Members of K-pop girl group KATSEYE posted videos online, expressing complete shock— all six of them.
“We’re throwing up, crying, freaking out,” laughed member Manon Bannerman. “We’re in… disbelief.”
In a similar video, American singer Alex Warren slumped against his couch, teary-eyed as he was swarmed by his friends and family. “This is proof that dreams come true if you keep going”, he posted.
On November 7th, 2025, the American National Academy of Recording Arts & Science (NARAS), or known as “The Recording Academy”, released the nominations list for the 2026 Grammy Awards. Among thousands of artists, musicians like KATSEYE and Alex Warren were just a select few to be nominated for the glamorous ceremony in February 2026: a night of flashing cameras, outlandish outfits, and suspenseful celebration of the year’s Grammy Award winners.
The twenty-four karat gold gramophone statues granted to artists celebrate exceptional achievement in their works and is considered one of the greatest honors in the music industry. Ever since 1959, the categories for the Grammys change every year, with 2026 boasting ninety-five distinct sections. This year’s Grammy nominations are nothing short of impressive: rapper extraordinaire Kendrick Lamar headlines the event with a staggering nine nominations (or nods), followed by artists Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish, and Cirkut for nods in multiple categories. With so many talented artists clashing in the Grammys, everyone’s got their favorites— and predictions— for the upcoming celebration.
Among veteran artists, some new faces will make an appearance at the Grammys: Leon Thomas, Olivia Dean, sombr, The Marías, Lola Young, and the aforementioned Alex Warren and KATSEYE are all nominees for “Best New Artist”. From Lola Young’s upbeat TikTok hit, “Messy” to sombr’s smash-hit album debut, “I Barely Know Her”, the Best New Artist Award recognizes the influence of artists making their debut in the music scene.
Despite the successes of newer artists in 2025, however, there’s no doubt that some veterans are struggling to keep up with their contemporaries. With the rise of the streaming era favoring short-form, catchy music, many mainstream artists find it hard to maintain a presence in the public eye, often releasing music just to stay culturally relevant. This year, veteran artists like Laufey, Lil Wayne, Travis Scott, Deftones, Taylor Swift, Young Thug, Drake, PARTYNEXTDOOR, and Katy Perry have released albums that haven’t exactly upheld the quality of their previous works.
Now, it’s not to say that good, substantial music is completely gone, but the average listener today might take a look at the Hot 100 charts and grimace. Oftentimes popular songs will stick to the top of the charts and stay there for weeks, months on end, and it’s easy to get sick of them, no matter how great they sound. However, sometimes clicking off the usual contenders on the top charts or stepping out of your musical comfort zone can lead to some ear-opening discoveries: You just have to look.
Lesser-known talents of today include Grammy newcomers PinkPantheress and Addison Rae, who have gained recognition on Tiktok for their catchy choruses on albums “Fancy That” (which I thought was catchy) and “Addison”, respectively. Alternative folk band Bon Iver’s album “SABLE, fABLE” (two nods) also provides a heavenly feel with plucky guitar chords and gentle vocals— perfect for the upcoming winter months.
Hip-hop hasn’t completely lost its presence, either. Rap duo Clipse, which consists of siblings Pusha T and Malice, collaborates with cultural icon Pharrell Williams with their first album in over fifteen years, “Let God Sort Em Out”, racking up an impressive five nods. Clipse’s album focuses less on pounding, fast-paced instrumentals that have dominated the rap scene this year and more on their delivery and flow, serving as a critique to modern music culture while paying homage to a bygone era of hip-hop— a time of meaningful, thought-provoking lyrics and wordplay.
Alongside nominated hip-hop prodigies, TikTok singers, and folk bands also comes criticism for the Grammys: The snubs. Snubbed artists are those who haven’t been nominated by the Recording Academy due to popularity, bias, or representation, and many are rightfully upset for this year’s lineup.
Canadian pop superstar The Weeknd was snubbed even with the explosive success of his album, “Hurry Up Tomorrow”, which spawned the top ten single “Timeless” with Playboi Carti. Singers Megan Moroney and Benson Boone’s respective singles “You Had to Be There” and “Mystical Magical” were rejected as was New Zealand singer Lorde’s album, “Virgin” and folk band The Lumineers’ “Automatic”— all incredible works in their own rights. Of course, the Recording Academy can’t always choose the best nominations, but this year has especially seen some questionable rejects.
Nevertheless, the Grammys will be held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on February 1, 2026. Until then, we’ll have to wait until we can see golden gramophone statues in the hands of our favorite artists.