The 2026 Grammy Nominations Were Full Of Snubs & Surprises

The 2026 Grammy nominations are here, and this year, you could say the list feels like Mayhem. On Nov. 7, stars like Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and more announced the nominees for the 2026 Grammy Awards, which will take place on Feb. 1. And as usual, there were tons of snubs and surprises to be found, making for a chaotic leaderboard.

As expected, Grammys favorite Kendrick Lamar led the nominations, receiving an impressive nine nods, while Lady Gaga was hot on his heels with seven noms. Carpenter, Bad Bunny, and Leon Thomas tied for third place, landing six nominations apiece.

All five artists got coveted noms in the Grammys’ biggest category, Album of the Year, alongside Justin Bieber, Clipse, and Tyler, the Creator. Lamar, Gaga, Carpenter, and Bad Bunny also earned nods for Record of the Year and Song of the Year, joining Billie Eilish, Doechii, and ROSÉ & Bruno Mars in both categories.

However, some of 2025’s biggest names in music were either given little recognition or left out entirely, with some more unexpected artists getting in instead. Read below for the most surprising nominations and shocking snubs at the 2026 Grammys.

Tate McRae Misses In Pop

Tate McRae had a breakout moment with her album So Close To What and its hit single “Sports car,” but failed to break into either Best Pop Vocal Album or Best Pop Solo Performance. However, she can still call herself a Grammy nominee, since her F1 soundtrack song “Just Keep Watching” got a nod for Best Dance Pop Recording.

Addison Rae Breaks Through

Addison Rae has completed her journey from TikTok sensation to bonafide pop star, after she received a Grammy nod for Best New Artist.

“Golden” Gets Some Gold

“Golden,” the breakout hit from Netflix’s most-streamed original film KPOP Demon Hunters, got a surprise nomination in one of the most prestigious Grammys categories, Song of the Year.

Lorde Loses Out

Despite releasing her critically acclaimed album Virgin, which spawned one of her biggest hits in recent years with “What Was That,” Lorde was snubbed from the Grammy nominations list entirely.

“Defying Gravity” Soars

Elphaba and Glinda are now Grammy nominees — kind of. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were nominated in Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Defying Gravity” from the Wicked movie, an award that some fans weren’t even aware they were eligible for.

The Wicked soundtrack and score also scored their own nods in the Visual Media field, while Erivo landed a surprise nod for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella.

Selena Gomez Is Overlooked

Selena Gomez’s collaborative album with her now-husband Benny Blanco, I Said I Loved You First, was largely overlooked. However, she can still add a second Grammy nomination to her resumé, as the track “Bluest Flame” (co-written by Charli xcx) got a nod for Best Dance Pop Recording.

Lady Gaga Scores Double

Not only did Gaga land several nods for Mayhem, including her fifth Album of the Year nomination, but she actually managed to get two albums in. Her 2024 jazz album Harlequin, inspired by her role in Joker: Folie á Deux, was nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. Given her track record of winning that category twice with her late collaborator Tony Bennett, she just might do it again.

The Weeknd Gets Snubbed — Again

After The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” (crowned as the biggest song of all time) was completely snubbed in 2021, he boycotted the Grammys and refused to submit his music for years. At the 2025 show, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason, Jr. said they were back in The Weeknd’s good graces and introduced a performance from him, only for the Grammys to snub him yet again this year, not landing a single nomination for his latest album Hurry Up Tomorrow.