The 54th Annual Grammy Awards in 2012 will have 31 fewer categories than the 2011 awards, mainly because gender-based categories in country, rock, pop and R&B will be eliminated.

"I think the positive side is we've taken a good serious look at what we're doing," Recording Academy president/CEO Neil Portnow tells Billboard of the move from 109 to 78 awards. "We contemporized it, we organized it and we visioned it in a way that will suit us going into the future. In other words, if you just continue business as usual, at some point, typically, you're going to hit some sort of a pothole in the road."

For country acts and their fans, this means there will be fewer awards. Now instead of seven awards categories, country will have four. The country award categories will now be Best Country Solo Performance, Best Country Duo/Group Performance, Best Country Song and Best Country Album.

In addition to changes in R&B, pop and rock categories, roots music will have five categories instead of nine. Best Americana Album and Best Bluegrass Album categories still remain.

There are a few other across-the-board changes, as well. One requires that each category have at least 40 distinct artist entry, not the 25 previously allowed. If a category receives between 25-39 entries, only three recordings will be nominating. If fewer than 25 entries are submitted the category will go on"hiatus" and no award will be presented. If a category receives fewer than 25 entries for three consecutive years, the category will be discontinued.