20 popular musicians who never won a Grammy

Many people believe that the greatest achievement one can record as a musician is winning the Grammy. However, there are many who are considered among the greatest in various genres and have never won the Grammy. Likewise, there are those you’ve never heard of who have won the coveted prize.

Often considered the holy grail for musical artists, the Grammy was founded in 1959 with the goal of giving musicians something along the lines of the Oscars and Emmys. Therefore, just as you would find great actors who haven’t won the Oscars or the Emmys, you will also find great musicians who have yet to win the Grammy.

Musicians who have never won a Grammy

1. Nas

One of the greatest musicians to ever win the Grammy, Nas started rapping in 1991 and released his debut album ‘Illmatic’ in 1994. The album was critically and commercially successful and is often cited as the one of the best rap albums of all time. His next album was certified double platinum in 8 weeks and spent 4 weeks on the Billboard charts. So far, Nas has dropped eleven albums and 13 Grammy nominations, but has yet to make any.

2. Bjork

A former Sugarcubes member, BjörkGuðmundsdóttir has released 10 solo albums which have received positive reviews from critics and fans. At least 31 singles of his songs have reached the top 20 of music charts around the world. She was nominated for 14 Grammy Awards but never won.

3. Kid Rock

Robert James Ritchie aka Kid Rock is a versatile singer, songwriter and DJ. He learned to play several instruments and to produce. He produced nine of his eleven albums on his own. His interests are in the fusion of rock, heavy metal, country music and hip hop. Kid Rock began his career in the 1980s and has always had an impact on the country genre. Sadly, that impact has yet to earn him a Grammy, even after 5 nominations.

4. Sia

Sia was a member and vocalist of Adelaide-based jazz band, Crisp. Her breakthrough would come when she lent her voice to David Guetta. Titanium (2011) . Her 2014 album ‘1000 Forms Of Fears’ won millions around the world with the critically acclaimed single ‘Chandelier’. In 2016, her seventh album titled ‘This is Acting’ was released. Like other great musicians who have not won a Grammy, Sia has received numerous Grammy nominations (9).

5. Bob Marley

Bob Marley is not the one who needs any form of introduction for many reggae lovers and music lovers. One of the greatest reggae stars to ever live. He popularized and helped spread Reggae around the world with his 13 studio albums. As one of the best-selling artists of all time, Marley never won the coveted award. Interestingly, his sons Ziggy, Stephen and Damian, who are arguably less well known than their father, won thirteen.

6. Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes is a rapper who is mainly known for his fast lyrics which made him a big name in rap. The New York native rapper has 9 credited studio albums. Undoubtedly one of the greatest MCs of all time, Busta has eleven Grammy nominations, but has yet to score any wins.

7. Snoop Dogg

If Busta Rhymes is known for his fast raps, then Snoop Dogg is known for keeping it slow and easy for everyone to understand. It’s almost like he’s talking while the beats are playing in the background. He dropped his debut album in 1993 and released 15 more to rave reviews and some less so. 6 Grammy nominations later, he still hasn’t won.

8. Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj entered the rap scene with her mixtape “Playtime is Over” in 2007 and since then she has dropped two more mixtapes and four albums. She is considered one of the leading major league rap artists of all time and the greatest female artist of the past decade. Nicki is said to have sold over sixty million singles and at least seven million albums. She has received 10 Grammy nominations but has yet to register one to her name.

9. Notorious BIG

Notorious BIG is without a doubt one of the most important and influential rappers of all time. He feuded with Tupac during the East and West Coast hip hop feuds. His career was cut short as he dropped his debut album in 1994 and was murdered in 1997. In the year 2000, his second album “Life After Death”, released two weeks after his unfortunate death, became one of the few -hop albums that have reached this threshold. He was nominated four times but won none.

10. Tupac Shakur

Many consider it as none other than the rap game is concerned. Kicking off his career with the release of 2pacalypse in the early 90s, he became the man of the West Coast hip hop group and was praised by critics for infusing civil and social issues and gangster rap. Shakur was nominated for 6 Grammys but did not win any.

11. Martina McBride

Labeled as the Celine Dion of country music, McBride has released over 17 albums with over 14 million copies sold worldwide. She has had more than five of her singles peak at the top of the country music charts. McBride has earned more than 14 Grammy nominations since her first nomination in 1995 but hasn’t won any.

12. Dierks Bentley

Bentley is an American singer and songwriter who is primarily invested in country music. Active since 2001, he has released 9 albums which have sold over two million copies. He has had over 25 singles to top the top 5 trending country songs from time to time. However, he did not earn any of his 12 Grammy nominations.

13. Blake Shelton

Another country musician, Blake’s debut single “Austin” from his 2001 self-titled album spent five weeks atop the country song charts. The album itself was certified platinum. Blake has 10 albums to his credit and 3 have achieved at least a gold level certification. He has been nominated seven times but failed to win a title when he last lost in 2015.

14. Public Enemy

Public Enemy are an African-American hip-hop group with most of their music politically inclined. He has 15 albums to his credit since 1987 and the first four albums were certified platinum or gold. Despite the significant number of fans who have made some of the best sociopolitically conscious albums, Public Enemy has yet to win a Grammy.

15. Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix is ​​a rock guitarist, singer and songwriter who was considered a shooting star as he died four years later in his career. Although he passed away early, he is often considered the greatest guitarist of all time and one of the most influential musicians of all time. Jimi died at the age of 27, which may explain why he never won this award.

16. Jason Derulo

Before starting to sing, Derulo worked as a producer and ghostwriter. Producing for top artists such as Diddy and Lil Wayne, Derulo released his debut single, “Whatcha say”, to critical and commercial acclaim. He has worked with Nicki Minaj, Pitbull and The Game for the release of four albums. He has yet to earn a Grammy nomination, however.

17. One Direction

The UK band included Niall Horan, HarryStyles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik until he left the band in 2015. The band’s first four albums debuted at the top of the Billboard charts 200, making them the first band to achieve this feat. The group has sold over sixty million albums worldwide, but has yet to win a Grammy.

18. Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus was a teen idol playing the titular role in Hannah Montana with Disney. His father Billy Ray Cyrus who played the role of his father in the Disney series is a country musician. After Disney, Miley dropped her debut album in 2007 and has released five more since. Known for her singing prowess and touching lyrics, Cyrus only earned one Grammy nomination which she failed to convert in 2015.

19. Run DMC

Run DMC is an African-American rap group with origins in Queens, New York. The group consists of Joseph Simmons, Jason Mizell and Darryl McDaniels. They were among the very first proponents of the new brand of school hip hop. They were the first band to achieve platinum and multi-platinum certification. The group failed to win the Grammy despite being only the second hip-hop group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame starting in 2009.

20. Diana Ross

Diana Ross has been around for as long as many of us can’t even remember. She was the lead singer of the all-female band called Supremes, which was one of the top charting and bestselling girl bands of all time. With several albums that have earned her several number 1 singles, Diana is one of the musicians who has never won a Grammy, although she has won a Grammy for life.