Three New Categories Added For The 2024 GRAMMYs

Decades of aiming for inclusion on the GRAMMYs ballot have finally led to the recognition of African music, alternative jazz, and dance pop as distinct and deserving genres.

The Recording Academy has responded to this by introducing three new categories: Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album, and Best Pop Dance Recording. These exciting additions will make their debut at the 66th GRAMMY Awards, scheduled for 2024.

In addition to these new categories, significant changes are being made to the existing ones. The Categories of Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical, and Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical will be moved to the General Field.

This shift will allow all GRAMMY voters to participate in voting for these important awards, irrespective of specific genres.

These modifications to the award categories were decided and passed during the Recording Academy's recent semiannual Board of Trustees meeting in May 2023.

Harvey Mason Jr., the CEO of the Recording Academy, expressed the organization's pride in announcing these changes.

"The Recording Academy is proud to announce these latest Category changes to our Awards process,” Mason Jr. said. “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.”

Mason further explained the significance of the new categories, stating that they would allow a wider range of artists to be acknowledged and appreciated.

He also expressed excitement about honoring and celebrating the creators and recordings in these categories, while also exposing a broader range of music to fans worldwide.

"By introducing these three new categories, we are able to 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,” Mason added.

Here’s a breakdown of the three new GRAMMY Award Categories:

Best African Music Performance

A track and singles Category that recognizes recordings that utilize unique local expressions from across the African continent. Highlighting regional melodic, harmonic and rhythmic musical traditions, the Category includes but is not limited to the 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 genres.

Best Pop Dance Recording

Recognizes tracks and singles that feature up-tempo, danceable music that follows a pop arrangement. Eligible Pop Dance recordings also feature strong rhythmic beats and significant electronic-based instruments with an emphasis on the vocal performance, melody and hooks. Dance remixes are eligible in the Best Remixed Recording Category only and may not be entered in Best Pop Dance Recording.

Best Alternative Jazz Album

This Category recognizes artistic excellence in Alternative Jazz albums by individuals, duos and groups/ensembles, with or without vocals. Alternative Jazz may be defined as a genre-blending, envelope-pushing hybrid that mixes jazz (improvisation, interaction, harmony, rhythm, arrangements, composition, and style) 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 other genres.