The Grammys Announce New Best Album Cover Category For 2026 Ceremony

The 2026 Grammys will take place on February 1 of next year in Los Angeles, but it won't be exactly the same as it was in 2025. According to Variety, the Recording Academy announced other key dates, changes, and new categories for the 2026 Grammy Awards ceremony.




One of the big ones causing conversations online is the new addition of the Best Album Cover category. After the Academy's annual board meeting, they combined the previously existing Best Recording Package and Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package categories into one. The winner of the former category this year was Charli XCX with BRAT, whereas John Lennon's Mind Games took home the latter.




But this Best Album Cover category is brand-new and separate from those packaging categories, focusing strictly on the artwork. Many fans have other logistical questions as to how this will play out. Is the pool of eligible albums comprised of nominees in other categories or is it open season for any submitted artwork? We will see once more Grammys updates emerge with more elaboration on this change.




"The Academy's top priority is to represent the music people that we serve each year," the Recording Academy's CEO Harvey Mason Jr. stated. "That entails listening carefully to our members to make sure our rules and guidelines reflect today's music and allow us to accurately recognize as many deserving creators as possible. As we kick off another exciting GRAMMY Season, we look forward to celebrating the amazing power of music and its ability to bring so many people together."




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When Are The 2026 Grammys?

The GRAMMYs are introducing a new category: Best Album Cover

Which album cover deserved to win a GRAMMY in the past? pic.twitter.com/3oFeIVIZsZ
— Kurrco (@Kurrco) June 12, 2025

As for other key dates for the 2026 Grammys, the Recording Academy will announce nominees on November 7 of this year. The eligibility period of musical releases for the February 1, 2026 ceremony is from August 31 of last year to August 30 of this year.




That eligibility period opens the door for various late 2024 albums to win big in 2026, including GNX from Kendrick Lamar. We'll see how that actually pans out. After all, 2025's ceremony was quite controversial for unexpected reasons. But it was also a huge year for long-awaited successes and celebrations, so we'll see where 2026 lands on that spectrum.




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