The Grammys are introducing a new way of awarding country music's top artists for the 68th annual ceremony in 2026. The typical Best Country Album category will be renamed Best Contemporary Country Album. Additionally, there will be a new Best Traditional Country Album category. It will be the only new music category. The change comes after Beyonce became the first Black artist ever to win Best Country Album, earlier this year. She did so with her project, Cowboy Carter.
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. told Billboard: “The community of people that are making country music in all different subgenres came to us with a proposal and said we would like to have more variety in how our music is honored. They said, we think we need more space for our music to be celebrated and honored.”
Country isn't the first genre to receive a "contemporary" and "traditional" distinction at the Grammy Awards. R&B, pop and blues already differentiate themselves in the same way. “It makes country parallel with what’s happening in other genres,” Mason noted. “But it is also creating space for where this genre is going.”
As for how traditional country is classified, the definition for the new category reads: “This category recognizes excellence in albums of traditional country music, both vocal and instrumental. Traditional country includes country recordings that adhere to the more traditional sound structures of the country genre, including rhythm and singing style, lyrical content, as well as traditional country instrumentation such as acoustic guitar, steel guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, piano, electric guitar, and live drums. It also includes sub-genres such as Western, Western Swing, and Outlaw country.”
Beyonce's "Cowboy Carter" Grammy
Mason concluded: “People from that community are making more music, it’s more varied, there’s different styles of writing and performing. I’m hopeful that that community understands that the academy is doing what it always does, which is stay in tune with what’s happening in their genre.”
Regardless of the explanation, users on social media have been quick to assume the change is a response to Beyonce's success at the latest ceremony. "So basically best country white album and best country black album," one top comment on The Neighborhood Talk's post about the news reads. Another adds: "They will ALWAYS change the rules when we win."
