10 Iconic Artists Who Have Never Won Album of the Year at the Grammys

Every year, millions of us tune into the Grammys, expecting to see the biggest stars in the world take home that famous golden gramophone. We see the glitz, the emotional speeches, and the history-making performances that define the music industry for a generation. But here is the part that might actually shock you: some of the most amazing artists—the ones whose songs you know by heart, whose posters were on your wall, and whose albums literally defined the last few decades—have never actually won a competitive Grammy.

While the Grammy is often called the “highest honor” in music, there is frequently a massive gap between cultural impact and institutional validation. Sometimes a legend is simply ahead of their time, or perhaps a specific genre wasn’t “prestige” enough for the voters at the peak of an artist’s career. Whatever the reason, these icons have walked away empty-handed year after year, despite racking up double-digit nominations. From the kings of rock to the queens of pop and hip-hop, here are ten iconic artists who have never won a competitive Grammy.

1. Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg is often called the “Glenn Close of the Grammys.” He has built one of the most enduring and recognizable careers in hip-hop history, yet he holds a record no one wants: 17 nominations and zero wins. His journey with the Academy started in 1994, and since then, he has been recognized across rap, reggae, and pop categories, showing his incredible versatility as an artist.

Despite these losses, Snoop’s influence is undeniable. He defined the G-Funk sound of the 90s and transitioned into a global pop culture statesman. While he has joked about his 0-for-17 record on social media, many fans feel that his foundational role in shaping modern hip-hop deserved at least one win during his prime.

2. Katy Perry

If you lived through the 2010s, Katy Perry was the soundtrack to your life. She is one of only two artists in history—the other being Michael Jackson—to have five number-one singles from a single album. Despite this unprecedented commercial success and 13 career nominations, she has never taken home a trophy.

The most famous “snub” was arguably the 2011 Album of the Year loss for Teenage Dream. The album was a cultural juggernaut, yet the Academy opted for the indie-rock sensibilities of Arcade Fire. Critics have often noted that while Perry’s hits were omnipresent, the voting body historically favored more “vocal-forward” or alternative projects.

3. Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj has fundamentally changed the landscape for women in rap, yet she remains winless across 12 nominations. Her career has been a masterclass in blending high-level rap technicality with pop-radio accessibility, but this “genre-blurring” may have actually hurt her with traditionalist voters.

Minaj has been vocal about what she perceives as deliberate obstruction by the Academy, notably when her hit “Super Freaky Girl” was moved from rap to pop categories in 2022. Despite being the most-awarded female rapper in BET history, the “Queen” of rap still hasn’t secured her first golden gramophone.

4. Björk

Björk is arguably the most critically acclaimed artist to never win a competitive Grammy, holding a hefty 16 nominations. She holds the record for the most nominations in the Best Alternative Music Album category (nine), representing nearly her entire solo career.

Every single time Björk has been nominated in the alternative category, the Academy has favored more “accessible” rock acts. Her uncompromising commitment to experimental soundscapes—using custom instruments and choral arrangements—often places her in a category of her own that the Recording Academy has yet to fully validate with a win.

5. Diana Ross

It is hard to believe that the woman who defined the Motown sound and modern pop stardom has never won a competitive Grammy. Diana Ross has been nominated 13 times over 50 years, beginning with her work with The Supremes in the mid-1960s.

While the Academy honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, many see this as a corrective for decades of failing to reward her during her peak years. Even in 2024, at age 79, Ross was still being nominated but ultimately bypassed once again.

6. Queen

Queen is widely considered one of the greatest rock bands in history, yet they never won a competitive Grammy during Freddie Mercury’s lifetime. It feels impossible that a song as famous as “Bohemian Rhapsody” could have walked away with zero trophies.

The failure to award Queen during their prime highlights the Academy’s historical struggle with “stadium rock” and theatricality. Like Diana Ross, Queen was granted a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018, nearly thirty years after Mercury’s passing, proving that their cultural legacy far outweighs their trophy count.

7. Bob Marley

Bob Marley is the global face of reggae, yet he was never even nominated for a Grammy during his lifetime. This was largely a matter of timing; the Recording Academy did not even establish the Best Reggae Album category until 1985, four years after Marley’s death.

While his son Ziggy Marley has since become the most-awarded artist in the Reggae category, the pioneer himself was overlooked in his prime. In 2025, a project “inspired by” his biopic finally won Best Reggae Album, a bittersweet moment for fans who believe his original masterpieces should have been the ones honored.

8. Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix, frequently cited as the greatest guitarist in rock history, received only a single Grammy nomination during his short life. Like Marley, Hendrix’s peak coincided with a time when the Academy was largely focused on traditional pop and jazz, missing the psychedelic rock revolution entirely.

Hendrix’s only nomination came posthumously for his Woodstock performance of “The Star Spangled Banner,” which lost to Henry Mancini’s film music. It took until 1992 for the Academy to grant him a Lifetime Achievement Award, long after he had already changed the way the world hears the guitar.

9. Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey has been one of the most influential figures of the 21st century, pioneering the “cinematic sad-pop” aesthetic that paved the way for Billie Eilish and Lorde. Despite her massive impact and 11 career nominations, she has yet to break her losing streak.

Fans have often described the Academy’s relationship with Lana as one of “neglect.” In many cases, the Recording Academy has rewarded the artists who follow her sound while bypassing the architect herself. Despite five nominations in 2024 alone, she walked away empty-handed, leaving fans frustrated by what they see as a refusal to acknowledge her role as a visionary.

10. Post Malone

By the 2025 Grammy Awards, Post Malone officially became the most nominated performing artist in history without a single win, reaching 18 nods. He has been a force across hip-hop, pop, and country, yet he has never managed to transition a nomination into a victory.

Post Malone’s 0-for-18 record is particularly notable given that he is one of the most streamed artists on the planet. In 2025 alone, he received eight nominations for his work in country and pop, but once again came home empty-handed. Despite the dubious record, Post has remained a class act, thanking his fans and stating that awards do not define his love for creating music.

The 2026 Grammys: A Shift in the Tide?

While the icons on this list remain winless, the 2025 and 2026 ceremonies suggest that the Recording Academy is slowly starting to change its tune. In 2026, Kendrick Lamar officially became the most-awarded rapper in Grammy history with 27 wins, surpassing Jay-Z. His dominance suggests the Academy is finally fully embracing high-level hip-hop innovation.

Even more historic was Bad Bunny’s win for Album of the Year in 2026 for Debí Tirar Más Fotos, making it the first all-Spanish language album to take the top prize. This breakthrough, along with first-ever wins for artists like Kehlani and Shaboozey, hints that the “old guard” of the Grammys may be opening up to global movements and genre-blurring stars. However, for the ten legends on this list, the lack of a trophy serves as a reminder that some of the greatest music ever made doesn’t need a gold statue to prove its worth.