Categories With the Most & Fewest Entries for 2025 Grammys

All Grammys count the same toward someone’s career Grammy total, but we all know they’re not really on an equal footing. Every media outlet on Earth will report the winners of album of the year and record of the year next Feb. 2, but good luck trying to find out who won best regional roots music album (we’ll have it, of course).

Some categories are far more competitive than others. There are 20 times as many entries in this year’s most populated category, song of the year (978), as in this year’s least populated categories, best traditional blues album and best gospel album, both of which have just 53 entries.

Since final-round voting for the 67th Grammy Awards opened Friday (Oct. 4), Grammy voters have been conscientiously poring over the entry lists for 89 of the 94 Grammy categories (or so Recording Academy leaders fervently hope). The nominees in the other five categories are determined by committees.

The number of entries in five of the six categories in the General Field increased compared to last year. There are 780 entries for record of the year (up from 615 last year); 707 for album of the year (up from 476); 978 for song of the year (up from 642); 61 for songwriter of the year, non-classical (up from 58); and 200 for producer of the year, non-classical (up from 195).

The only General Field category that saw a drop in entries compared to last year is best new artist. There were 323 entries this year, down from 405 last year. That’s the smallest number of entries in this category in five years.

Note that the number of entries for songwriter of the year, non-classical, which is in its third year, is only about one-third of the number of entries for producer of the year, non-classical, which was introduced in 1974. That’s probably because of the newer category’s restrictive rules, which were intended to put the focus on songwriters who are not also artists or producers.

My main takeaway from this annual exercise – these categories are highly competitive. As noted, there are 978 songs vying for just eight slots in song of the year. When somebody says “It’s an honor just to be nominated,” they’re not just being polite. Okay, maybe they are, but it really is an honor. 970 eligible and entered songs this year will not be nominated for song of the year.

If you’re curious, the five categories where the nominations are determined by committees, rather than by voters at large, are best recording package, best boxed/special/limited edition package, best album notes, best historical album, best remixed recording and best immersive audio album. (The nominations in a sixth category, best remixed recording, were decided by committee last year, but this year the voters will make the determination.)

First-round voting for the 67th annual Grammy Awards opened on Friday (Oct. 4). Voters have until Oct. 15 to make their choices. Nominations will be announced on Nov. 8. Final-round voting runs from Dec. 12 through Jan. 3. The winners will be revealed on Feb. 2 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Here are the 16 categories with most entries this year, and the 16 categories with the fewest. (Ties prompted us to bump up from 15 to 16 in both cases.)

Categories with the most entries

(in descending order)

Song of the year, 978

Record of the year, 780

Album of the Year, 707

Best music video, 637

Best global music performance, 456

Best engineered album, non-classical, 456

Best arrangement, instruments and vocals, 444

Best jazz performance, 420

Best instrumental composition, 395

Best American roots song, 373

Best alternative music performance, 331

Best new artist, 323

Best pop solo performance, 314

Best American roots performance, 310

Best Americana performance, 290

Best arrangement, instrumental or acapella, 290

Categories with the fewest entries

(in descending order)

Best contemporary blues album, 73

Best Latin jazz album, 73

Best music film, 72

Best R&B album, 70

Best choral performance, 67

Best classical solo vocal album, 64

Best large jazz ensemble album, 63

Songwriter of the year, non-classical, 61

Best bluegrass album, 61

Best regional roots music album, 61

Best roots gospel album, 60

Best score soundtrack for video games and other interactive media, 59

Best musical theater album, 59

Best compilation soundtrack for visual media, 58

Best traditional blues album, 53

Best gospel album, 53

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