Grammy Announces The Addition Of Three New Categories For 2024 Ceremony

The Grammys have made it known that they will honor the works of African artists in a bid to accurately represent a diverse range of relevant musical genres, and stay aligned with the ever-evolving musical landscape.

In a statement on its official website, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason disclosed that three new categories would be introduced to its 2024 edition, namely Best African Music Performance, Best Pop Dance Recording, and Best Alternative Jazz Album.

These additions were voted on and passed at the academy’s most recent semiannual Board of Trustees meeting held in May 2023.

Mason said, “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.”

According to them, the African category will include a track and singles that recognize recordings that utilize unique local expressions from across the African continent, highlighting regional melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic musical traditions.

It further revealed that this class would include but not be limited to “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”.

For Best Pop Dance Recording, the class will aim to recognize 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 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.

Meanwhile, the Best Alternative Jazz Album category will honor artistic excellence in Alternative Jazz albums by individuals, duos, and groups/ensembles, with or without vocals.

It will include blending, what it described as an “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.”