Grammys 2026: The biggest snubs and surprises
The Grammy nominations have officially been announced, bringing on a new wave of surprises.
While the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Jack Antanoff, and Lady Gaga came out on top, some artists, such as Lorde and Role Model, received no nominations at all.
One of the biggest names leading the pack is Bad Bunny. The Puerto Rican artist has been at the heart of a raging controversy of late, as the Donald Trump administration has hit out at his slot at next year’s Super Bowl. Despite this, the star has picked up six nominations; his album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS is only the second Spanish-language album to get nominated for ‘Album of the Year’.
Another star who was surprisingly recognised by the Recording Academy was Paramore’s Hayley Williams. She released a 20-track album, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, this year, and has received four nominations, including ‘Best Rock Song’, ‘Best Rock Performance’, ‘Best Alternative Music Performance’, and ‘Best Alternative Music Album’. This is the first time the Grammys has recognised her solo work.
It was a good year for hardcore and alternative music, as rockers Turnstile were nominated for five Grammys, the most nods they have ever received.
On the other hand, Lorde’s new album, Virgin, has been overlooked. Though she received an ‘Album of the Year’ nomination in 2018 for Melodrama, she received no nominations this year. The last Grammy she won was back in 2014, when she made history as the youngest songwriter ever to achieve ‘Song of the Year’.
Additionally, on-the-rise pop star Benson Boone was snubbed by the Academy. He was teed up for a great 2026, as he was up for ‘Best New Artist’ in 2025 and performed at the official ceremony with fellow nominees Doechii, Teddy Swims, Shaboozey, Raye, and Khruangbin. Nonetheless, despite dropping an album this year, he is nowhere on the list.
Instead, Lola Young surprisingly came out on top with a nomination in the ‘Best New Artist’ category, as well as a nomination for ‘Best Pop Solo Performance’ for her hit single ‘Messy’.
Despite this success, Young has recently declared that she will be taking a hiatus from her career after fainting on stage in New York.
Though Role Model was snubbed from the category, other nominations in the ‘Best New Artist’ category include Sombr, Alex Warren, The Marias, Addison Rae, and Leon Thomas. Thomas, surprisingly, picked up six nominations, the same amount as Sabrina Carpenter.
Despite online speculation, Taylor Swift was not snubbed at the Grammys, as her latest project, The Life of a Showgirl, came out an entire month after the end of the eligibility period.
Instead, a breakthrough track from the Netflix animated movie KPop Demon Hunters, ‘Golden’, received three nominations, including ‘Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media’, ‘Best Song written for Visual Media’, and, incredibly, ‘Song of the Year’.
The ceremony will return to the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 1st, 2026, to celebrate the past 12 months in music.
See the full list of Grammy nominations here.
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