Recording Academy Makes Series of Sweeping Changes to the Grammy Awards

By John Mitchell Posted Apr 6th 2011 03:18PM

In a shocking move, the Recording Academy has announced a series of broad and sweeping changes to the Grammy Awards that will see the number of prizes presented reduced from 109 to 78 and gender-based categories in pop, R&B, rock and country stripped away entirely with awards for "solo performance" in each genre being awarded instead.

"Every year, we diligently examine our awards structure to develop an overall guiding vision and ensure that it remains a balanced and viable process," Recording Academy president Neil Portnow said in a statement. "After careful and extensive review and analysis of all categories and fields, it was objectively determined that our Grammy categories be restructured to the continued competition and prestige of the highest and only peer-recognized award in music."

A number of instrumental categories have been dropped, and many other categories have been folded in an effort to consolidate. For example, Best Contemporary R&B Album has been eliminated as a stand-alone category, though sets that would have qualified for the prize will remain eligible in the broader category of Best R&B Album. All told, four R&B awards will now be handed out instead of eight. Rock, country and pop will also hand out four prizes, down from the seven each genre awarded at last year's 53rd Grammy Awards.

The General Field categories -- Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist -- were not affected by today's announcement.

The Academy has also amended its rules on entries and voting. For a category to move forward with five nominations, it must receive no less than 40 artist, album or song submissions. If a category receives between 25 and 39 entries, only three nominations will be announced.

If less than 25 submissions are received for any given category, an award will not be presented that year, and if the category continues to receive fewer than 25 entries for three consecutive years it will be discontinued.

Next year's ceremony will mark the first time since 1991 that fewer than 80 Grammys will be awarded. (A vast majority of prizes are handed out during a non-televised ceremony that immediately precedes CBS' broadcast; only 10 awards were handed out during the televised event.)

The reason why so few awards are handed out during the televised ceremony: performances.

Relive Lady Gaga's show-stopping take on 'Born This Way' below:

"The part that not everybody will be happy about at first is getting their heads around the fact that things have changed," Portnow told Billboard. "But the fact is: Everybody [who] releases a record within the standards and the qualification elements is going to be eligible for a Grammy. It's just going to look a little different, fit in a different place than they may have. They may be facing other nominees or nominations differently than they had in the past. But at the end of the day, we think excellence will prevail."

The Recording Academy makes frequent changes to its rules and categories on a case-by-case basis when flaws in its eligibility requirements are brought to the Academy's attention. Last summer, the guidelines for the Best New Artist category were altered when Gaga was deemed ineligible for the 2009 prize because she had been nominated the previous year for Best Dance Recording. The Academy altered its rules to provide eligibility to previous Grammy nominees who have not released a full-length album and have not won.

Tags: grammys

Comments

(16)

Wednesday 06 April

By Bear 401

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If you eliminate the ones who lip sync then that would also cut down on nominations

Thursday 07 April

By BTDT

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"A number of instrumental categories have been dropped,"

Of course. Rappers aren't musicians.

By BeatleJEB

How about only nominate artists who have talent?

By steve Walsh

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The music industry has been savaged and is now eating itself.

By NNtrancer

"Born This Way" sounds almost exactly like Madonnas "Respect Yourself." Didn't anyone notice that?

By JBaer

The media moped about "Born This Way" ripping off "Express Yourself" for weeks. Where the hell have YOU been?

By Jeni

...and eliminate any artists or records that use auto-tuning to make a singer sound good - that should eliminate about 75% of the acts that were nominated this year...

By jim guynup

WHY CALL IT AN AWARD SHOW? JUST CALL IT A SOLID GOLD CONCERT AND WITH THIS DAY AND AGE YOU CAN TEXT OR TWITER THE WINNERS,
SERIOUSLY IN 5 YEARS ALL THE REWARDS WILL RETURN!

By glenn and matt

you should be required to sing live on all awards and live television shows as well as concerts.

By RMI

As the owner of an indie label we can't even get considered for the top prizes because we don't sell enough records and or downloads. It's a sham and a popularity contest and should just go away all together.

If you really wanna improve the Grammys, give the awards to performers who actually make MUSIC!!

By Jim

They also need to get rid of nominating "Live" performances of the song. Train's Grammy award winning song "Hey Soul Sister" was released month's before the eligiblity period for this year's Grammy's, but was still nominated on a live performance of the song. Since live versions can be nominated, how about we nominate bands that were big in the 70s but are still touring with the same great songs.

By Dean

If they can eliminate Rap,the show would be a lot better.Rap is not music .It is spoken word set to bad poetry,and horrible beats. If they have to have it, move it to the Spoken word category,and do not televise that part.

By tory

Well let's hope in their attempt to change things that maybe they change the actual Acadamey that make the nominations and vote on the winners to people who actually know what people listen to today, what music should actually be nominated in the "Rock" category as Coldplay is NOT Rock n Roll........and nominate some great bands. Avengened Sevenfold deserved the best Rock or Metal album of the year for "Nightmare", it is a maserpiece and they were totally robbed for people who aren't really ROCK. The academy has to be current enough (i.e. young enough) to know the pulse of the people in each genre. Not everyone listens to country and rap and bubble gum pop. Power to the Rock genre and how about giving them the recognition they deserve.

By Sally

Am I the only one who wants to see *gasp* awards given out? I stopped watching when they stopped handing out even major awards (read: mainstream categories) on the broadcast. The live concert always sucks almost all the way through. Even when there is somebody performing that I actually like, the performance is usually pretty average. But mostly its people I could not possible care less about and whose 'talent' doesn't change my mind.

So, when they start giving out awards again, I'll watch again. Until then, I'll just read the final list the next day like I have for years now.

By salon r

they should eliminate rap cause they give the awards to eminem. no real rappers care about a damn grammy anyway. if they can give a grammy to brittany spears we are all doomed!!!!

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