Ghanaian Drill, Highlife Added To GRAMMY Award Categories

Ghanaian drill, highlife and other genres of music have been included under the Best African Music Performance category that has been introduced in the 2024 GRAMMY Awards.

The other new categories are Best Alternative Jazz Album and  Best Pop Dance Recording.

The Recording Academy announced the three new categories on their social media pages on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.

We recognize the tremendous importance of evolving our Academy and our processes to keep up with the musical landscape.

Today, we’re proud to announce a new category for the 66th GRAMMY Awards – Best Alternative Jazz Album.

Learn more: https://t.co/neBAQWE7cc #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/UiWX2Np7Vq

— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) June 13, 2023

Every year, we strive to accurately represent and celebrate the various cultures, influences and genres that provide the soundtrack to our lives.

Today, we’re proud to announce a new category for the 66th #GRAMMYs – Best Pop Dance Recording.

Learn more: https://t.co/neBAQWE7cc pic.twitter.com/sxPltknff0

— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) June 13, 2023

Our goal at the #RecordingAcademy is to recognize and honor the very best in music from across the globe.

Today, we’re proud to announce a new category for the 66th GRAMMY Awards – Best African Music Performance.

Learn more: https://t.co/neBAQWE7cc #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/qJoQoF8PqA

— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) June 13, 2023

Additionally, “the existing Categories of Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical and Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical will be moved to the General Field; this significant change will allow all GRAMMY voters to vote in these important, non-genre-specific Categories”, the Academy noted.

The new categories and amendments were voted on and passed at the Recording Academy’s most recent semiannual Board of Trustees meeting held in May 2023.

“The Recording Academy is proud to announce these latest Category changes to our Awards process. These changes reflect our commitment to actively listen and respond to the feedback from our music community, accurately represent a diverse range of relevant musical genres, and stay aligned with the ever-evolving musical landscape,” Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said.

“By introducing these three new categories, we are able to acknowledge and appreciate a broader array of artists – and relocating the Producer Of the Year and Songwriter Of The Year categories to the General Field ensures that all our voters can participate in recognizing excellence in these fields,” Mason continued. “We are excited to honor and celebrate the creators and recordings in these categories, while also exposing a wider range of music to fans worldwide.”

Here’s a breakdown of the three new GRAMMY Award Categories:

Best African Music Performance
A track and singles Category that recognizes recordings that utilize unique local expressions from across the African continent. Highlighting regional melodic, harmonic and rhythmic musical traditions, the Category includes but is not limited to the Afrobeat, Afro-fusion, Afro Pop, Afrobeats, Alte, Amapiano, Bongo Flava, Genge, Kizomba, Chimurenga, High Life, Fuji, Kwassa, Ndombolo, Mapouka, Ghanaian Drill, Afro-House, South African Hip-Hop, and Ethio Jazz genres.

Best Pop Dance Recording
Recognizes tracks and singles that feature up-tempo, danceable music that follows a pop arrangement. Eligible Pop Dance recordings also feature strong rhythmic beats and significant electronic-based instruments with an emphasis on the vocal performance, melody and hooks. Dance remixes are eligible in the Best Remixed Recording Category only and may not be entered in Best Pop Dance Recording.

Best Alternative Jazz Album
This Category recognizes artistic excellence in Alternative Jazz albums by individuals, duos and groups/ensembles, with or without vocals. Alternative Jazz may be defined as a genre-blending, envelope-pushing hybrid that mixes jazz (improvisation, interaction, harmony, rhythm, arrangements, composition, and style) with other genres, including R&B, Hip-Hop, Classical, Contemporary Improvisation, Experimental, Pop, Rap, Electronic/Dance music, and/or Spoken Word. It may also include the contemporary production techniques/instrumentation associated with other genres.

The Recording Academy accepts proposals from members of the music community throughout the year. The Awards & Nominations Committee, composed of Academy Voting Members of diverse genres and backgrounds, meets annually to review proposals to update Awards categories, procedures and eligibility guidelines.

The Recording Academy is thrilled about these important developments to be debuted at the 2024 GRAMMYs. Keep watching this space for more information about Music’s Biggest Night!

Since its inception in 1959, the Recording Academy has genuinely awarded deserving members in the music industry and the executives have promised to make the 66th award night an exciting one that will create a lasting memory in the minds of celebrants and audience.