Grammy Rule Tweaks Affect Dance Music Categories

The Recording Academy just announced some new rule changes for the 2025 Grammys, and they’re shaking things up for the Dance/Electronic music community. First up, the Best Pop Dance Recording category got a new name: Best Dance Pop Recording. This isn’t just a minor tweak but a move to clear up any confusion. The category was created to highlight dance pop music, but the original name was causing a lot of mix-ups. Media outlets kept mislabeling it, and people couldn’t tell if it was a pop award or a dance award. The new name should help it settle into its intended role, making sure it’s seen as a home for pop-leaning dance tracks and keeping the best dance/electronic recording category focused on more traditional electronic sounds.

Next, we have a big change for the Best Remixed Recording category. This award, which has always been a favorite among dance/electronic artists, is now officially part of the pop and dance/electronic field. Remixing is a huge part of the dance scene, so it makes sense to move it out of the production and engineering field. Past winners like Frankie Knuckles, David Guetta, and Skrillex are proof of how intertwined remixing is with dance music.

Another tweak is the renaming of the Best Dance/Electronic Music Album to simply Best Dance/Electronic Album. The word “music” was just extra, so they dropped it. More importantly, the new definition requires that albums must be at least 50% dance/electronic to qualify. This change likely comes in response to Beyoncé’s Renaissance winning in 2023, despite not being entirely a dance/electronic album. This update aims to keep the category focused on albums that truly represent the genre.

Finally, there’s a change that affects multiple categories but is particularly significant for dance music. Now, all credited featured artists with less than 50% playtime on an album will automatically get a winners’ certificate if the album wins. Before, only producers and engineers in similar roles received these certificates. Featured artists had to apply for one, and many didn’t even know they could. This new rule ensures they get recognized without any extra hassle.

This change is a big deal for diversity in the dance/electronic categories. Aluna, an artist who co-proposed the change, celebrated the news, pointing out that featured artists deserve recognition for their contributions. Now, every featured artist on a Grammy-winning album will get a certificate, giving credit where it’s due.

These updates are set to make a significant impact on how dance/electronic music is recognized at the 2025 Grammys, creating more clarity and fairness in the awards process.

Photos courtesy of Recording Academy.

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