell is “SUCK THAT C***” gonna win a GRAMMY?????

    Rihanna is not a real Grammy winner. If it wasn’t for Master Eminem, Daddy Jay and Black Dom Daddy Kanye, she would’ve tanked with TWO Grammys in some corner.

    No Sadé

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