Grammys

The Grammys add new awards for 2023: Best Song For Social Change, Video Game Score, more

The Recording Academy is continuing to try and bring The Grammys into something more representative of what’s going on in music and the world in the 2020s. They’ve added thousands of new (younger and more diverse) voting members, and they’ve just announced that the 2023 Grammys will add a few new award categories as well. Those include: Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical; Best Alternative Music Performance; Best Americana Performance; Best Score Soundtrack For Video Games And Other Interactive Media; and Best Spoken Word Poetry Album.

They’ve also announced a “special merit award” for Best Song For Social Change: “This Special Merit Award will be determined by a Blue Ribbon Committee and ratified by the Recording Academy Board of Trustees. Submissions must contain lyrical content that addresses a timely social issue and promotes understanding, peacebuilding and empathy.”

Check out full official descriptions for the new Grammy categories below.

Meanwhile, they’ve also renamed a number of awards. For example: “Best New Age Album” will now be called “Best New Age, Ambient Or Chant Album.” Those are also listed below.

Whether any of this will help the Grammys’ sagging television ratings remains to be seen.

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NEW GRAMMY AWARDS CATEGORIES ADDED:

Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical
Recognizes the written excellence, profession and art of songwriting honoring the most prolific non-performing and non-producing songwriters for their body of new work released during an eligibility year.

Best Alternative Music Performance
A track and single Category that recognizes the best recordings in an alternative performance by a solo artist, collaborating artists, established duo, or established group.

Best Americana Performance
A track and single Category that recognizes artistic excellence in an Americana performance by a solo artist, collaborating artists, established duo, or established group.

Best Score Soundtrack For Video Games And Other Interactive Media
Recognizes excellence in score soundtrack albums comprised predominantly of original scores and created specifically for, or as a companion to, a current video game or other interactive media released within the qualification period.

Best Spoken Word Poetry Album
An album Category that recognizes excellence in spoken word albums specific to the performance of poetry with or without music.

SPECIAL MERIT AWARD ADDITION:

Best Song For Social Change
This Special Merit Award will be determined by a Blue Ribbon Committee and ratified by the Recording Academy Board of Trustees. Submissions must contain lyrical content that addresses a timely social issue and promotes understanding, peacebuilding and empathy.

ADDITIONAL CATEGORY AMENDMENTS:

Classical Field: Creation of Craft Committees in Select Classical Categories
Three Categories within the Classical Field will now be determined by highly specialized Craft Committees: Producer Of The Year (Classical), Best Engineered Album (Classical) and Best Contemporary Classical Composition.

Classical Field: Recognition of Composers and Librettists in Best Opera Recording and Best Classical Compendium Categories
Category definitions have been updated to award composers and librettists in addition to artists, producers and engineers.

New Age, Ambient Or Chant Field: Renamed And Redefined Field and Category Name
The Category formerly known as “Best New Age Album” has been renamed “Best New Age, Ambient Or Chant Album” and the Field name has also been updated to reflect that change.

Musical Theater Field: Recognition of Composers and Lyricists in Best Musical Theater Album Category
Category definition has been updated to award composers and lyricists of more than 50 percent of the score of a new recording.

Music For Visual Media Field (Includes Film, TV, Video Games, And Other Visual Media): Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
Some language in the criteria for this Category which had been removed has now been restored to recognize principal artists and in-studio producers.

Production Field: Updated Definition of Best Remixed Recording Category
The newly amended definition of the Best Remixed Recording Category helps to reflect the remix craft as it currently stands in the industry: the creation of a new, full-track, unique performance created by a remixer from a previously released recording.

Spoken Word Field: Updated Category Name and Definition
The Category formally known as Spoken Word Album has been renamed Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording. This Category recognizes excellence in spoken word albums (not including Spoken Word Poetry).