Grammy Awards to add Asian Pop category as major rule changes take effect

The Grammy Awards will introduce five new categories from 2027, including a dedicated award for Asian Pop music, in one of the most significant updates to the ceremony's structure in recent years.

Organisers have announced that the 69th Grammy Awards, scheduled for February 7, 2027, will feature new honours recognising Asian Pop, Latin songwriting, traditional folk music, traditional pop vocals and R&B collaborations.

The addition of the Best Asian Pop Music Performance category marks a notable expansion for music originating from Asian markets, including K-pop, J-pop and C-pop. The award will recognise performances that make meaningful use of one or more Asian languages.

Other new categories include Best Latin Song, Best Traditional Folk Album, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance and Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance.

Alongside the category expansion, the Recording Academy has approved changes to eligibility rules for some of its most closely watched awards.

Artists will now be allowed to be submitted up to four times for Best New Artist consideration, up from the previous limit of three. The Academy said the revision reflects changing career trajectories and the evolving nature of artist development in the streaming era.

Eligibility requirements for albums have also been relaxed. To qualify for Grammy consideration, an album will now need 66 per cent newly recorded material, down from the previous threshold of 75 per cent. The move is intended to prevent the exclusion of projects widely regarded within the industry as new albums despite containing remixes, live recordings or previously released material.

The Recording Academy is also introducing "Ballot Plus", an optional voting system that will allow eligible members with verified expertise across multiple genres to vote in up to 15 peer-related categories. Members who do not opt into the programme will continue using the existing voting structure.

The changes come as the Grammys seek to adapt to shifts in global music consumption and increasingly diverse listening habits, with Asian and Latin music continuing to gain prominence on international charts.