The Grammys Split Country Album Award Into Two Categories

The Recording Academy has split the Grammy Award for Best Country Album into two separate categories starting with the 68th Annual Grammy Awards on February 1, 2026: Best Contemporary Country Album (the renamed original category) and a new Best Traditional Country Album.

This change, announced in June 2025, aims to better recognize the diversity within country music by honoring both its evolving, modern sounds—including pop, hip-hop, and other hybrid influences—and its classic, roots-oriented traditions featuring traditional instrumentation (such as steel guitar, fiddle, banjo, and mandolin), rhythm, singing styles, and lyrical content.

The split responds to the genre's growth, member proposals, and the need for more precise recognition, similar to how other genres like R&B separate traditional and contemporary work. It takes effect for albums from the eligibility period of August 31, 2024, to August 30, 2025, with nominations announced November 7, 2025.

The move has sparked discussion, especially in the wake of Beyoncé's historic 2025 wins for Cowboy Carter (including the first Best Country Album by a Black woman and Album of the Year). Some view it as promoting inclusivity and creative freedom, while others debate definitions of "traditional" or potential impacts on artists' directions. Traditional-leaning artists like Charley Crockett, Zach Top, Margo Price, Willie Nelson, and Lukas Nelson received inaugural nominations in the new category, highlighting a resurgence in roots country.