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The Recording Academy has added three new categories for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.
Just as last year’s additions included Songwriter of the Year and Song for social change categories, this year’s new additions focus on Africa as it includes Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album, and Best Pop Dance Recording.
After amendments were voted on and passed at the Recording Academy’s most recent semi-annual Board of Trustees meeting held last month, the three anticipated categories added to the Grammys are the African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album, and Best Pop Dance Recording.
The African Music Performance category will celebrate the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic traditions that vary across the continent. Genres eligible for consideration include Afrobeat, Afro-fusion, Afro-Pop, Afrobeats, Alte, Amapiano, Bongo Flava, Genge, Kizomba, Chimurenga, High Life, Fuji, Kwassa, Ndombolo, Mapouka, Ghanaian Drill, Afro-House, South African Hip-Hop, and Ethio Jazz.
The best Pop Dance Recording category Recognizes tracks and singles that feature up-tempo and danceable music that follows a pop arrangement
And the Alternative Jazz Album category recognizes artistic excellence in alternative jazz albums by individuals, duos, groups/ensembles, with or without vocals. Alternative jazz may be defined as a genre-blending, envelope-pushing with other genres, including R&B, hip-hop, classical, contemporary improvisation, experimental, pop, rap, electronic/dance music, and/or spoken word. It may also include the contemporary production techniques/ instrumentation associated with another genre
“The Recording Academy is proud to announce these latest Category changes to our Awards process. These changes reflect our commitment to actively listen and respond to the feedback from our music community, accurately represent a diverse range of relevant musical genres, and stay aligned with the ever-evolving musical landscape…By introducing these three new categories, we can acknowledge and appreciate a broader array of artists – and relocating the producer of the year and songwriter of the year categories to the general field ensures that all our voters can participate in recognizing excellence in these fields. We are excited to honor and celebrate the creators and recordings in these categories, while also exposing a wider range of music to fans worldwide.” Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy said.
Story by Aisha Alhassan – Entertainment Desk
