Streaming-Only Projects Can Win Grammys Now

In a step that has seemed inevitable for a while now, the Recording Academy announced this morning that streaming-only projects—works released through streaming services but not put up for sale on iTunes or released physically—will be eligible for Grammy Awards.

“We noticed that there were a number of higher-profile artists who were choosing — for philosophical reasons as much as anything — to release their music through streaming-only,” said Bill Freimuth, the Academy's senior vice president of awards, “and we did not want to be exclusionary toward them.”

Thanks, Bill Freimuth! That means that Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book—an album that, no, we won’t stop talking about it, you stop talking about it, shut up—will be eligible for next year’s awards, to be held on February 12 in Los Angeles. Chance himself was pushing for this, however wryly. All three of his albums have come out as streaming-only projects and, by the time he got to Coloring Book, his ineligibility started to irk him.

Back in May he retweeted a petition urging the Academy to recognize free music at the Grammys. And he was already hinting at it back on "Ultralight Beam" when he rapped, "I hear you gotta sell it to snatch the Grammy." For that matter, it's not difficult to imagine the members of the Academy sitting down and collectively shitting themselves over the idea of The Life of Pablo remaining a Tidal exclusive forever.

I think the Grammys are super important!!!

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 24, 2016

In another move that lines the Academy up with the brave new world of 2016, the Best New Artist category will now make room for performers who have released at least five singles rather than a full album. It's an important move in an increasingly single-oriented industry, albeit an industry that's been moving in this direction for a while.

In less important news, more songs are now eligible in dumb categories. Best Rap/Sung Collaboration has been renamed Best Rap/Sung Performance. In theory, it’s a nice move that shows that the academy is keeping up with modern hip-hop’s tendency towards melody. In practice, it’s a reminder that literally nobody needs an award called Best Rap/Sung Performance.

Alex Robert Ross won't rest until there's a Best New Alex Robert Ross Award. He'll come second. Follow him on Twitter.