Here Are the 10 Biggest Changes to the Grammy Awards Process for 2024

The Recording Academy has made several changes to its awards structure for the 66th annual Grammy Awards, which are set for February. They have added three new categories: best pop dance recording, best African music performance and best alternative jazz album.

With these additions, the Grammys have 94 categories — the most since 2009 and 2010, when there were 109 each year. In 2011, the number was cut from 109 to 78, but it has steadily crept back up.

Harvey Mason jr., the Recording Academy’s CEO, was a trustee in 2011 at the time of what he calls “the great consolidation.” Mason claims not to remember how he as trustee voted on the consolidation issue, but he is now plainly in favor of category expansion. The Academy has added 10 categories in the last three years, the most it has added in any three-year period since 1959-61, when it added 12.

“Music has changed,” he told Billboard this week. “Music is becoming more prevalent from other parts of the world. There is more mashing up of styles and sounds. Borders are coming down. As an Academy, I don’t want 200 categories, but I do want to make sure we’re including as much music as is reasonably possible. Because what’s better than that? We’re celebrating different genres. Let’s do that. Let’s do more of that, not less.”

When it is pointed out the Oscars have only 23 categories, less than one-quarter of the number of Grammys next year, Mason says, “Music is very, very different. There are so many different genres and categories. We would be remiss if we left out certain genres, and there are certain genres that shouldn’t be asked to compete against other genres. I do believe that there are enough Grammys to go around, enough opportunity to celebrate different genres of music. Including more genres and not leaving out groups of people feels like the right way to go right now.”

Mason said that this year, the trustees approved all changes that the awards and nominations committee advanced – they generally do, but not always. As for fans who are waiting for the Grammys to add a K-pop category, Mason says there was no proposal for one this year. Maybe next year.

Here are the 10 biggest changes to the Grammy awards process for 2024, with comments from Mason.