Before its 68th annual ceremony, the admission academy announced a major update for the Grammy Awards: the addition of a new category, the best traditional country album. This step underlines the continuing efforts of the academy to adapt to the developing music landscape, to honor the genre traditions and to recognize artists more integrated throughout the spectrum.
The 68th annual Grammy Awards take place on Sunday, February 1, 2026, in the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The nominations will be announced on Friday, November 7, 2025.
A new category for the country’s land traditionalists
As part of a wider update, the admission academy has divided the existing category Best Country album into two parts:
- Best contemporary country album (renamed the best country album)
- Best traditional country album (new)
This adaptation ensures that artists who support themselves in classic, root -based sounds have their own category.
“The top priority of the academy is to represent the music people we serve every year,” said Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the admission academy. “This includes the careful listening of our members to ensure that our rules and guidelines reflect today’s music and enable us to identify as many deserved creators as possible.”
Keyfeld data for the 68th Grammy Awards
- Product authorization period: August 31, 2024 – August 30th, 2025
- Registration of the media company: July 7th – August 22, 2025
- Online entrance period: July 16 – August 29, 2025
- First round vote: October 3 to October 15, 2025
- Candidate announcement: November 7, 2025
- End of the last round: December 12, 2025 – January 5, 2026
- Grammy Awards Ceremony: February 1, 2026 (transfer live to CBS and streaming via Paramount+)
Additional category -updates across fields
In addition to the Country Music Update, the admission academy has also introduced or changed categories in other genres and specialties:
General field
- Artists who were previously attributed to the album of the Year are now entitled to the best new artist, provided that their contribution was below 20% of the season.
Classic field
- Composers and poets/librettists are now among those who are entitled to recognize albums for the GRAMMY recognition.
Packing field
- The best recording package and the best or special package for limited edition have smeared to the best recording package.
- A new best album cover category was introduced.
- The physical product requirements for different categories now contain albums that are sold directly via artist or label websites.
Commitment to representation and inclusion
The admission academy has also revised category definitions and criteria to ensure that they are in line with today’s music practices. These updates, part of the annual rule book changes of the academy, aim to recognize a broader and more diverse group of creators.
As Mason emphasized: “We look forward to celebrating the amazing power of music and its ability to bring together so many people.”
Learn more
Further information on the 68th annual Grammy Awards and updates in the rulbook can be found at grammy.com or recordingacademy.com.
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