The 2026 Grammy nominations are finally here, and while the list is stacked with names like Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, and Sabrina Carpenter, two of the biggest artists in the world are surprisingly missing, Taylor Swift and The Weeknd.
Kendrick Lamar leads with nine nominations, followed closely by Lady Gaga with seven, while Bad Bunny and Sabrina Carpenter each earned six. But what people can’t stop talking about is who didn’t make the cut.
Taylor Swift’s absence isn’t exactly a snub. Her album The Life of a Showgirl came out in October 2025, which is after the eligibility window for this year’s Grammys. The Recording Academy only considers releases between August 31, 2024 and August 30, 2025, so her new album will compete next year instead. Still, it feels strange not seeing her name anywhere, especially after dominating almost every awards show for the past few years.
The Weeknd’s situation is a little different. He wasn’t left out because of timing, but because his submissions didn’t seem to gain traction. Despite ending his boycott of the Grammys, he didn’t pick up nominations in the major categories. Even though his recent projects and collaborations kept him in the spotlight, it seems the Academy’s attention shifted toward new voices and bold experiments in pop, rap, and R&B.
Also Read: 2026 Grammy Nominations UNVEILED: Find Out Who’s Leading the Pack – Don’t Miss Out!
This year feels like a changing of guard. Kendrick Lamar’s poetic and politically charged GNX sits alongside Lady Gaga’s theatrical Mayhem, Bad Bunny’s genre-bending DeBí Tirar Más Fotos, and Sabrina Carpenter’s glossy pop breakout Man’s Best Friend. The energy is fresh, the mix is unpredictable, and for once, the Grammys don’t feel like they’re repeating themselves.
Taylor and Abel may have sat this one out: one by timing, one by choice, but the 2026 nominations remind everyone that even the biggest stars don’t always get the spotlight.
