If you’re a fan of music at all, then you’re definitely familiar with the Grammy Awards, the music industry’s biggest awards show. On Tuesday, the Recording Academy announced one of the largest changes to the Grammy Awards since its inception nearly 60 years ago. For four categories – Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist – the number of nominees will expand from five to eight.
So, what does this mean?
Possibly the most major effect that these changes will have is ensuring that the awards and the Academy stay as current as they can, especially given the high number of entries in these categories. By expanding the number of nominees, the Recording Academy is likely taking action to be more inclusive. Last year, male artists swept the major categories, not only by dominating the nominations, but by making up the majority of winners, too. There is also criticism for awards shows in all industries of entertainment to diversify their nominees and performers, most notably in response to the #OscarsSoWhite movement a few years ago. Although it is hard to predict who will benefit from these changes, including more nominees in these major categories will hopefully give more opportunities to women and people of color to reflect the larger music industry.
To find out more about the changes and other updated guidelines effective for next year’s show, check out the Grammy Awards official website.
- Today in Music History: April 7 - April 7, 2023
- EP Review: Michigander’s It Will Never Be The Same - March 31, 2023
- Deep Dive: Spotify’s ALT NOW Playlist - March 30, 2023
