LOS ANGELES — Sometimes an album cover could be worth a thousand words. And the Grammys finally agree.

The 2026 ceremony will be the first time in 53 years that the award for best album cover will be presented. Previously, the award for a recording package included the album's visuals and physical materials. Last year, Charli XCX earned the accolade for the virality of "brat" and its distinct mucus-y green.

However, this year, the categories for boxed/special limited-edition packages will be combined into a single recording package category, with album covers receiving their own trophy.

This category isn't exactly new. At the first Grammys in 1959, Frank Sinatra's "Only the Lonely" received the award for album cover. It was presented every year until 1973, when the Siegel-Schwall Band won for its self-titled album. After that, the category was renamed album package and then changed again in 1994 to recording package.

The nominated albums for art cover include Tyler the Creator's "Chromakopia," Djo's "The Crux," Bad Bunny's "Debí Tirar Más Fotos," Perfume Genius' "Glory" and Wet Leg's "Moisturizer." From the nostalgic white plastic chairs that grace Bad Bunny's sixth studio album to Tyler the Creator's masked longing gaze on his cover, an album's artwork is often essential to the listening experience.

"When a cover in a campaign hits right," said nominated photographer Neil Krug to the Associated Press, "it's part of the language and the fabric of what makes a great record a great record."

Krug has a history of photographing covers for artists like Lana Del Rey and Tame Impala. He's nominated for shooting the cover of "The Crux," by Joe Keery ("Stranger Things"), who goes by the musical moniker Djo. The image includes a chaotic menagerie of an old hotel and a crowded street, including everything from Djo himself hanging from a window, a kissing couple and a parking ticket dispute.

"Anything that we could come up with, we were just like throwing it at the canvas," Krug told the Associated Press.

This split of categories is meant to better recognize music in the digital age. Grammy rules state that albums do not need to exist physically to be considered for this category, unlike in the recording package category. (Though this year every album nominated for the award is available on vinyl and CD).

"In today's digital world, album covers are arguably more impactful than ever. Chances are, there's an iconic cover that's instantly recognizable to you, even if you never owned the physical album. Their cultural significance is undeniable," said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., in an interview with Grammy.com.

Recording Academy voters are tasked with judging the cover's creativity and design elements. Once the winner is determined, trophies will go to the album's art director and the designers, photographers and illustrators will receive a certificate.

In addition to the album cover category, the country album category has also been split into two groups: traditional country and contemporary country. (Last year, Beyoncé won country album for "Cowboy Carter.") The new artist category has also been expanded to include performers who were featured on previous album of the year nominees, if they are featured on less than 20% of the album.

The Grammys kick off on Feb. 1 at Crypto.com Arena.

©2026 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.