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Charli XCX with her album Brat along with Post Malone with album F-1 Trillion each received a new Grammy nomination for art direction on December 20 for the 2025 ceremony. This adjustment came after initial best recording package nominations on November 8 when artists were not listed as art directors causing an increase to their personal totals. The Recording Academy added these adjustments in their Grammy Award Update Center with additional clarifications from official records.
Both Charli XCX and Post Malone went from seven to eight nominations placing them closer to nomination frontrunner Beyoncé with 11. Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar each remain with seven nominations in a still extremely competitive award category this year. The increase for Charli XCX and Post Malone marks another success for their respected albums released this year with both album art styles gaining global recognition as more fans listen and learn about these individual artists and projects.
Kate Bush will also compete in this category this year for her artwork as co-art director of Hounds of Love The Baskerville Edition. The 1985 Kate Bush album experienced renewed popularity thanks to the 2022 hit “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)”. Bush’s art direction nomination stood from the initial Grammy announcement marking another highly successful album to reach nomination in this category this year with so many new and popular formats released by major and indie studios during 2024. Kate Bush and other artists mentioned all provide insight on what has become an incredible year for talented and innovative music creation.
Recording artists now exert increasing influence over the visual design of albums and the overall creative direction in comparison to earlier eras. Frank Sinatra was the first sole winner for art direction for his album Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely in 1959 the very first Grammy ceremony. From 1959-1991 there had been a single instance of a Grammy awarded to artist as art director showing a major change across the industry over time with new ways to share information and increase overall public knowledge about musical releases.
From 1991 through 2018 a new landscape emerged recognizing many music artists. Nine artists have secured a Grammy award in the category best recording package for design. Suzanne Vega won a Grammy for Days of Open Hand in 1991 while Joni Mitchell received a win in 1996 for Turbulent Indigo and Ray Benson won for Asleep at the Wheel Ride With Bob in 2000 showing new types of artwork becoming more recognized in award circuits. Many individual artists such as Ani DiFranco with Evolve in 2004 along with Aimee Mann for The Forgotten Arm in 2006 and Adam Jones for Tool 10000 Days in 2007 were noted as changing the landscape of the industry. The list also included Michael Carney for The Black Keys with Brothers album in 2011 as well as Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam for Lightning Bolt in 2015 with the most recent artist recognition going to Josh Tillman with Pure Comedy Deluxe Edition in 2018 all displaying clear shifts of music industry to celebrate artists work.
The Recording Academy continues to revise and make additions as additional data becomes available showing an overall attention to detail and artist recognition which should be common place moving forward with any future large music events like the Grammys. Charli XCX, Post Malone , Kate Bush and many others all demonstrated a strong understanding of creative elements and their specific musical direction in the creation of these albums showcasing major success all around.