Grammys Slammed for New Awards Category, Fans Call It ‘Racist’ and Segregationist
The Grammy Awards are adding a new category for country music at the 68th annual ceremony on February 1, 2026, and fans are already speaking out about it.
The Recording Academy announced that the existing Best Country Album award will now be called Best Contemporary Country Album, while a new Best Traditional Country Album award will be introduced.
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. explained that the change came from within the country music community. “The community of people that are making country music in all different subgenres came to us with a proposal and said we would like to have more variety in how our music is honored,” he said.
The new category will celebrate albums that stick to the classic country sound, including traditional instruments like the fiddle, banjo, steel guitar, and piano. It will also include subgenres such as Western, Outlaw Country, and Western Swing.
Some artists expected to be nominated for Best Traditional Country Album include Charley Crockett, Trisha Yearwood, George Strait, and Willie Nelson. For Best Contemporary Country Album, likely contenders are Riley Green, Tyler Childers, Jelly Roll, and Lainey Wilson.
However, some fans have criticized the change online. Many believe it was influenced by Beyoncé’s historic Best Country Album win in 2025 for Cowboy Carter.
Some argue the new category separates traditional country music in a way that feels exclusionary. One fan commented, “Instead of truly integrating country music and allowing its evolving, diverse future to compete on the main stage, the Grammys have chosen to create a ‘separate but equal’ structure. It’s a cowardly response to Beyoncé’s well-earned and historic win.” Another added, “So we just segregating music now?”
This reaction reflects long-standing debates about diversity and representation in music awards. While the Recording Academy says the goal is to honor variety within the genre, critics see it as a step backward.
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