Previous Category Structure:
Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance
Best Gospel Song
Best Contemporary Christian Music Song
Best Gospel Album
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
New Category Structure:
Best Gospel Performance/Song
Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
Best Gospel Album
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
Best Roots Gospel Album
Also starting in 2015, both the artist(s) and songwriter(s) of new material will be honored in the Best Gospel Performance/Song and Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song categories. According to the Academy, changes to the Gospel Field were made "in the interest of clarifying the criteria, representing the current culture and creative DNA of the gospel and Contemporary Christian Music communities, and better reflecting the diversity and authenticity of today's gospel music industry, including:
- Place the growing and increasingly popular rap and hip-hop music into the contemporary category where the industry and fans feel it belongs
- Provide a category for traditional Southern gospel and other "roots" gospel albums as both a protector of the heritage of this music and an acknowledgement of the growing interest and support of these genres
- Recognize the critical contribution of both songwriters and performers by combining songwriters and artists into the Best Gospel Performance/Song and Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song categories
- Appropriately integrate artists, songwriters, albums and songs along creative and aesthetic lines."
