He Grammy Awards have recognized musical excellence since 1959, celebrating artists of all genres and generations.
While many musicians have won the coveted trophy, several globally popular names, despite repeated nominations and strong cultural influence, have never taken it home.
Here are 10 renowned foreign and Nigerian artists who have been nominated for Grammy Awards but are yet to win.
READ ALSO: FULL LIST: 2026 Grammy winners in categories with Nigerian nominees
Nicky Minaj
Nicki Minaj has received 12 Grammy nominations in different categories. He lost Best New Artist to Bon Iver and then lost out in other categories to Kendrick Lamar, Killer Mike and Billie Eilish.
David
Davido has earned multiple Grammy nominations, including a 2026 nomination for Best African Music Performance. Despite his global success and constant recognition, he has yet to win the award.
Snoop Dogg
Rapper Snoop Dogg has received 16 Grammy nominations since the early 1990s without winning.
sia
Australian singer Sia has earned nine Grammy nominations since 2012. Her most recent loss was to Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry has been nominated 13 times over the years, with major nominations for hits that dominated global charts, but she has yet to win a Grammy.
Tupac Shakur
The late rapper earned six Grammy nominations during and after his life. It lost in categories dominated by artists such as Coolio, Naughty by Nature and Eminem.
Busta rhymes
Busta Rhymes has earned 12 Grammy nominations since 1996. His most recent losses came in categories won by Ye.
Femi Kuti
Femi Kuti has been nominated four times in Grammy categories related to global music and sounds, but none of the nominations resulted in a win.
Diana Ross
Diana Ross was nominated repeatedly between the 1960s and early 1980s without a competitive win. He later received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.
Seun Kuti
Seun Kuti earned a Grammy nomination for Black Times in the Best World Music Album category. He still hasn’t won a Grammy.
Meanwhile, Tribune Online reports that the 2026 Grammy Awards concluded with a mix of historic wins and notable disappointments for artistes around the world, including some of Nigeria’s top musical acts.
The ceremony took place on February 1, 2026 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, where the 68th Grammy Awards recognized outstanding achievements in music across various genres and cultures.
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