10 Legendary Artists Who Never Won A Grammy: Surprising Snubs
With the 2026 Grammys now firmly on the horizon, the industry is once again staring at that gold gramophone, measuring legacy by a prize that has never told the whole story. Awards season always sweeps in come wintertime, bringing with it an ice-cold reckoning that never fully thaws, not just with who is being celebrated right now, but with howhistory has been written by the Recording Academy over the decades.
And that history is full of strange, almost unbelievable gaps. Even as this year’s nominees dominate headlines, some of the most iconic, era-defining artists in music still sit on the outside looking in, never having won a single competitive Grammy Award. Their songs fill stadiums. Their albums shaped entire genres. Their influences continue to ripple through modern pop, rock, hip-hop, soul, and everywhere in between, yet the industry’s highest trophy never landed in their hands.
As another Grammy season builds toward its finale, those omissions are as shocking as they are impossible to ignore. Here are 10 remindersthat awards tell only part of the story, and sometimes the most powerfullegacy is the one that never needed a trophy to prove its worth.
Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg has built one of hip-hop’s most enduring careers, yet he has never won a Grammy despite being nominated many, many times across multiple decades. He is widely considered one of the most nominated artists to never receive the trophy.
Diana Ross
With a career that spans more than six decades and is still going as of New Year’s Eve 2026, Diana Ross has more than proved her music will outlive generations to come. The icon has racked up more than a dozen Grammy nominations, yet she never won in a competitive category. Ross later received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, but securing a win during her active nomination years was not on the Academy’s to-do list.
Bob Marley
Bob Marley never won a Grammy during his lifetime. The Best Reggae Album category was introduced after much of his output had already left its indelible mark on music, and although he was later honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award, he never won competitively.
Queen
Queen may be the “champions of the world,” having become one of the biggest bands in rock history, yet they too failed to win a competitive Grammy. Songs like “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “We Will Rock You” remain among the most played and recognizable tracks in popular music despite the lack of Grammy recognition.
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix, often referred to as the greatest guitarist in rock, received only a single Grammy nomination for his instrumental performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” and did not win, even posthumously.
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys never won a Grammy despite multiple nominations, including for some of the most celebrated songs of the 1960s. Like several others on this list, they later received a Lifetime Achievement Award but no competitive wins.
ABBA
ABBA dominated global pop in the 1970s and 1980s with a run of hits that still defines the genre, yet they never won a Grammy during their peak years and remain without a competitive win.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry became one of the biggest breakout stars of the 2010s, producing a string of chart-topping singles and blockbuster albums, yet she has not earned a Grammy despite repeated nominations.
Björk
The Academy continues to freeze out the Icelandic princess. While Björk has been praised for decades as one of the most adventurous and respected artists in modern music, despite numerous Grammy nominations, she has not once taken home the gold.
Nicki Minaj
Before she became an online feud influencer, Nicki Minaj was one of the most influential and commercially successful female rappers of her generation. She has received multiple Grammy nominations but has not won, and let’s face it, probably never will. “Bang Bang” indeed.
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