The Grammy Awards Expand Number Of Nominees In Four Top Categories

In hopes of bringing more diversity to the table, the Recording Academy has announced that the number of nominations in the Top Album, Song, Record and New Artist categories will expand from five to eight for future Grammy ceremonies, as per Billboard.

"Throughout the year, we team up with music people across all genres and disciplines to consider revisions and subsequently make amendments to our rules and entry guidelines to ensure we're keeping up with our ever-changing industry and meeting the needs of music creators," said Recording Academy president/CEO Neil Portnow in a statement on Tuesday (June 26). "This creates more opportunities for a wider-range of recognition in these important categories and gives more flexibility to our voters when having to make the often challenging decisions about representing excellence and the best in music for the year. We look forward to celebrating all of our nominees when they are announced later this year."

Five nominations per category has been the rule of thumb ever since the Grammys started in 1959. The other 80 categories will remain at five nominations each. The 2019 Grammy Awards will return to Los Angeles' Staples Center after switching to New York's Madison Square Garden in 2018.

Word of the change in nominations comes after the 2018 ceremony saw a low number of female nominations and winners. Shortly after the ceremony, Portnow found himself in hot water after he suggested that women should "step up" their game to avoid future Grammy snubs. It even resulted in the CEO revealing that he will step down from his position as president next year when his contract expires in July 2019.

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