Grammys Add New Country Category for 2026

The Recording Academy is splitting the Best Country Album category into Best Traditional Country Album and Best Contemporary Country Album.

Jan. 30, 2026 at 10:07am

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The Grammy Awards are making a major change to their country music categories for the 2026 ceremony. The Best Country Album category will be split into two separate awards: Best Traditional Country Album and Best Contemporary Country Album. This move is seen as an effort by the Recording Academy to better reflect the diversity of the country music genre, which ranges from roots-focused sounds to more experimental and genre-blending styles.

Why it matters

The addition of the new category could help deliver more recognition for country artists who have been overlooked in the past, especially those working in a more traditional country sound. However, the initial list of nominees suggests the new category may not immediately solve the Grammys' longstanding issue of failing to adequately represent the full breadth of the country genre, as many of the nominees are already Grammy darlings.

The details

When the Recording Academy announced the change last summer, CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said it was an effort to "stay in tune with what's happening with [the] genre." The move brings country music more in line with other genres at the Grammys, which already have multiple album categories to reflect different styles and sounds. The new Traditional Country Album category could benefit artists like Chris Stapleton and Charley Crockett, while the Contemporary Country Album category leaves room for more genre-blending acts like Kelsea Ballerini.

  • The Recording Academy announced the new country categories in the summer of 2025.
  • The 2026 Grammy Awards ceremony will be the first to feature the new Best Traditional Country Album and Best Contemporary Country Album categories.

The players

Harvey Mason Jr.

CEO of the Recording Academy, the organization that presents the Grammy Awards.

Chris Stapleton

A country artist known for his traditional country sound, who has won 11 Grammys and been nominated 26 times.

Charley Crockett

A country artist whose music is rooted in traditional country and blues styles.

Kelsea Ballerini

A country artist known for her more progressive and genre-blending sound.

Beyoncé

A pop superstar who won Best Country Album and Album of the Year at the 2025 Grammy Awards for her album "Cowboy Carter", sparking backlash from some country music fans.

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What they’re saying

“We must stay in tune with what's happening with [the] genre.”

— Harvey Mason Jr., CEO, Recording Academy

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, Grocery employee

What’s next

The Recording Academy has not indicated any further changes to the country music categories at the Grammys beyond the new Traditional and Contemporary split. The impact of the new categories on country music representation at the awards show remains to be seen.

The takeaway

The Grammys' decision to add a new Traditional Country Album category alongside the existing Contemporary Country Album award is an attempt to better reflect the diversity of the country music genre. However, the initial list of nominees suggests the change may not immediately solve the awards show's longstanding issues with adequately recognizing a wide range of country artists, as many of the nominees are already Grammy favorites.