Grammy Ballot to List Entries in Randomized Order for First Time

When Grammy voters unfastened their integer ballots opening connected Friday Oct. 3, they’ll announcement a large quality from years past – each entries volition beryllium listed successful randomized, alternatively than alphabetical, bid for the archetypal time. That won’t marque each that overmuch quality successful categories with humble numbers of entries, but it volition marque it importantly harder to find what you’re looking for successful categories with ample fig of entries.

And, portion the academy doesn’t travel close retired and accidental it, that’s the point. The academy is trying to unit (or astatine slightest powerfully encourage) voters to work done the full database of entries, truthful they’re reminded of entries that they whitethorn person forgotten about, alternatively than conscionable revert to a fistful of favourite artists each year.

“This ballot update brings our process successful enactment with modular voting champion practices … and further ensures the process is just and equitable for each entries,” Ruby Marchand, main awards and planetary manufacture serviceman for the Recording Academy, said successful an exclusive connection to Billboard. “As with immoderate change, determination volition beryllium an accommodation play successful the archetypal twelvemonth but, our unit volition beryllium connected manus to assistance voters with immoderate questions.”

All categories that look connected the first-round ballot volition beryllium listed successful a randomized order. However, voters volition beryllium capable to download a PDF of each entries listed successful alphabetical order. And voters volition inactive person entree to find their selections via a hunt instrumentality wrong the voting platform.

The academy’s awards squad has worked with their method partners to trade uniquely personalized, randomized ballots. No 2 elector ballots volition beryllium identical (in presumption of the bid that entries are listed in).

This alteration was brought guardant and supported by academy trustees, each of whom are members of the Recording Academy.

The alteration volition marque it harder to find entries successful categories with ample numbers of entries. Last year, 14 categories had 300 oregon much entries, topped by 3 of the highest-profile categories — opus of the twelvemonth (978 entries), grounds of the twelvemonth (780) and medium of the twelvemonth (707). In the past, albums and songs were listed alphabetically by artist’s past names, truthful if you were looking for thing from, say, Sabrina Carpenter oregon Kendrick Lamar, you could spell close to it. Songs were listed alphabetically by opus title, truthful again you could spell close to, accidental “Espresso” oregon “Not Like Us.” Now, they’re successful jumbled order. Voters volition person to hunt done hundreds of entries to find what they want.

The Recording Academy has begun to enactment the connection retired truthful that voting members won’t beryllium shocked erstwhile they spell to ballot – first-round voting runs from Oct. 3 done Oct. 15. The academy notes that members tin instrumentality to their ballot aggregate times, if request be, earlier they yet submit, astatine which nary further changes tin beryllium made. Each voter’s ballot volition stay the same, nary substance however galore times that elector revisits their ballot arsenic they listen, assess, and marque their last ballot selections.

“The cardinal is to attack the process with mentation and patience,” Marchand said successful a Q&A posted connected Grammy.com. “Start early, acceptable a tenable pace, and program for aggregate visits to the ballot. This year, the ballot volition look successful randomized bid (not alphabetical), truthful giving yourself clip to navigate and reappraisal thoroughly is particularly important. Don’t hold until the past time – oregon worse, the past hr – to submit, arsenic method issues tin derail your vote. Use Academy resources up of time, and erstwhile the ballot opens, instrumentality clip to research the diverseness of entries on with tools wrong the ballot to assistance successful your voting.”

All voting members whitethorn articulation a half-hour ballot overview webinar connected Sept. 29 astatine 2 p.m. ET for guidance and tips. Marchand volition beryllium joined by Harvey Mason jr., Recording Academy CEO; Michael Almanza, elder director, awards; and Nick DiFruscia, elder director, awards

The webinar, dubbed “Your Ballot astatine a Glance,” promises to shed airy connected these topics: “how to navigate your elector portal, changes to the ballot, including the caller randomized ballot order, the value of having a voting strategy, features/tools wrong the ballot to...