Grammys analysis: Deeper dive into 3 major 2025 rule changes

Each year the Grammy Awards update their rules to keep up with the rapidly changing music industry. This year the new rules are not drastic, but are still worth taking into account when making predictions. Let’s consider how three of these new rules in particular will impact the next ceremony. Best Remixed Recording moves into […]

Each year the Grammy Awards update their rules to keep up with the rapidly changing music industry. This year the new rules are not drastic, but are still worth taking into account when making predictions. Let’s consider how three of these new rules in particular will impact the next ceremony.

Best Remixed Recording moves into the pop/dance field
For some strange reason, the Best Remixed Recording Grammy used to be part of the production and engineering field of the award show rather than the dance/electronic field. Perhaps this was to not pigeon-hole it as exclusively for dance remixes, and to let non-electronic recordings have a shot too. The issue is that dance remixes are the most popular by a mile, yet the scale was tipped in favor of reworkings by popular non-dance artists. For example, just this year alt-rock band Wet Leg won for their reworking of Depeche Mode’s “Wagging Tongue,” and two years prior alt-rock star Mike Shinoda (of Linkin Park fame) won for his remix of Deftones‘ “Passenger.”

It’s not bad that different genres are given a fair shake, but there may have been some frustration from the dance community considering that this is one of the few categories where DJs can score wins, especially those who might not focus as much on making new material that would compete in Best Dance/Electronic Album or Recording. This move means that the category will likely go back to being dominated by dance artists, and we might see more popular remixes get recognition due to pop voters participating too.

Best Traditional R&B Performance and Traditional Pop Vocal Album amendments
The Recording Academy decided to amend the rules for both traditional categories, in R&B and pop. This effort is likely meant to clear up a bit of confusion as to what exactly constitutes a “traditional” R&B or pop effort, which has resulted in some controversial nominations. For example, at the last Grammys, SZA’s “Love Language” was included in the Best Traditional R&B Performance lineup and caused some commotion among Grammy pundits, who felt that the song didn’t really fit the category’s description.

In previous years other submissions there, like Summer Walker and Usher’s “Come Thru” and Babyface and Ella Mai’s “Keeps On Fallin’,” also seemed a bit head-scratching. The new rulebook indicates that the category is “intended for recordings that contain classic R&B/soul vocal, instrumental and compositional elements in a style that distinctly sets its artistic intention apart from a contemporary approach to the genre.” In other words, it needs to be clear that the artist(s) set out to make a song that defies the contemporary R&B standard in favor of a throwback sound.

For Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, the amendment was more of a clarification about albums there having a sense of theatricality that’s characteristic of traditional pop recordings. Plus, the category officially invites musical theater albums that aren’t directly associated with stage productions to compete there, although previous nominees like Liz Callaway’s “To Steve with Love: Liz Callaway Celebrates Sondheim” and Barbra Streisand’s “Encore” have already been accepted there.

Higher fee to submit music for media companies
The Grammys raised their fee for media companies to submit their music, from $120 to $180. While this might seem relatively insignificant, it’s a hefty 50% increase, so media companies may prioritize certain submissions over others. This is arguably a good thing; the fewer frivolous submissions there are, the fewer namechecks or uninspired nominations we may get. Perhaps the new fee will convince labels not to submit absolutely everything that’s eligible just for the sake of a few extra nominations that wouldn’t really be competitive to win anyway.

Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify record executives and music stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where thousands of showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?