The GRAMMYs are switching lanes — new categories, new energy, same spotlight
The Grammys – music’s biggest night is switching things up with new categories, and not just with the performances.
The Recording Academy is cracking open the gate for new sounds and fresh visuals in 2026. Two new categories the Grammys are rolling in: Best Traditional Country Album and Best Album Cover—an overdue nod to two forces shaping music from opposite ends of the vibe spectrum.
Let’s start with the obvious sauce.
Album covers. Yes, those mood boards that turned CDs into collectibles and made scrolling feel like gallery walks. Now they’re finally getting their flowers. In an era where the timeline is the gallery and vibes are curated in 1080p, album art is doing just as much storytelling as the songs. Maybe more.
So the Academy got the memo.
“Album covers are arguably more impactful than ever,” said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., speaking to GRAMMY.com with the kind of clarity that usually shows up after a deep scroll through Apple Music’s new releases.
This new Best Album Cover category is the industry finally admitting that design is not decoration, rather it is direction. It’s first impression. It’s culture. And for the art directors, stylists, and visionaries who’ve lived in the shadows of credits pages and Pinterest boards now have a plaque up for grabs.
But that’s not all.
Country music, that old American sweetheart, is being redefined from the inside out. The current Best Country Album category is getting renamed to Best Contemporary Country Album, making room for its nostalgic sibling: Best Traditional Country Album.
This simple means, the old soul of country, likes of banjos, pedal steel, twang, porchlight vibes is back in style.
“Country music has evolved in a major way,” Mason Jr. said. “Traditional country is experiencing a massive resurgence.”
It’s more than cowboy boots on TikTok—it’s heritage being remixed, streamed, and sung by new voices who still remember the dirt roads.
These changes ride in on the heels of a historic 2025 ceremony that felt like a cultural reset. Kendrick Lamar stormed the stage with five wins, Tems cemented her Grammy bag with “Love Me JeJe,” and Beyoncé finally locked in Album of the Year for Cowboy Carter—a record that bridged country roots with Black excellence. She handed that win to Linda Martell, but we all caught the moment.
Now, all eyes are on the 2026 Grammys.
Mark it down: February 1, 2026. Los Angeles, meanwhile nominations drop November 7.
And with these new categories, the game just got a little more inclusive, a lot more exciting, and—for once—aligned with what’s actually happening in the culture.
The Grammys are listening and for once, we just might be singing back.
