The Recording Academy has announced the introduction of two new categories and the restructuring of an existing one—all set to debut at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, scheduled for February 1, 2026.
Following its annual Board meeting, the Academy confirmed the implementation of the following updates:
Best Album Cover has been added to the awards lineup, marking a return to form for the category. Originally introduced in 1959, it was merged with Best Recording Package in 1974. With this update, the two categories will now be awarded separately.
The country music field will also see notable changes. A new category, Best Traditional Country Album, has been established. In tandem, the existing Best Country Album category will be rebranded as Best Contemporary Country Album.
In clarifying what qualifies as traditional country, the Recording Academy stated that the category reflects “more traditional sound structures of the country genre, including rhythm and singing style, lyrical content, as well as traditional country instrumentation such as acoustic guitar, steel guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, piano, electric guitar, and live drums.”
The changes within the country categories come amid growing conversations around genre boundaries and representation—particularly following Beyoncé’s historic wins at the 2025 ceremony. In addition to her Album of the Year victory, she won Best Country Album for “Cowboy Carter”, becoming the first Black woman to claim the award. She also took home Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “II Most Wanted” with Miley Cyrus. Once the revised categories are introduced, Beyoncé will stand as the final recipient of the original Best Country Album award.
Further adjustments have been made to the eligibility criteria in the General Field (Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year), as well as in the Classical and Packaging Fields. These updates are detailed in the official Grammy rulebook.
Nominees for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards will be announced on November 7, 2025. The ceremony will air live on the CBS Television Network and stream on Paramount+.
Additional announcements regarding the host and performances are expected in the coming months.