Ella Langley performs onstage at Nissan Stadium during CMA Fest 2026 day one on June 4, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee. Jason Kempin/Getty Images The Recording Academy has updated its rules for its best new artist category to allow potential nominees to submit for the category a total of four times, one more submission than what was previously allowed.
It’s a significant change with heavy implications for this year’s best new artist race, as according to Billboard, some of the year’s potential front-runners such as Ella Langley and Megan Moroney likely wouldn’t have otherwise been eligible, as they’d already submitted three times before now.
The Recording Academy said the change reflects “the evolving nature of artist development.” It certainly gives prospective best new artist teams some more flexibility in securing a bid. In recent years, some notable acts like Tate McRae were ineligible when they’d come into the mainstream because they’d run out of submissions.
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Right now, Langley might be the front-runner for best new artist now that her eligibility is confirmed, as she’s got three songs in the top 10 on the Hot 100 this week, including song of the summer contender “Choosin’ Texas.”
Outside of the new rules, the Grammys introduced five new categories as well: best asian music performance, best R&B collaboration or group/duo performance, best traditional pop vocal performance, best traditional folk album and best Latin song.
The best Asian music performance and Latin song Grammys reflect how global listening tastes have become in the streaming era as K-pop, reggaeton and regional Mexican music are three of the most popular genres in the world.
The Recording Academy also changed its album eligibility requirements across categories, dropping the percentage of new recordings needed on projects from 75 percent to 66 percent “to reduce the exclusion of entries that are widely recognized throughout the music industry as new albums.”
Starting this year, the Academy said, songwriters and composers on new material on albums will get Grammy statuettes and achievement certificates, giving them the same treatment as producers and engineers.
“2027 is going to be an amazing year for the Grammy Awards, and one that reflects the extraordinary growth we’re seeing across music,” Grammys CEO Harvey Mason Jr said in a statement. “The changes advanced by our Recording Academy members speak to the breadth of today’s music industry and the many genres, crafts and creators shaping it. We’re excited to see these updates come to life in the year ahead as we celebrate the music people who are driving music forward.”
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