| Grammy Award for Best Dance Pop Recording | |
| Awarded For: | Quality vocal or instrumental dance pop recordings (tracks or singles only) |
| Presenter: | National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences |
| Year: | 2024 |
| Holder: | Kylie Minogue – "Padam Padam" (2024) |
| Most Nominations: | David Guetta (2) |
| Website: | grammy.com |
The Grammy Award for Best Dance Pop Recording is an award presented by the Recording Academy to honor quality dance pop music performances in any given year. The award was presented for the first time at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in 2024, as a complement to the Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording and the first new category honoring dance/electronic music since 2005. It was originally presented as Best Pop Dance Recording, but received its current name as of the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.[1]
The academy announced the new category in June 2023, stating that the award goes to "tracks and singles that feature up-tempo, danceable music that follows a pop arrangement." Eligible pop dance recordings were also described as featuring "strong rhythmic beats, significant electronic-based instruments", and an emphasis on the "vocal performance, melody and hooks." Dance remixes are not eligible in this category and instead compete in the Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical category.[2] [3] [4]
The award goes to the artist(s), producer(s), and mixer(s) of the song. The inaugural and current recipient of the award is Kylie Minogue, who won for "Padam Padam" at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. David Guetta leads all performers with two nominations.
The creation of the category was described as "essential" by the Recording Academy, noting the increasing convergence between the pop and dance music genres over the preceding decades, specifically citing the work of artists such as Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, Rihanna and Cher, all of whom had previously won Grammys in the Best Dance/Electronic Recording category, and the former four having previously won Grammys in both dance/electronic and pop categories. The introduction of the Best Pop Dance Recording category was seen as "overdue" by critics and Academy members alike, with members of the dance screening committee noting that they had historically struggled with determining where to place dance pop songs when determining category eligibility. This led to calls to introduce a specific category for these artists to be honored without them dominating the existing category and winning Grammys over dance acts who are not established household names.[5]
Regarding the establishment of this category, which was announced alongside Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best African Music Performance, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. stated “The Recording Academy is proud to announce these latest category changes to our awards process. These changes reflect our commitment to actively listen and respond to the feedback from our music community, accurately represent a diverse range of relevant musical genres, and stay aligned with the ever-evolving musical landscape. By introducing these three new categories, we are able to acknowledge and appreciate a broader array of artists. We are excited to honor and celebrate the creators and recordings in these categories, while also exposing a wider range of music to fans worldwide.”[6]
Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.