The Recording Academy just announced that three new categories will be added for the 2024 GRAMMYs: Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording.

Here's why these changes are important.

For decades, African music, alternative jazz and dance pop have been nominated for — and winning — GRAMMYs. Now, the Recording Academy is celebrating these impactful sounds like never before.

As announced today, three new categories have been added to Music's Biggest Night: Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording.

They will be awarded for the first time ever at the 2024 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 66th GRAMMY Awards.

The initiation of these three categories is far from a technicality; it amounts to a watershed moment for the Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Awards. And as with all category additions and amendments at the GRAMMYs, changes like these open up the prospect of GRAMMY wins and nominations to artists from a multitude of backgrounds and across more genres.

Here are reasons you should be excited about these new categories and changes at the 2024 GRAMMYs.

Popular Music Owes Everything To Africa

If you like rock, hip-hop, blues, jazz, folk music, bluegrass … really, just about every form of American music, then you have the genius of Africa to thank.

Historically, the Best Global Music Album and Best Global Music Performance GRAMMY categories have nominated and awarded African music and artists.

Now, the creation of Best African Music Performance category will amplify and expand the reach of African music and its creators.

As recently announced, the Best African Music Performance category "includes but is not limited to the Afrobeat, Afro-fusion, Afro Pop, Afrobeats, Alte, Amapiano, Bongo Flava, Genge, Kizomba, Chimurenga, High Life, Fuji, Kwassa, Ndombolo, Mapouka, Ghanaian Drill, Afro-House, South African Hip-Hop, and Ethio Jazz genres, making this newly announced, exciting category a far-reaching and all-encompassing award.

Which of these distinct sounds will be represented on the first-ever Best African Music Performance nominees list? Watch this space to find out.