The Recording Academy have added the following categories:

• Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical
• Best Alternative Music Performance
• Best Americana Performance
• Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media
• Best Spoken Word Poetry
• Best Song for Social Change

The new category, Best Song for Social Change, will differ from the other awards as it will not be a competitive category. Instead, the winner will be determined by a “blue-ribbon committee” and ratified by the Recording Academy’s board of trustees. Submissions must contain lyrical content that addresses a timely social issue and promotes understanding, peacebuilding and empathy. Examples of songs that could be submitted for this category includes Childish Gambino’s 2018 hit ‘This is America‘ and H.E.R’s ‘I Can’t Breathe’. 

Other changes include a limit on how many submissions each member can make. Only 5 submissions can be made, in comparison to the previous years where there has been no limit. For each additional submission, the members will incur a fee.  

There is also a voting process update on album eligibility in that “an album must contain greater than 75 percent playing time of newly recorded (within five years of the release date), previously unreleased recordings”. 

The Recording Academy also aim to recognise composers and lyricists in the best musical theatre album category and the recognition of composers and librettists in best opera recording and best classical compendium.

With these changes brought in, 2023’s Grammys will have a total of awards to 91, the highest number since 2010.

With the 2022 Grammy Awards telecast being at an all time low, we’ll have to wait and see if these changes will bring in more viewers.