What Are the 2025 Grammy Award Categories?
The 67th Annual Grammy Awards is set to take place on February 2, 2025, honoring the best music released between September 16, 2023, and August 30, 2024. With an astounding 94 award categories, the ceremony will highlight achievements across a wide range of genres and disciplines, from country and R&B to classical and electronic music.
Let’s dive into the complete list of categories for the 2025 Grammy Awards and explore what makes each one special. Along the way, we’ll also reflect on how the unique sound of the accordion could bring a fresh twist to modern music—and how it would be thrilling to see more artists incorporate this timeless instrument into their work.
General Grammy Categories
The General Field features the most prestigious awards of the night, honoring the year’s biggest contributions to music:
- Record of the Year
- Album of the Year
- Song of the Year
- Best New Artist
- Producer of the Year (Non-Classical)
- Songwriter of the Year (Non-Classical)
These categories set the stage for groundbreaking moments. Wouldn’t it be fascinating if future winners experimented with instruments like the accordion, blending modern beats with traditional sounds?
Pop and Dance/Electronic Grammy Categories
The pop and dance/electronic categories focus on electrifying vocals and high-energy productions:
- Best Pop Solo Performance
- Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
- Best Pop Vocal Album
- Best Dance/Electronic Recording
- Best Dance Pop Recording
- Best Dance/Electronic Album
- Best Remixed Recording
These categories highlight innovation in music. Imagine hearing an electronic dance hit that incorporates the accordion’s melodic charm—a fusion of old and new that could redefine dance floors.
Rock, Metal, and Alternative Grammy Categories
For fans of heavier sounds and boundary-pushing artistry, these awards honor the best in rock and alternative music:
- Best Rock Performance
- Best Metal Performance
- Best Rock Song
- Best Rock Album
- Best Alternative Music Performance
- Best Alternative Music Album
Rock legends have long experimented with diverse instruments. It’s time for the accordion to make its mark in this category, lending a unique depth to rock compositions.
R&B, Rap, and Spoken Word Poetry Grammy Categories
The R&B and rap categories celebrate emotion, rhythm, and lyrical genius:
- Best R&B Performance
- Best Traditional R&B Performance
- Best R&B Song
- Best Progressive R&B Album
- Best R&B Album
- Best Rap Performance
- Best Melodic Rap Performance
- Best Rap Song
- Best Rap Album
- Best Spoken Word Poetry Album
Artists like Lizzo and Kendrick Lamar consistently push creative boundaries. Adding the accordion’s soulful tones could transform the mood and storytelling of future hits in these genres.
Jazz, Traditional Pop, and Musical Theater Grammy Categories
Jazz and musical theater continue to celebrate intricate arrangements and emotive performances:
- Best Jazz Performance
- Best Jazz Vocal Album
- Best Jazz Instrumental Album
- Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
- Best Latin Jazz Album
- Best Alternative Jazz Album
- Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
- Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
- Best Musical Theater Album
From swing to improvisation, jazz artists could explore the accordion to craft new, vibrant sounds that bridge genres and eras.
Country and American Roots Grammy Categories
Country and roots music embody storytelling at its finest:
- Best Country Solo Performance
- Best Country Duo/Group Performance
- Best Country Song
- Best Country Album
- Best American Roots Performance
- Best Americana Performance
- Best American Roots Song
- Best Americana Album
- Best Bluegrass Album
- Best Traditional Blues Album
- Best Contemporary Blues Album
- Best Folk Album
- Best Regional Roots Music Album
The accordion has always played a vital role in folk and roots music, and there’s immense potential for country artists to revisit its charm in future compositions.
Latin, Global, African, and Reggae Grammy Categories
These categories embrace the diverse sounds of global cultures:
- Best Latin Pop Album
- Best Música Urbana Album
- Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album
- Best Música Mexicana Album
- Best Tropical Latin Album
- Best Global Music Performance
- Best African Music Performance
- Best Global Music Album
- Best Reggae Album
Accordion sounds are already beloved in global music genres like música Mexicana and tropical Latin music. Let’s hope more artists incorporate this versatile instrument in innovative ways.
Production, Classical, and Other Categories
From engineering to classical performance, these categories showcase technical mastery and timeless artistry:
- Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical)
- Best Immersive Audio Album
- Best Orchestral Performance
- Best Opera Recording
- Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
- Best Classical Instrumental Solo
- Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
Classical composers and producers have long experimented with instruments. With its unique resonance, the accordion could open new doors in classical and contemporary arrangements.
Celebrating Innovation in Music
The Grammy Awards aren’t just about recognizing success—they’re about inspiring artists to push boundaries and experiment. Incorporating accordion music into genres like pop, R&B, and alternative could bring a fresh wave of creativity to the industry. As we gear up for the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, we can only hope to see more daring artists embrace this iconic instrument.
For a complete list of the nominees and categories, visit the official Grammy website.