Country Music Absent From Top GRAMMY Categories as 68th Awards Approach

The 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards nominations have sparked renewed discussion around country music's visibility after the genre was excluded from the four all-genre categories: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. While pop and hip-hop continued to dominate those categories, the Recording Academy emphasized that outcomes reflect voter choice rather than politics.

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. addressed concerns directly, stating, “Yeah, and I really hope it doesn't turn into that type of dialogue based around politics or right or left, because it really is not that; it's really about what the voters choose to vote for every given year, and it is cyclical. There have been other times where there's been different representation. We will be looking into all our genre categories and the voters associated with them and making sure they are balanced, like we do every year. And after this year, we'll do it again.”

The Academy maintains that voters across genres retain the ultimate decision-making power. At the same time, leadership focuses on ensuring a representative voting body and appropriate genre balance rather than influencing specific nominations. Reviewing genre categories annually remains an important part of this process, while leaving open the possibility that country music could return to the overall spotlight in the coming years.

The Turnpike Troubadours' lack of award nominations, along with Morgan Wallen's refusal to submit his music for consideration, reflect changing attitudes toward music awards in the current streaming era, where discovering new music is more important than earning an award.

For 2026, the Academy implemented structural changes to country categories, renaming Best Country Album to Best Contemporary Country Album and introducing Best Traditional Country Album. Nominees for Best Contemporary Country Album include Kelsea Ballerini, Tyler Childers, Eric Church, Jelly Roll, and Miranda Lambert. Best Traditional Country Album nominees include Charley Crockett, Lukas Nelson, Willie Nelson, Margo Price, and Zach Top.

Although country music is not included in the Big Four, it still has a substantial impact on the country music industry, driven by new artists entering the genre and collaborations with artists from other styles. Reflecting on the broader impact of the GRAMMY organization, Mason Jr. added, “We've given out pretty much all the money over this last year to music people who needed help — that's a massive stat. I'm so proud of the show and proud of what our music community does when it comes together, and last year was a perfect example of that.”