Last week, the Recording Academy unveiled sweeping updates to its 2026 Grammy Awards. The most notable change? The long‑standing Best Country Album award will now be split into two distinct honors: Best Contemporary Country Album and a brand‑new Best Traditional Country Album category
Why the New Country Categories?
This overhaul arrives in the wake of Beyoncé’s 2025 triumph with Cowboy Carter, which captured both Best Country Album and Album of the Year honors. The win marked a major milestone as Beyoncé became the first Black artist ever to secure Best Country Album—a moment some believe accelerated the shift.
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. explained that the split was actually a response to internal feedback. “The community of people that are making country music in all different subgenres came to us with a proposal,” he told Billboard. “We think we need more space for our music to be celebrated and honored.” He also noted that other genres—like R&B, pop, and blues—already draw clear lines between “traditional” and “contemporary” formats.
Defining “Traditional” vs. “Contemporary”
The Academy laid out clear criteria for each award. Best Traditional Country Album will honor recordings that embrace classic country instrumentation—acoustic guitar, fiddle, steel guitar, banjo—plus styles like Western swing or outlaw country.
Meanwhile, what was once known simply as Best Country Album will be renamed Best Contemporary Country Album, preserving the category for genre-blending and modern approaches.
More Changes Ahead
The Academy has also created a standalone Best Album Cover award and restructured its packaging categories, merging special editions into one Best Recording Package category. Additionally, it relaxed rules for Best New Artist eligibility, allowing contributors below 20 percent of an Album of the Year‑nominated project to compete again.
The revamped Guinness-winning ceremony will take place on February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Nominations are set to drop on November 7, 2025.