Grammy Noms Snubs & Surprises: Justin Bieber Spreads ‘Swag’ Magic, Country Music Shut Out of Top Categories, and Much More

The 2026 Grammy Award nominations have been unveiled, revealing a fascinating mix of established stars and fresh talent. Topping the list is Kendrick Lamar with a remarkable nine nominations. He is closely followed by a diverse array of artists with multiple nods, including SZA, Sabrina Carpenter, Tyler, the Creator, and Leon Thomas. As always, the announcement was filled with both expected honors and notable omissions, with industry publication Variety providing a detailed analysis of the most surprising inclusions and exclusions.

A major narrative is the powerful return of Justin Bieber. His comeback album "Swag," a pop-R&B project that marked his re-entry into the music world this year, earned four nominations. These include the prestigious Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album categories. Bieber, an artist with two prior Grammy wins from 23 career nominations, also received recognition for Best Pop Solo Performance for "Daisies" and Best R&B Performance for "Yukon." This success sharply contrasts with the complete shutout of The Weeknd, a significant shock given his submission of high-profile works like "Hurry Up Tomorrow" for Album of the Year. This snub is particularly striking considering his surprise performance at the last ceremony, which many interpreted as a reconciliation after his very public 2021 boycott where he accused the Recording Academy of corruption. An industry analyst, Sarah Jenkins, noted, "The Weeknd's absence suggests that while performances can mend public relations, they don't always translate into voting consensus."

In the hip-hop sphere, anticipated leaders met expectations. The critically hailed reunion album from Clipse, "Let God Sort Em Out," secured five nominations. The Thornton brothers will compete for Best Rap Album and also landed a coveted Album of the Year nomination, placing them in direct contention with Kendrick Lamar and Tyler, the Creator. In a surprising turn, Alex Warren's chart-topping hit "Ordinary," which spent 10 non-consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, was largely ignored. The track's only nomination came in the Best New Artist category, a perplexing outcome for a song that also broke records by leading the Pop Airplay chart for 16 non-consecutive weeks. This level of commercial dominance had positioned it as a presumed frontrunner for multiple pop genre awards.

A recurring pattern appeared in the Best New Artist category, where half of the nominees—Olivia Dean, Addison Rae, Sombr, and The Marias—received no other nominations. This continues a recent trend, reminiscent of artists like Benson Boone in previous years, who were also recognized solely in this category. In film music, the animated feature "KPop Demon Hunters" and its breakout single "Golden" by Huntr/x earned four nominations, including a significant Song of the Year nod. However, the track was conspicuously absent from the Record of the Year category, missing an opportunity to become the first K-pop affiliated act nominated there. Some voters may have been hesitant to endorse a song from a fictional group, despite its massive popularity.

Country music was notably absent from the "big four" general field categories—Album, Record, and Song of the Year, plus Best New Artist. While major stars like Morgan Wallen and Zach Bryan chose not to submit their work, the omission of predicted contenders like Zach Top and Megan Moroney from the Best New Artist shortlist is telling. Since 2020, only two country-leaning songs have managed to break into these top categories, a statistic that underscores a persistent genre barrier at the Grammys. On the other end of the spectrum, Leon Thomas emerged as a dominant force, securing six nominations that span Album of the Year, Best New Artist, and multiple R&B fields. Thomas, a revered songwriter behind the scenes for years who has penned hits for Ariana Grande and others, is now being celebrated for his own artistry. This broad recognition positions him as one of the night's most formidable contenders.