Song of the Year has the highest number of entries for the 2027 Grammy Awards, with 923 submissions competing for consideration, while Best Opera Recording has the fewest, with 43 entries. The figures were reported on October 12, 2026, as first-round voting opened for the 69th annual Grammy Awards, scheduled to take place on February 7, 2027, in Los Angeles.

The latest entry figures reveal a significant difference in competition across the Grammy categories. Song of the Year has more than 20 times as many entries as Best Opera Recording, illustrating how the volume of eligible submissions varies between major songwriting categories and more specialised areas of recorded music.

Record of the Year ranks second among the categories with the most entries, receiving 779 submissions. Album of the Year follows with 683 entries, while Best Music Video has 645. Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, received 531 entries, and Best Global Music Performance attracted 526 submissions. The newly introduced Best Latin Song category also drew considerable interest in its inaugural year, with 519 entries.

Other categories among the 15 most heavily submitted include Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals, with 471 entries; Best Jazz Performance, with 449; Best American Roots Song, with 411; Best Instrumental Composition, with 405; Best Rock Performance, with 385; Best Americana Performance, with 340; Best American Roots Performance, with 339; and Best New Artist, with 331.

The numbers show that several of the leading general-field categories received fewer submissions than they did for the previous Grammy cycle. Record of the Year declined to 779 entries from 894, while Album of the Year recorded 683, compared with 686 previously. Song of the Year fell from 1,015 entries to 923, and Best New Artist decreased from 337 to 331.

Other general-field categories moved in the opposite direction. Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, received 216 entries, up from 195 in the previous cycle. Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical, also increased, attracting 74 entries compared with 63 previously.

The 2027 Grammy Awards introduced four new categories: Best Asian Pop Music Performance, Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance and Best Latin Song, alongside the creation of Best Traditional Folk Album after the former Best Folk Album category was divided into contemporary and traditional categories. Best Latin Song received 519 entries, while Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance had 211. Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance received 168 entries, and Best Asian Pop Music Performance attracted 116.

The newly separated folk album categories also produced different entry totals. Best Contemporary Folk Album received 173 submissions, while Best Traditional Folk Album had 87. The previous Best Folk Album category received 146 entries in the prior cycle, meaning the new structure has distributed submissions across two separate awards.

At the lower end of the entry rankings, Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media received 67 entries, followed by Best Musical Theater Album with 66. Best Contemporary Blues Album and Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album each attracted 64 entries. Best Choral Performance and Best Contemporary Country Album both received 60 submissions.

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album and Best Traditional Blues Album each received 58 entries, while Best Bluegrass Album had 55. Best Regional Roots Music Album attracted 52 submissions, and Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media received 50. Best Roots Gospel Album recorded 47 entries, Best Traditional Country Album had 46, and Best Gospel Album received 44. Best Opera Recording was the smallest category, with 43 entries.

The Recording Academy’s rules stipulate that a category generally needs at least 40 distinct artist entries to sustain five nominees. Categories receiving between 25 and 39 entries are limited to three nominees, while those with fewer than 25 entries go on hiatus for that year. Best Opera Recording remains above the minimum, although its 43 entries place it close to the threshold.

The entry counts do not determine the eventual nominees or winners. First-round voting runs from October 12 through October 22, with nominations scheduled to be announced on November 16, 2026. The final voting period is scheduled for December 10 through January 7, 2027, before the winners are revealed at the Grammy ceremony on February 7 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

The 2027 Grammy Awards will recognize music released during the eligibility period from August 31, 2025, through August 28, 2026. The latest entry figures provide an early view of the scale of competition across the 100 Grammy categories, with Song of the Year leading the field and Best Opera Recording recording the fewest submissions.