NEW YORK - The Grammy Awards are extending the number of nominees in its top categories from five to eight.

The Recording Academy told its members in a letter released Tuesday that the nominee increase "will better reflect the large number of entries in these categories and allow voters greater flexibility when selecting this year's best recordings."

Album of the year, song of the year, record of the year and best new artist are the categories that will be affected. The change comes months after the Grammys were criticized for the lack of women nominees at this year's show.

For years, the organization has been called out for the lack of diversity in the top categories, where awards tend to skip hip-hop or R&B stars.