The Grammy Awards have made further changes to its show with the addition of three new categories which include “Best African Music Performance”, the Recording Academy said in a statement on Tuesday.
Before the additions, the general categories for the Award were made up solely of what was referred to as the “Big Four” – “Best New Artist”, as Album, Record, and Song of the Year categories which many African artistes had complained was restricting them from making much impact.
According to the statement, the new “Best African Music Performance” category will highlight “regional melodic, harmonic and rhythmic musical traditions, including genres like 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.”
“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,” Recording Academy CEO, Harvey Mason jr. said in the statement.
“By introducing these three new categories, we are able to acknowledge and appreciate a broader array of artists,” he said.
“We are excited to honor and celebrate the creators and recordings in these Categories, while also exposing a wider range of music to fans worldwide,” he added.