The Recording Academy has expanded the Grammy Awards with the introduction of five new categories that will debut at the 2027 edition of music’s biggest awards ceremony. The newly created categories are Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance, Best Latin Song, Best Asian Pop Music Performance, Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group……
The Recording Academy has expanded the Grammy Awards with the introduction of five new categories that will debut at the 2027 edition of music’s biggest awards ceremony.
The newly created categories are Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance, Best Latin Song, Best Asian Pop Music Performance, Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance, and Best Traditional Folk Album.
The move is the latest effort by the Academy to broaden representation across diverse musical traditions and emerging global genres.
The additions come just two years after the Grammys introduced the Best African Music Performance category, a landmark recognition for African music at the annual awards.
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The category made its debut at the 66th Grammy Awards in 2024 and was established to honour recordings that incorporate African musical traditions and cultural expressions.
South African singer Tyla emerged as the inaugural winner with her hit song Water, beating a field that included Burna Boy, Davido and Musa Keys, Ayra Starr, as well as Asake and Olamide.
At the 67th Grammy Awards in 2025, Nigerian singer Tems claimed the prize with her song Love Me JeJe, becoming the second recipient of the award.
Tyla reclaimed the honour at the 68th Grammy Awards with PUSH 2 START, making history as the first artist to win the Best African Music Performance category twice.
The establishment of the African music category reflected the growing global influence of genres such as Afrobeats and amapiano, both of which have attracted increasing international audiences in recent years.
The Academy’s latest reforms continue that trend, with the new categories designed to spotlight specific musical styles, songwriting traditions and collaborative performances.
Best Asian Pop Music Performance will recognise contemporary pop recordings by Asian artists, while Best Latin Song will focus on excellence in songwriting within the Latin music industry.
The 2027 Grammy Awards will be the first ceremony to feature all five newly created categories, further expanding the scope of recognition available to artists from different musical cultures and traditions worldwide.
