Grammys Expand to Include Diverse Genres
The Grammy Awards are set to introduce five new categories, notably Best Asian Pop Music Performance and Best Latin Song. This move follows recent historical achievements at the awards, such as Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny's win for Album of the Year with an entirely Spanish-language record and the K-Pop track "Golden" from the movie KPop Demon Hunters making history earlier this year.
Inclusivity and Representation
Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Grammys, stated that the expansion aims to make the event "more inclusive" and better "represent more music creators, artists, writers and producers." The Recording Academy, which organizes the Grammys, previously added a significant number of Korean and Latino artists to its voting panel last year, a step widely seen as preparing for such an expansion. Mason Jr. noted that these changes were inspired by the music community's desire for more opportunities to celebrate various new music genres.
Eligibility for New Categories
- Best Latin Song: Tracks must be "predominantly in the Spanish language."
- Best Asian Pop Music Performance: This category is open to music across various Asian pop genres, including K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop.
Bad Bunny, recognized by Spotify as the world's most-played artist in 2025, also secured awards for Best Música Urbana Album for Debí Tirar Más Fotos and Best Global Music Performance at the February Grammys. The song "Golden," performed by the fictional band Huntr/x, marked a significant milestone as the first K-Pop song to win a Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media, highlighting the increasing cultural and commercial influence of Korean pop.
Additional Changes and Updates
Other new categories include Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance, and Best Traditional Folk Album. The existing R&B performance category will now focus exclusively on solo acts, while the folk album prize will be dedicated to contemporary folk music. Eligibility criteria for Best New Artist have also been revised, increasing the maximum number of submissions for a performer from three to four, allowing artists like Ravyn Lenae and Ella Langley, who have been nominated three times previously, another chance. These new categories and rule adjustments will be implemented for the upcoming Grammy Awards ceremony.
Source: Grammy Awards add Asian Pop and Latin song categories