Asian pop music officially honored at the Grammys
Jun 18, 2026
Hanoi [Vietnam], June 18: The decision to include Asian pop music in the official competition categories demonstrates a significant shift for the Grammy Awards, the most prestigious music awards on the planet.
The Recording Academy of America has officially announced groundbreaking changes for the upcoming Grammy Awards . The organizers will add five new award categories and revise existing stricter rules, promising to alter the landscape of the Grammy race, particularly for the "Best New Artist" award.
According to the Bangkok Post, these adjustments were made after careful consideration and discussion of feedback from the Academy members themselves. Specifically, the 2027 season will officially see the introduction of the following categories: Best Asian Pop Performance, Best R&B Performance, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance, Best Traditional Folk Album, and Best Latin Song.
Among these updates, the creation of a separate category for Asian pop music is considered a groundbreaking step by experts. This demonstrates that the Grammy organizers have taken seriously the power of Eastern music, which possesses a huge domestic market and global influence.
Besides expanding the range of musical genres, the Grammy Awards organizers also brought good news for young talents by redefining the rules for the "Best New Artist" category. Instead of the previous limit of three nominations, the new rules will allow artists to be nominated up to four times. This relaxation opens up a second chance for promising vocalists who missed out on the award because they reached the old limit.
Commenting on these changes, Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, affirmed: "The proposed changes from our members truly reflect the diversity and vibrancy of the modern music industry, and celebrate the many genres, techniques, and artistic personalities that are directly shaping it. We are excited to see these changes implemented, to collectively honor the people who are driving the development of music globally."
According to plan, the Grammy Awards, dubbed "the biggest music event on the planet," will take place in Los Angeles (USA) every February, bringing together the world's leading stars.
Source: Thanh Nein Newspaper
