Gaga’s Grammy Snub Prompts Rule Change

Lady Gaga’s wildly successful entry into the music scene actually hampered her chances of scoring a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist this year because of the Recording Academy’s previous eligibility guidelines. Although Gaga had a major 2009, following the chart-topping success of her debut album The Fame, her earlier nod for Best Dance Recording for “Just Dance” barred the star from being considered for Best New Artist at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.

In light of the Gaga situation, the Recording Academy has announced that artists who have received previous nominations may still be eligible for the Best New Artist trophy. “If an artist/group is nominated (but does not win) for the release of a single or as a featured artist or collaborator on a compilation or other artist’s album before the artist/group has released an entire album (and becomes eligible in this category for the first time), the artist/group may enter this category in the eligibility year during which his/her/their first album is released,” the academy said in a statement.

The academy also acknowledged that the changes reflect the fact that many artists appear as featured guests on hit singles before releasing a full-length debut. “More and more, the first release of a new artist is as a featured artist on someone else’s album, or the new artist may release a single long before the release of his/her/their entire first album. By current rules, if the other artist’s album or the new artist’s single receives a nomination, the new artist may never have the opportunity to compete in the Best New Artist category,” the statement continued. “With this change, each artist will have at least one opportunity to enter in this important and highly visible category.”

According to The Associated Press, academy President Neil Portnow acknowledged that the Gaga oversight was a factor in changing the eligibility requirements. “There will be some changes so that particular situation won’t repeat itself,” Portnow said.

The changes will immediately go into effect and will be reflected in the nominations for the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2011.