UPDATE (June 16): The Recording Academy announced Tuesday (June 16) that it is increasing the maximum number of times an artist may be submitted for best new artist from three to four. The old rule – “An artist may not enter into this category more than three times, including as a performing member of an established group” – had been in place at least since the 62nd annual Grammy Awards in 2020. The Academy said the point of the new rule is “reflecting the evolving nature of artist development.”
This rule change was good news for Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, Ken Carson and Ravyn Lenae, all of whom had been entered three times previously in the category and would have been disqualified under the old rules. Langley and Moroney were entered in each of the last three years; Carson and Lenae in each of the last two years, as well as at the 2023 ceremony.
Geese had been entered twice in the category (in 2023 and 2024), while its lead singer, Cameron Winter, was entered last year following the release of his solo debut album, Heavy Metal. Those three entries would likewise have made Geese ineligible.
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Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, explained his reasoning in a Q&A on Grammy.com: “With Best New Artist, we’ve heard from the music community that the way artists are being developed is changing, and the time it’s taking to find success or recognition can take longer than it once did. Artists are often releasing more music before they actually break through the consciousness of consumers or of our voters, and that evolution directly impacts this Category.
“Last year, we formed a Best New Artist task force and charged them with reviewing the current guidelines and Category description to determine if anything needed to be refreshed or changed. That task force met, discussed, deliberated, and convened artists, and they came to the table with recommendations, which is what you’re seeing implemented this year. The changes that have been made to this category will allow for a little bit more flexibility and reflect the reality that artist development looks different than it did even a few years ago.”
PREVIOUSLY (June 2): Grammy voters are likely to be “choosin’” Ella Langley in several categories in the upcoming 69th Grammy nominations, but there’s one category in which her name likely won’t appear: best new artist.
Langley was entered in that category in each of the last three years. Current Grammy rules stipulate that an artist can be entered no more than three times in the category.
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Another red-hot country artist, Megan Moroney, may be ineligible for the same reason.
Rapper Ken Carson and R&B singer Ravyn Lenae may also be ineligible. They were entered in each of the last two years as well as at the 2023 ceremony.
Here’s the rule, from the 68th Grammy Awards Rules & Guidelines handbook (the one for the upcoming 69th Grammy Awards has not yet been published): “An artist may not enter into this Category more than three times, including as a performing member of an established group.”
Three of these artists have landed No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. Carson hit No. 1 in April 2025 with his fourth studio album, More Chaos. Moroney hit No. 1 in March 2026 with her third studio album, Cloud 9. Langley hit No. 1 in April 2026 with her second studio album, Dandelion.
Carson has released four studio albums, two mixtapes, five EPs, 15 singles (including four as a featured artist) and 20 music videos. But the Recording Academy no longer has a maximum number of releases an artist can have before they are thrown out.
Here’s the rule: “While there will be no specified maximum number of releases, the Screening Committees will be charged with determining whether the artist had attained a breakthrough or prominence prior to the eligibility year. Such a determination would result in disqualification.”
Also not eligible, per the rulebook: “Any artist with a previous Grammy nomination as a performer, including a nomination as an established member of a nominated group.”
First-round voting for the 69th Grammy Awards will be held from Oct. 12 to Oct. 22. Nominations will be announced on Nov. 16. Final-round voting will be held from Dec. 10 to Jan. 7, 2027. The awards will be presented on Feb. 7, 2027 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Olivia Dean is the reigning best new artist winner. The other seven nominees at this year’s ceremony were KATSEYE, The Marías, Addison Rae, sombr, Leon Thomas, Alex Warren and Lola Young.