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].”
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!