Grammy announces new award categories

The new awards start in the 2024 edition

Afp – The 2024 edition of Gram will feature new categories, including the award for best african music performancethe Recording Academy announced last Tuesday 13. In addition to awarding a record that uses “unique local expressions from the entire African continent”, the 66th edition of the biggest world music award will award trophies to the best alternative jazz album is the best pop dance recording.

Two existing categories, Non-Classical Producer of the Year and Songwriter of the Year, will now be chosen by all voters, rather than a specific genre-selected group.

These changes come after several years of revamping the Grammy categories as the Academy seeks to mitigate criticisms that its selections aren’t inclusive and don’t reflect the evolving music industry.

Last year, the organization honored the best video game soundtrack and created the long-awaited Composer of the Year award, open to composers who aren’t necessarily performers or producers.

Change the category name

In 2020, the Los Angeles-based institution changed the name of several categories, such as controversial urban contemporary music, which morphed into progressive R&B.

The new award which will recognize recordings of African music spans multiple genres, according to the Academy, including but not limited to Afrobeat, High Life, Bongo Flava, Ghanaian Drill and Ethio Jazz.

Songs by African artists have long dominated global music categories, with the likes of Angelique Kidjo and Burna Boy appearing regularly.

The new category seems to be a bet to give greater recognition to the impact of African music on international trends.

“These changes reflect our commitment to actively listening to and responding to feedback from our music community, accurately representing a broad range of relevant music genres, and staying aligned with the ever-evolving music landscape,” said Harvey Mason Jr., director of ‘Academy of registration, in a statement.

Songs released between October 1, 2022 and September 15, 2023 can be nominated in the 2024 edition.

© Agence France-Presse

Source: Terra

Earl

Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.