10 Grammy Rule Changes for 2026, Including More Liberal Policies in Best New Artist & Best Musical Theater Album
Written by djfrosty on June 12, 2025
The academy is combining two categories, best recording package and best boxed or special limited edition package into one category, best recording package. Boxed sets were split off into a separate category in 1995.
It is also reviving an old category, best album cover. The Grammy Award for best album cover dates back to the first Grammy Awards in 1959. (The first winner: Frank Sinatra, for serving as art director on his own album, Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely.) From 1962 to 1965 it was separated into classical and non-classical categories. From 1966 to 1968 it was separated into graphic arts and photography categories. In 1974, the name of the award was changed to best album package. It was changed again in 1994 to best recording package.
The rule for Best Recording Package: “An art director’s award – for albums or singles. This category recognizes excellence in the field of art and packaging for albums or singles. Physical product in any configuration (standard, special edition, limited edition, or boxed sets), of any genre of music, released for the first time during the eligibility year (even if recordings were previously released) is eligible provided the packaging is predominantly new.
“The elements judged in this category include the package design, photography and/or graphic art of the entire package as well as any materials included. If the album art/packaging has been previously released, or is being reissued with only minimal new design elements, it is not eligible.
“An entry in this category is eligible if the physical product release during the applicable eligibility period either meets the general distribution requirement or was made available for purchase solely via the applicable artist’s website or such artist’s record company’s website, so long as the release meets all other eligibility requirements, is sold as a stand-alone product, and the sales link is available to all consumers (e.g., fan club-only releases or releases through a subscription series are not eligible).
The rule for Best Album Cover: “An art director’s award – for albums only. This category recognizes excellence in cover art for albums of recordings in any genre of music, released for the first time during the eligibility year (even if recordings were previously released).
“The elements judged in this category include the creativity, design, illustration, photography, and/or graphic art of the album cover.
“The album cover must be predominantly new: If the album cover art has been previously released, or the recording is being reissued with only minimal new cover art, is not eligible.
“Eligible album covers can be from digital-only or streaming-only full-length releases as well as albums that have physical configurations. Submission of an album cover in this category would not disqualify the physical package of the same release from being submitted in best recording package. Eligible entries for this category require a high-resolution digital file of the album cover be uploaded with the entry.”
In addition, the Package Craft Committee is changing from three regional committees to one national committee.