Grammy Awards redefines Best Alternative Music Album
The Recording Academy has redefined the parameters of its Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album category. The move to “address confusion surrounding [the] category” comes alongside a host of other Grammy changes.
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In a press release Tuesday, the Recording Academy announced its broadening of the criteria for the Best Alternative Album. Check out the Grammy Awards’ revised definition of the category, which was first awarded in 1991, below:
“Alternative is defined as a genre of music that embraces attributes of progression and innovation in both the music and attitudes associated with it. It is often a less intense version of rock or a more intense version of pop and is typically regarded as more original, eclectic, or musically challenging. It may embrace a variety of sub-genres or any hybrids thereof and may include recordings that don’t fit into other genre categories.”
And as rock finds its commercial landscape acquiescing to mainstream pop and hip-hop, the Grammys’ redefinition of the Best Alternative Music Album seemingly attempts to streamline the current “alternative” sphere of rock music.
More Grammys changes
Consequently, the Recording Academy announced a handful of other category revisions alongside the Best Alternative Music Album change. Here are a few of the subtle but important changes for the upcoming 61st Annual Grammy Awards:
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Increase in the number of general field recommendations
- The number of nominations given in the Grammy Awards’ so-called “General Field” categories (Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best New Artist) will increase from five nominations to eight.
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Best Dance/Electronic Album redefinition
- Like the Best Alternative Music Album revision, the definition of the Best Dance/Electronic Album category has also received a revamp. Read the full changes to this and other categories at the Grammy site here.
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Restoration Engineers get their due
- Another key point: The Grammy Awards’ Best Historical Album category will now include the title of Restoration Engineer as an eligible credit. Audio restoration is often an important but overlooked aspect of the industry.
What do you think of the Grammy Awards’ redefinition of its Best Alternative Album category? With this in mind, how important are the Grammy Awards to you? Do you watch the annual award show? Sound off in the comments below.
