Billboard discussed the changes with Harvey Mason, Jr., Chair & Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy.1. In best new artist, the Academy dropped the rule that an artist may have released no more than 30 tracks prior to the start of the current eligibility year: The Academy had sought to quantify its definition of best new artist, but found that it’s almost impossible to come up with numbers that are fair in every situation.
They will go back to looking at each artist on a case-by-case basis.Going forward, the screening committees will be charged with determining whether the artist had attained a breakthrough or prominence prior to the eligibility year.
Read more on billboard.com