GRAMMY Awards Leave Multiple Chart-Topping Artists Without a Win

On Feb. 1, Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles hosted the 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards, which sparked conversation about the connection between recognition, influence, duration, and cultural relevance. There is growing evidence that these two areas can converge to drive success, even if commercially successful artists do not win GRAMMYs.

Recent developments highlight how public perceptions of industry recognition can change over time, particularly in relation to Miley Cyrus receiving a GRAMMY award for her first win in 2024, despite many years of releasing successful albums and being previously snubbed by the industry. She is part of the continued pattern of delayed recognition and is also contributing to the way the public perceives GRAMMY winners and results.

Many well-known artists figure prominently in this conversation. ABBA is one of the highest-selling pop bands ever, yet had no GRAMMY nominations until 2022 and lost out to Silk Sonic in the major category. Bob Marley, an artist with global influence spanning generations, was not nominated while alive and was posthumously awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award to honor his legacy and the growth of reggae music by the Recording Academy.

Diana Ross is another example of an enduring contradiction. Diana has 13 nominations without a competitive win, but later received a Lifetime Achievement Award. The Supremes received a separate Lifetime Achievement Award many years before, reflecting that the Academy historically recognizes cultural contribution separate from competitive outcomes.

That gap between impact and awards continues across genres. Snoop Dogg remains one of the most visible examples, with more than a dozen nominations and no GRAMMY win despite decades of influence on hip-hop, pop culture, and media. 

Blake Shelton once reflected on the persistence required to stay engaged with the process, saying in a 2019 interview, "I'm gonna see a lot of young artists," Shelton told Entertainment Tonight in 2019, "and I hope they look at me and go, 'Oh my god that old bastard he still hasn't won a GRAMMY and he's still up there trying?!'"

Katy Perry also remains a focal point in GRAMMY discourse. Despite numerous nominations and chart-defining success, she has yet to win a GRAMMY. Perry shared, "No, I've been nominated 13 times before. … To be honest, I always go by numbers, and they don't lie. And I'm good with that. Everyone has an opinion, and that's wonderful, but numbers are numbers. Math is sacred."

You can find the full list of GRAMMY winners here.