Not Happy With This Year's Grammys Winners? The Issue That May Be To Blame
The Grammys have always struggled to get it right. The 2026 show was no exception.
At Sunday’s show, the Recording Academy did its best to spread the love, awarding at least one trophy to several of the night’s most-nominated artists, including Billie Eilish, Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar. This prevented any major sweep, though it didn’t ward off a few snubs and surprises: Sabrina Carpenter didn’t win any of her six nominations, and Lola Young shocked everyone, including herself, with her win in the Best Pop Solo Performance category.
But whether it was frustration with the winners or dissatisfaction with the night’s performers, not everyone was impressed with the 2026 Grammys, continuing the show’s long history of failing to balance expectations.
Artists from Sinéad O’Connor to Frank Ocean have been vocal critics of the award show. Women and artists of color are often glossed over in key categories, as Beyoncé fans know. The show has long skewed old, white and male, and often seems out of touch with contemporary pop music, but amid the changing face of the music industry, the challenge of keeping up without letting down older music fans seems like too much for the Recording Academy to handle.
In 2026, the Grammys seemed to lean heavily into a reality that older generations might cringe at: TikTok defines the music charts. Former TikTok influencers Addison Rae and Alex Warren were nominated in the Best New Artist category. The Record of the Year category contained numerous TikTok-viral tracks, including Doechii’s “Anxiety” and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild.”
The effort to embrace viral music might prevent controversies like Beck’s 2015 Album of the Year win over Beyoncé’s chart-topping self-titled album or The Weeknd’s 2020 boycott after his acclaimed album After Hours was shut out from nominations.
However, it poses another question that might divide different generations: Is virality the best metric for good music?
A Grammy voter told Vulture that virality seems to be a key factor in the voting process. “We’re looking at the ‘virality artists’ who are intentionally creating TikTok hits, making songs to go viral, and are very catchy with the algorithm and meant for that type of platform. The 15-second hooks, if you will,” the voter said.
However, those more concerned with music’s longevity might be more invested in the opposing side. “We have artists creating complex narratives, like Kendrick Lamar and Billie Eilish, who are doubling down on musicianship and legacy,” the voter said. “That’s the overall theme this year, and I strongly leaned in to the legacy side.”
With wins going to mainstays like Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga, and to more trendy newcomers like Lola Young, it’s clear that Grammys voters are also feeling mixed about what to prioritize as the music industry continues to struggle with balancing virality and artistry.