Grammy Awards revive album cover category after 50 years.
Visual artists will be honoured at the 68th Grammy Awards 2026.
Designers, photographers, and art directors will be honoured for shaping how audiences visually experience albums.
The Grammy Awards album cover category has been officially revived, marking a major shift in how the music industry recognises creative collaboration. After more than 50 years, the Grammys will once again honour the visual artists responsible for album artwork, placing designers, photographers, and art directors firmly in the spotlight.
The revived category will debut at the 68th Grammy Awards, scheduled for February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The ceremony will be broadcast on CBS and streamed on Paramount. The decision reflects a renewed focus on the role visuals play in shaping how music is seen, remembered, and experienced.
Why the Grammys revived the album cover award
Album covers have long influenced how audiences connect with music. From vinyl sleeves to digital thumbnails, album art remains a powerful storytelling tool. The return of this category acknowledges that music is not only heard but also seen.This year’s nominations include album artwork for releases such as Moisturizer by Wet Leg, Deb Tirar Ms Fotos by Bad Bunny, and Chromakopia. Each project represents a collaborative process where visual identity is developed alongside the music itself.
Artists involved in these projects have spoken about experimentation, intention, and shared creative language. From playful contrasts to carefully planned campaigns, the nominated works highlight how album art can shape an artist’s public image and the way listeners approach a record.
Visual artists finally get centre stage
The Grammys honour album cover designers without requiring physical releases for eligibility, though all nominated albums this year are available in physical formats. This detail quietly points to a growing appreciation for tangible music formats like vinyl, which allow artwork to exist beyond screens.
Several nominees have described album covers as living objects that stay with listeners during different phases of life. This perspective reinforces why album art continues to matter, even in a streaming-first era.
The nomination process itself also evolved, with updated credits reflecting how fluid and collaborative album artwork can be. Designers, photographers and creative directors often work across stages of production, and the revised category structure allows that complexity to be recognised.
What this means for the music industry
The reintroduction of the album cover category signals a broader shift within the Grammys. It shows a willingness to revisit overlooked creative roles and adapt to how audiences consume music today.
For visual artists, this recognition is more than symbolic. It validates their contribution as an essential part of the musical experience, not an afterthought. As music culture continues to blend sound, image and identity, this category feels long overdue.
The Grammy Awards 2026 updates make one thing clear: album art is no longer background decoration. It is part of the record’s voice.
