Recording Academy Adds New Awards for 2024 Grammys: Best Alternative Jazz Album, Best Pop Dance Recording, and Best African Music Performance

The Recording Academy has added three new categories to the Grammy Awards, the organization announced today (June 13). The 2024 Grammys will include awards for Best Alternative Jazz Album, Best Pop Dance Recording, and Best African Music Performance. Two other categories—Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical and Producer of the Year, Non-Classical—have been adjusted so that all Grammy voters can weigh in, regardless of genre. “These changes reflect our commitment to actively listen and respond to the feedback from our music community, accurately represent a diverse range of relevant musical genres, and stay aligned with the ever-evolving musical landscape,” said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. in a statement. 

The new categories are the latest in the Recording Academy’s years-long efforts to reshape the institution amid criticism of voting processes and institutional biases. The Grammys have expanded with several new categories, including Best Americana Performance, Best Global Music Performance, Best Alternative Music Performance, and a Special Merit Award for Best Song for Social Change. 

In 2021, the Recording Academy announced an inclusion rider for its award show, eliminated secret-committee voting in some categories, invited a new class of voters, and implemented new rules for some Grammy-related ad campaigns. The organization faced renewed criticism later that year for its nominations of Marilyn Manson and Louis C.K., who have both been accused of sexual misconduct and, in Manson’s case, violent abuse.