Grammys to introduce new set of awards
The Grammy Awards will have five new categories starting at next year’s ceremony, organizers said Thursday, including honors for songwriting as well as special recognition for best song for social change.
The Recording Academy said it was adding a Songwriter of the Year (Non-Classical) award, which would recognize “the most prolific non-performing, non-producing songwriters for their new work released during an eligibility year.”
New categories also include “Best Alternative Music Performance,” “Best American Performance,” “Best Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media,” and “Best Spoken Words Poetry Album.”
Introducing this year’s updates to the GRAMMY Awards process! 🎶 These updates will apply to the entire submission, nomination, and voting process for the 65th #GRAMMY and include new Categories, a new Special Merit Award, Category changes, and more.https://t.co/hYKasZLRJT
— Recording Academy / GRAMMY (@RecordingAcad) June 9, 2022
The Recording Academy also said it would present a special merit award for best song for social change, for which submissions had to “contain lyrical content that addresses a timely social issue and promotes understanding, peacebuilding and empathy”.
The winner will be chosen by a committee and ratified by the Board of Trustees of the Recording Academy.
“We are very excited to honor these diverse communities of music creators through the newly established awards and amendments and to continue to cultivate an environment that inspires change, progress and collaboration,” said the Academy’s CEO. Recording, Harvey Mason Jr., in a statement.
Conducted by #RecordingAcademy Members, this year’s updates to the GRAMMY Awards process ensure that the Awards accurately reflect all notable contributions to our industry and further illuminate all the genres and crafts that make music possible. #GRAMMY📲 https://t.co/hYKasZLRJT pic.twitter.com/sRRi9i6QZC
— Recording Academy / GRAMMY (@RecordingAcad) June 9, 2022
“The Academy’s top priority is to effectively represent the music people we serve, and each year, that means listening to our members and ensuring that our rules and guidelines reflect our ever-evolving industry.”
The 2023 Grammy Awards will be the 65th annual ceremony, the highest honors in the music industry.
This year’s ceremony was pushed back from January to April amid a spike in COVID-19 cases and moved from Los Angeles to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
