Why Taylor Swift received no 2026 Grammy nominations as Willie Nelson and Sabrina Carpenter scoop nods


The 2026 Grammys will take place on February 1, 2026 in Los Angeles. Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Bunny, and Lady Gaga lead the nominations


Taylor Swift performs onstage during "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at Wembley Stadium on August 15, 2024 in London, England© Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images f
Rebecca Lewis
Rebecca LewisLos Angeles correspondent
November 7, 2025
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Kendrick Lamar, Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, and producer Jack Antonoff are leading the 2026 Grammy Awards nominations, but there is one name missing: Taylor Swift. The superstar dropped her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, on October 12, but it does not appear in any category for the upcoming Grammys, taking place in February 2026. There's a good reason, though: The Life of a Showgirl missed the eligibility period, which was August 31, 2024, to August 30, 2025. The Life of a Showgirl, which has become one of Taylor's most divisive albums, will be eligible for the 2027 Grammys.

Willie Nelson has been awarded his 56th and 57th nomination –he is nominated for Best Americana Album, and Best Traditional Country Album, for which his son Lukas is also nominated – while K-pop's biggest girl group KATSEYE has been nominated for Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Sabrina, who released her seventh album this year, pops up in all the major categories, including Album, Record, and Song of the Year.

Variant cover of The Life of a Showgirl by Taylor Swift© TAS Rights Management
Variant cover of The Life of a Showgirl by Taylor Swift

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will be hoping to score more Oscar nominations this year for Wicked: For Good, but they also have a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for their collaboration on "Defying Gravity," while the Netflix film K-pop: Demon Hunters also has a Grammy nod in the same category.

Who is nominated for Album of the Year?

Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Sabrina, and Gaga are all nominated, alongside Clipse, Pusha T & Malice; Kendrick; Leon Thomas; and Tyler, The Creator.

2025 Grammys: Beyonce wins three awards in historic night

Who is nominated for Best New Artist?

KATSEYE, the K–pop group formed through the 2023 reality competition series Dream Academy, have been nominated for Best New Artist, alongside the likes of Lola Young, Alex Warren, Olivia Dean, and Addison Rae.

The Marias, sombr, and Leon Thomas are also nominated for the award, which went to Chappell Roan this year.

(Back row from L) Lara Raj, Daniela Avanzini, Sophia Laforteza, (front row from L) Yoonchae Jeung, Manon Bannerman, Megan Meiyok Skiendiel of Katseye © Getty Images for Trü Frü
(Back row from L) Lara Raj, Daniela Avanzini, Sophia Laforteza, (front row from L) Yoonchae Jeung, Manon Bannerman, Megan Meiyok Skiendiel of Katseye

Who was snubbed from the 2026 Grammys?

There were some big shocks when the nominations were announced. 

There was no love for Lorde's hit album Virgin, which was critically acclaimed upon release earlier in 2025. However, the New Zealand-born singer and the Recording Academy have a complicated history, after the Academy's decision to reportedly ask all the male nominees for Album of the Year in 2018 to perform live during the ceremony, but did not invite Lorde, the sole female nominee.

Megan Moroney performs onstage at The 58th Annual CMA Awards held at Bridgestone Arena © Michael Buckner
Megan performs onstage at The 58th Annual CMA Awards

Country stars also missed out on the Best New Artist category, where the likes of Megan  Moroney and Ella Langley seemed like shoo-

Elton John and Brandi Carlile's collaboration album, Who Believes in Angels?, was also missing from all the major categories, a big surprise because together the pair have 61 nominations at the Grammy Awards.

When are the 2026 Grammys?

The GRAMMY Awards will return to Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on Sunday February 1, 2026, and will broadcast live on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+* at 8/7c.

2026 Grammy nominations full list

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE -- Episode 1885 -- Pictured: Host Bad Bunny during the Monologue on Saturday, October 4, 2025© Getty Images
Bad Bunny leads nominations

Record of the Year

"DtMF"  – Bad Bunny

"Manchild" – Sabrina Carpenter

"Anxiety" – Doechii

"WILDFLOWER" – Billie Eilish

"Abracadabra" – Lady Gaga

"luther" – Kendrick Lamar with SZA

"The Subway" – Chappell Roan

"APT." – ROSÉ & Bruno Mars

Album of the Year

DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS – Bad Bunny 

SWAG – Justin Bieber 

Man's Best Friend – Sabrina Carpenter 

Let God Sort Em Out – Clipse, Pusha T & Malice 

MAYHEM –  Lady Gaga 

GNX –  Kendrick Lamar 

MUTT –  Leon Thomas 

CHROMAKOPIA –  Tyler, The Creator

Song of the Year

Sabrina Carpenter performs onstage September 30, 2024 in New York City.© Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for AEG
Sabrina is nominated for seven Grammys

"DtMF" –   Bad Bunny

"Manchild" –   Sabrina Carpenter

"Anxiety" –   Doechii

"WILDFLOWER" –  Billie Eilish

"Abracadabra" –  Lady Gaga

"luther" –   Kendrick Lamar w/ SZA

"The Subway" –  Chappell Roan

"APT" –  Rosé and Bruno Mars

Best New Artist

Olivia Dean

Katseye

The Marias

Addison Rae

Sombr

Leon Thomas

Alex Warren

Lola Young

Olivia Dean at Centre Court at The Championships 2025© Getty Images for AELTC
Olivia Dean at Centre Court at The Championships 2025

Best Pop Solo Performance

"Daisies" — Justin Bieber

"Manchild" — Sabrina Carpenter

"Disease" — Lady Gaga

"The Subway" — Chappell Roan

"Messy" — Lola Young

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

"Defying Gravity" – Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande

"Golden [From "KPop Demon Hunters"]" – HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami

"Gabriela" – Katseye

"APT." – Rosé, Bruno Mars

"30 for 30" – SZA With Kendrick Lamar

Wicked still© Universal
Cynthia and Ariana as Elphaba and Glinda in Wicked

Best Pop Vocal Album

Swag – Justin Bieber

Man’s Best Friend – Sabrina Carpenter

Something Beautiful – Miley Cyrus

Mayhem – Lady Gaga

I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2) – Teddy Swims

Best Dance Pop Recording

lady gaga with black hair at grammys 2025© Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag
Lady Gaga

"Bluest Flame"– Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco

"Abracadabra"— Lady Gaga

"Midnight Sun"– Zara Larsson

"Just Keep Watching (From "F1 The Movie") Illegal"– PinkPantheress

Best Rock Performance

"U Should Not Be Doing That" — Amyl and the Sniffers

"The Emptiness Machine" — Linkin Park

"Never Enough" — Turnstile

"Mirtazapine" — Hayley Williams

"Changes (Live From Villa Park) Back to the Beginning" — Yungblud Featuring Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman, II

Best Rock Song

"As Alive as You Need Me to Be" – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, songwriters (Nine Inch Nails)

"Caramel" – Vessel1 & Vessel2, songwriters (Sleep Token)

"Glum" – Daniel James & Hayley Williams, songwriters (Hayley Williams)

"Never Enough" – Daniel Fang, Franz Lyons, Pat McCrory, Meg Mills & Brendan Yates, songwriters (Turnstile)

"Zombie" – Dominic Harrison & Matt Schwartz, songwriters (Yungblud)

Alana Haim, Danielle Haim and Este Haim of Haim © Redferns
Alana Haim, Danielle Haim and Este Haim of Haim

Best Rock Album

Private Music — Deftones

I Quit — Haim

From Zero — Linkin Park

Never Enough — Turnstile

Idols — Yungblud

Best Alternative Music Performance

"Everything Is Peaceful Love" — Bon Iver

"Alone" — The Cure

"Seein’ Stars" —Turnstile

"Mangetout" — Wet Leg

"Parachute" — Hayley Williams

Best Alternative Music Album

Sable, Fable – Bon Iver

Songs of a Lost World – The Cure

Don’t Tap the Glass – Tyler, the Creator

Moisturizer – Wet Leg

Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party – Hayley Williams

Best R&B Performance

"Yukon" – Justin Bieber

"It Depends" – Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller

"Folded" – Kehlani

"Mutt (Live From NPR’s Tiny Desk)" – Leon Thomas

"Heart of a Woman" – Summer Walker

Best R&B Album

Beloved— Giveon

Why Not More? — Coco Jones

The Crown — Ledisi

Escape Room — Teyana Taylor

Mur — Leon Thomas

Best Rap Song

"Anxiety" — Jaylah Hickmon, songwriter (Doechii)

"The Birds Don’t Sing" — Gene Elliott Thornton Jr., Terrence Thornton, Pharrell Williams & Stevie Wonder, songwriters (Clipse, Pusha T & Malice Featuring John Legend & Voices of Fire)

"Sticky" — Aaron Bolton, Dudley Alexander Duverne, Gloria Woods, Dwayne Carter, Jr., Janae Wherry, Tyler Okonma & Rex Zamor, songwriters (Tyler, the Creator Featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne)

"TGIF" — Lucas Alegria, Dillon Brophy, Yakki Davis, Gloria Woods, Jess Jackson, Ronnie Jackson, Mario Mims & Jorge M. Taveras, songwriters (GloRilla)

"TV Off" —Jack Antonoff, Larry Jayy, Kendrick Lamar, Dijon McFarlane, Sean Momberger, Mark Anthony Spears & Kamasi Washington, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar, Featuring Lefty Gunplay)

Best Rap Album

Let God Sort Em Out – Clipse, Pusha T & Malice

Glorious – GloRilla

God Does Like Ugly – JID

GNX – Kendrick Lamar

Chromakopia – Tyler, the Creator

Jennifer Hudson hand on hip in big pink dress© Getty
Jennifer has been Grammy-nominated again

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Wintersongs — Laila Biali

The Gift of Love — Jennifer Hudson

Who Believes in Angels? — Elton John & Brandi Carlile

Harlequin — Lady Gaga

A Matter of Time — Laufey

The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume 2 — Barbra Streisand

Best Musical Theater Album

Buena Vista Social Club

Death Becomes Her

Gypsy

Just In Time

Maybe Happy Ending

Reba McEntire red carpet© Penske Media via Getty Images
Reba has also been Grammy nominated

Best Country Solo Performance

"Nose on the Grindstone" – Tyler Childers

"Good News" – Shaboozey

"Bad as I Used to Be [From "F1 The Movie"]"

"I Never Lie" – Zach Top

"Somewhere Over Laredo" – Lainey Wilson

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

"A Song to Sing" — Miranda Lambert And Chris Stapleton

"Trailblazer" — Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson

"Love Me Like You Used to Do" — Margo Price & Tyler Childers

"Amen" — Shaboozey & Jelly Roll

"Honky Tonk Hall of Fame" — George Strait, Chris Stapleton

Best Country Song

"Bitin’ List" — Tyler Childers, songwriter (Tyler Childers)

"Good News" — Michael Ross Pollack, Sam Elliot Roman & Jacob Torrey, songwriters (Shaboozey)

"I Never Lie" — Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols & Zach Top, songwriters (Zach Top)

"Somewhere Over Laredo" — Andy Albert, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson & Lainey Wilson, songwriters (Lainey Wilson)

"A Song to Sing" — Jenee Fleenor, Jesse Frasure, Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton)

Best Traditional Country Album

Dollar a Day — Charley Crockett

American Romance — Lukas Nelson

Oh What a Beautiful World — Willie Nelson

Hard Headed Woman — Margo Price

Ain’t in It for My Health — Zach Top

Best Contemporary Country Album

Patterns — Kelsea Ballerini

Snipe Hunter — Tyler Childers

Evangeline vs. the Machine — Eric Church

Beautifully Broken — Jelly Roll

Postcards From Texas — Miranda Lambert

Best Americana Album

Big Money – Jon Batiste

Bloom – Larkin Poe

Last Leaf on the Tree – Willie Nelson

So Long Little Miss Sunshine – Molly Tuttle

Middle – Jesse Welles

Best Gospel Album

Sunny Days — Yolanda Adams

Tasha — Tasha Cobbs Leonard 

Live Breathe Fight — Tamela Mann

Only On The Road (Live) — Tye Tribbett

Heart Of Mine — Darrel Walls, PJ Morton

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media

A Complete Unknown – Timothée Chalamet

F1 The Album – Various Artists

Kpop Demon Hunters – Various Artists

Sinners – Various Artists

Wicked – Various Artists

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Includes Film and Television)

How to Train Your Dragon – John Powell, composer

Severance: Season 2 – Theodore Shapiro, composer

Sinners – Ludwig Göransson, composer

Wicked – John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, composers

The Wild Robot – Kris Bowers, composer

Best Song Written for Visual Media

"As Alive as You Need Me to Be" [From "Tron: Ares"] — Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, songwriters (Nine Inch Nails)

"Golden" [From "KPop Demon Hunters"] — EJAE & Mark Sonnenblick, songwriters (HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami)

"I Lied to You" [From "Sinners"] — Ludwig Göransson & Raphael Saadiq, songwriters(Miles Caton)

"Never Too Late" [From "Elton John: Never Too Late"] — Brandi Carlile, Elton John, Bernie Taupin & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Elton John, Brandi Carlile)

"Pale, Pale Moon" [From "Sinners"] — Ludwig Göransson & Brittany Howard, songwriters (Jayme Lawson)

"Sinners" [From "Sinners"] — Leonard Denisenko, Rodarius Green, TravisHarrington, Tarkan Kozluklu, Kyris Mingo & Darius Povilinus, songwriters (Rod Wave)

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