Benson Boone, The Weeknd, Lorde snubbed from 2026 Grammy nominations
USA TODAY’s Ralphie Aversa recaps some of the 2026 Grammy nomination snubs and surprises, from “Golden” to The Weeknd, Benson Boone, Lorde and more.
More than 23,000 entries were submitted for Grammy consideration.
Most won’t even get a participation trophy.
Looking at you, Morgan Wallen and Kanye West, who continue to be kryptonite to the nearly 15,000 voting members of the Recording Academy.
And we’re sorry, Coldplay. Even though you’ve won seven career Grammys, there was no appreciation for your album “Moon Music” or sweet ballad “All My Love.” Katy Perry, well, it would have been a surprise akin to the Billy Ray Cyrus/Elizabeth Hurley coupling had your harshly maligned “143” been recognized.
Despite the 68th annual Grammy Awards boasting a list of top nominees spanning genres and languages (Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter), it still meant a few familiar names – Keith Urban and MGK among them – would go unnoticed and underappreciated.
And take a breath, Beyhive and Swifties: Neither Taylor Swift nor Beyoncé released any material within the eligibility period of Aug. 31, 2024, to Aug. 30, 2025, so that’s why their names are absent this year.
The 2026 ceremony takes place Feb. 1 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and will air live on CBS and Paramount+.
Here are the biggest 2026 Grammys snubs and surprises:
Grammys 2026 snubsThe Weeknd
After loudly decreeing in 2021 that he was pulling all future work from Grammy consideration following snubs for his album “After Hours,” The Weeknd returned to the Grammys stage in February for the first time since 2017 for a surprise performance of “Cry for Me” and “Timeless.”
The appearance indicated a truce as Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said from the stage: “Criticism is OK. I heard him, and I felt his conviction” while sharing how the Grammys have increased diversity among voting members and launched initiatives such as the Black Music Collective and Women in the Mix.
But the Kumbaya moment didn’t translate to any love for “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” The Weeknd’s sixth studio album, which was released in January and shut out of the nominations.
Might it be another eight years before we see him on a Grammy stage again?
Benson Boone
His live show is electrifying and his acrobatics breathtaking (as in, please let this young man land on his feet and not his head). But even with a spate of hits from his second album, “American Heart,” Boone earned a zero from Grammy judges.
“Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else” and the Olivia Newton-John sampling “Mystical Magical” provided Boone ubiquity on the charts, but he’ll have to console his Grammy rejection with the paychecks from a sold-out worldwide arena tour.
Shawn Mendes
Though nominated for three Grammy Awards between 2019 and 2020, the earnest Mendes has yet to land a win. His self-titled album released last November followed a several-year break to tend to his mental health, a topic expressed with insight and vulnerability on “Shawn.”
He might have a “Heart of Gold,” but he has no Grammy gold to add to his shelf.
Miley Cyrus
After winning the first two Grammys of her nearly 20-year-career in February and igniting the ceremony with the most spirited performance of the night, Cyrus seemed destined to become a permanent fixture on the nominations chart.
Alas, despite the ambitious musical vista on “Something Beautiful,” as well as the accompanying visual album that dug into the concept of finding sunlight after trauma and the success of singles “End of the World” and “Easy Lover,” Cyrus was rewarded with a lone nomination for best pop vocal album.
Lorde
The arrival in June of “Virgin,” Lorde’s fourth studio album and first since 2021, was greeted with significant critical acclaim. The songs rooted in electronic-based quirky pop heralded a return to the sound fans first embraced on her 2013 debut and earned her a No. 1 showing on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart and a No. 2 peak on the Billboard 200.
But the enigmatic New Zealander, who won two Grammys in 2014 for her breakthrough “Royals,” was denied any chance to add to her tally this year.
Reneé Rapp
Both a Broadway belter and pop-rock snarler, the “Bite Me” singer would have made a comfortable fit among this year’s contenders for best new artist. But between her candid lyrics and flip-off attitude inspired by Alanis Morissette and Joan Jett, it’s likely Rapp’s name will appear on a future Grammys list.
Grammys 2026 surprise nomineesKatseye
From reality competition show to a pair of Grammy nods, the sextet known by their single monikers (Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan, Sophia and Yoonchae) has charted an unlikely journey.
The members, who call themselves a “global girl group” because of their combined roots in the United States, South Korea, Switzerland and the Philippines, released their second EP, “Beautiful Chaos,” in 2025.
Katseye will vie for best new artist against Olivia Dean, The Marias, Addison Rae, sombr, Leon Thomas, Alex Warren and Lola Young and compete in the best pop duo/group performance category with their hit “Gabriela,” cowritten with Charli XCX and Andrew Watt, among others.
HUNTR/X (‘KPop Demon Hunters’)
For years, K-pop fans wondered when a Grammy breakthrough would occur for the music style hyped and consumed around the world.
Most of them probably assumed it would come from one of the mega-popular boy or girl groups that have reigned over the genre. But instead, it’s the phenomenally trendy – and perfectly pleasant – song from the Netflix smash “KPop Demon Hunters.”
“Golden,” performed by HUNTR/X (EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI), not only earned nods alongside Bruno Mars and Ariana Grande (best pop duo/group performance) and Elton John and Brandi Carlile (best song written for visual media) but also landed in one of the most prestigious Grammy categories: song of the year. The animated film’s soundtrack also picked up a nod for best compilation soundtrack for visual media.
Our only request is for Derpy Tiger to appear onstage.
Timothée Chalamet
First question: Did anyone else think the multifaceted actor would sound so convincing when inhabiting the aura of Bob Dylan?
Second question: Is Chalamet up for the challenge of those “Golden” girls in best compilation soundtrack for visual media?
Third question: Will Adam Sandler be on hand at the ceremony to announce a potential performance?