Katy Perry, Blake Shelton, Nicki Minaj and More Stars Who Have Surprisingly Never Won a Grammy

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Katy Perry, Blake Shelton, Nicki Minaj and More Stars Who Have Surprisingly Never Won a Grammy

Close, but no cigar. Winning a Grammy Award is the pinnacle of many musicians’ careers. While artists such as Beyoncé and Jay-Z have each won more than 20 Grammys over the years, doing so is easier said than done. There are several celebrities who have been nominated by the Recording Academy over a dozen times, but have never walked away with a trophy. Snoop Dogg, for example, once said he was boycotting the Grammys because he was nominated 16 times but never won. “No need to blow smoke up my [ass]. I'd rather blow some real smoke with my loved ones and count the 17xs I been invited with the same results,” he captioned a cartoon on Instagram in February 2016 that read “Less Grammy … More Grams." He added: “Shot out to my family that getting it in winning hosting and just showing up for the cause enjoy the festivities my green room open all night not like there's [sic].” [jwplayer ds8RUS4p-l3ahXupL] Other singers, however, feel honored to have been nominated at all. Katy Perry, who has gotten 13 Grammy nods but has no wins, told Capital FM in 2013 that it’s “nice to even be acknowledged” by the Recording Academy. Bebe Rexha received her first two Grammy nominations in December 2018, and while she didn’t take home any trophies at the February 2019 show, she still celebrated the accomplishment. “Thank you so much to the @recordingacademy for the most incredible evening and the honor to be nominated in 2 categories with such talented and respected artists,” she wrote via Instagram after the show. “I am throwing a ‘win or lose’ party tonight — because to me, the win is in the nomination.” Keep scrolling to see which artists have been nominated for several Grammys but have shockingly never won!

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Demi Lovato

Despite the singer’s impressive vocal chops and chart-topping hits, the “Sorry Not Sorry” singer has never taken home a Grammy. She received her first nomination in 2017 for Best Pop Vocal Album for her 2015 record Confident. Two years later, she earned a nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for her duet with Christina Aguilera, “Fall in Line.”

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Miley Cyrus

Cyrus’ massive popularity aside, the former Disney Channel star has only earned one Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2015 for Bangerz.

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Martina McBride

McBride has received an impressive 14 Grammy nominations throughout her career, but the country songstress has never been recognized with a win.

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Dierks Bentley

The “What Was I Thinkin’” crooner has gone on to drum up 14 Grammy nominations after first being recognized in 2007. However, the country artist sadly has zilch to show for his efforts.

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Björk

The Icelandic singer earned her first Grammy nomination in 1994 for Best Music Video-Short Form for “Human Behaviour.” Her total nominations sit at 15, but she still has yet to win for her work.

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The Notorious B.I.G.

Biggie Smalls was a four-time Grammy nominee before his 1997 assassination. He was recognized for songs like “Big Poppa” in 1996 and his album Life After Death in 1998, but never took home the award.

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ABBA

The Swedish pop group may have a popular musical that incorporates their beloved tracks, but they don’t boast any Grammy wins or nominations under their belt. However, the “Money, Money, Money” group’s song “Dancing Queen” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015.

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Sammy Davis Jr.

Before his death in 1990, the New York-born artist known for songs like “Candy Man” scored three nods and zero wins. However, in 2001, the Recording Academy gave him a posthumous Lifetime Achievement award during the 2002 ceremony.

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Jimi Hendrix

Hendrix only earned one Grammy nomination in his musical career within the Best Contemporary Instrumental Performance category for “Star Spangled Banner” in 1970. The nomination occurred ahead of his death that same year. After his passing, his work was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in both 1999 and 2009. He was also honored with a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 1992.

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Bob Marley

No Grammy, no cry? Marley didn’t earn a single Grammy nomination until 2001, 20 years after his 1981 death. The reggae musician was recognized in the Best Long Form Music Video and Best Music Film categories after being the subject of the documentary Rebel Music: The Bob Marley Story, which was released in 2000. He also became a Grammy Lifetime Achievement recipient in 2001.

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Janis Joplin

The rock singer, who was known for songs such as “Ball and Chain” and “Piece of My Heart,” earned Grammy recognition two years after her 1970 death with a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance for “Me and Bobby McGee.” She would later earn a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 2005, and her work was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002 and 2010.

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Nicki Minaj

Despite being nominated for 10 Grammys throughout her career, Minaj has yet to take one home. Fans were shocked when the nominations for the 61st annual Grammy Awards were announced in December 2018, as the rapper was snubbed in all categories.

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Sia

The Australian musician is responsible for writing some of Hollywood’s biggest songs such as Beyoncé’s “Pretty Hurts” and Rihanna’s “Diamonds,” as well as many of her own hit tunes, but still doesn’t have a Grammy. She has been nominated nine times in the past.

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Blake Shelton

Shelton has a slew of country music awards, but is still waiting to hear his name called at the Grammys. His first nod came in 2011 when he was nominated for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals for "Hillbilly Bone" featuring Trace Adkins. He was later nominated for seven more trophies, but has yet to win.

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Queen

The group, which was led by the late Freddie Mercury, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but never won a Grammy Award, despite being nominated four times throughout their career. In 2004, their hit song “Bohemian Rhapsody” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions” followed five years later. Queen was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.

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Katy Perry

Despite having 13 nominations, Perry has never won a Grammy. “Of course it would be nice to win, [but] it's nice to even be acknowledged that you could be nominated,” the singer told Capital FM in December 2013.

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Tupac Shakur

The late musician is widely known as one of the best rappers of all time. He was nominated for six Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album in 1996 and 1997, throughout his career, but failed to win any before he was murdered in September 1996.

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Diana Ross

Ross was given The Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, but never won a standalone Grammy Award, despite having 12 nominations since her first song came out in 1965.

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Snoop Dogg

The rapper has been nominated a whopping 16 times, but never took home a trophy from The Recording Academy. Morten Lindberg, a Norwegian sound engineer, is the only person to have more Grammy nominations without a win.

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Spice Girls

The Spice Girls were never nominated for a Grammy, despite being widely being known as one of the most iconic female groups of all time.

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Backstreet Boys

The Backstreet Boys (made up of Nick Carter, AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell) have eight Grammy nominations to their name, but have yet to win.

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'NSync

While Justin Timberlake has 10 Grammy wins as a solo artist, 'NSync never won one of their eight nods.