The Grammys Make Changes To Rap & Album Of The Year Categories, Voting Process
In a press release from earlier today (June 15th), the Grammys have announced that they will be changing the way nominations are dealt with in several major categories, including Album of the Year and Rap categories.
For Album of the Year, the Recording Academy states that, moving forward, "all music creators (songwriters, producers, engineers, mixers, mastering engineers, featured artists) credited with at least 33 percent or more playing time on the winning album will be eligible to receive a GRAMMY for Album Of The Year. Previously, songwriters were not recognised in this category."
Additionally, the press release also stated that "Nominations Review Committees will be created and implemented for the Rap, Contemporary Instrumental, and New Age Fields. A Nominations Review process was established in 1989 as an additional round of checks and balances to eliminate the potential for a popularity bias that puts emerging artists, independent music, and late-year releases at a disadvantage."
Finally, the Recording Academy is moving to a purely online system for voting, allowing their more than 13,000 voters "greater access and flexibility" when casting their ballots. The 2018 Grammys are set for January 28th at Madison Square Garden.
