Jazz, classical now in Grammys

New York – The Grammy for Album of the Year, one of the most prestigious prizes in music, will have looser requirements this year to allow classical and jazz works to compete.

The Recording Academy, who vote on the awards, announced the change yesterday before the nominating process starts for the 60th Grammys next year.

Under previous rules, the academy considered for Album of the Year any work released in the qualifying year that ran at least 15 minutes with five or more distinct tracks.

The Recording Academy dropped the requirement of five tracks if the album runs 30 minutes or more.

The expansion allows for greater inclusion of longer pieces, particularly classical and jazz music. –