The Recording Academy has tweaked some of its rules for the 2026 Grammy Awards, including carving out a new stand-alone category for best album cover.
This decision comes just days after Sabrina Carpenter sparked considerable discourse, unveiling what is believed to be the cover for her next album.
On Thursday, the academy announced that the best recording package and the best boxed or special limited edition package categories would be merged into a single best recording package category, allowing for the creation of the stand-alone best album cover category.
The last Grammy for best recording package was awarded to Charli XCX for “Brat”, an album whose distinctive cover was immediately embraced by pop culture and meme creators.
“The Academy’s top priority is to represent the music people that we serve each year,” CEO of the Recording Academy Harvey Mason Jr. said.
“That entails listening carefully to our members to make sure our rules and guidelines reflect today’s music and allow us to accurately recognise as many deserving creators as possible.”
Carpenter revealed the title and release date for her new album, “Man’s Best Friend”, on Wednesday.
The image shows Carpenter, dressed in a black dress and high heels, kneeling on the ground in a dog-like pose while an unseen person pulls her by the hair. On social media, some fans said the image was demeaning, while others argued it was satirical.
The album would be eligible for the new category if she releases “Man’s Best Friend” on August 29, as promised.
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The Grammy eligibility period closes the next day.
Other Grammy changes include the creation of a best traditional country album category, while the existing best country album category has been renamed best contemporary country album. Beyoncé won best country album at the 2025 Grammy Awards for “Cowboy Carter”.
The best new artist category has also been expanded to include acts who were featured on previous album of the year nominees, so long as they fall below 20 per cent of the album’s music.
The Grammys will be held February 1 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with nominations set to be announced on November 7.
