Taylor Swift Grammys Snub Explained Why Her Album Was Ineligible

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 29, 2025, 1:57 AM

taylor swift grammys snub explained why her album was ineligible

Global superstar Taylor Swift has found herself absent from the 2026 Grammy Awards nominations list, but contrary to popular belief, this was not a snub. Her monumental success with The Life of a Showgirl, her twelfth studio album, simply fell outside the eligibility period for the upcoming ceremony. The key detail lies in the release date. The Life of a Showgirl arrived on October 3, 2025, a date that comes after the strict eligibility cutoff of August 30, 2025. The 2026 awards honour music released between August 31, 2024, and August 30, 2025. This means Swift's latest work will instead be a strong contender for the 2027 Grammy Awards.

This timing issue also affected other major artists. Beyoncé similarly received no nominations this cycle because her acclaimed album, Cowboy Carter, was released on March 29, 2024, placing it just before the eligibility window began. Despite its ineligibility, the commercial performance of The Life of a Showgirl was nothing short of historic. The album sold a staggering 4.002 million equivalent album units in its first week in the United States. This colossal figure shattered the previous record held by Adele's 25, which sold 3.378 million copies in its first week back in 2015. The 66th Grammy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 1, 2026.

Taylor Swift did not get any nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards because her album The Life of a Showgirl did not qualify. The Grammy nominees were announced on Friday, November 7, 2025, and much to the disappointment of the Swifties, the 14-time winner’s name was missing from the list. The reason behind Swift’s nomination snub is actually quite simple. You see, the eligibility period for the 68th annual Grammy Awards runs from August 31, 2024, through August 30, 2025, but the pop icon released her 12th studio album on October 3 – meaning... Additionally, she did not release any singles, music videos, or other records within that period that would have made her eligible. Her previous album, The Tortured Poets Department, was released in April 2024.

Fans quickly noticed her absence once the nominations dropped for the big night, set for February 1, 2026. Many took to social media to react. One fan wrote on X, “Grammys marked safe from Taylor Swift this year.” Grammys marked safe from Taylor swift this year — beckywtheokhair (@beckywtheokhair) November 7, 2025 Taylor Swift had one of the biggest album releases of the year with The Life of a Showgirl.

Still, when Grammy nominations were announced today for the 2026 ceremony, Swift wasn’t anywhere on the list. So was the artist’s latest album completely snubbed? Not at all—it just isn’t eligible for next year’s ceremony. Swift released The Life of a Showgirl on Oct. 3, 2025. The eligibility period for the 2026 awards covers works released between Aug.

31, 2024 to Aug. 30, 2025. The Life of a Showgirl can still be submitted for the 2027 Grammys, though (where the period is Aug. 31, 2025 to Aug. 30, 2026). Swift might still attend the 2026 Grammys.

At this year’s show, she was a presenter, ultimately giving Beyoncé the Best Country Award. While she was nominated for The Tortured Poets Department, she did not win any awards. For the moment, however, Swift has been focused on promoting her album, wedding planning, and enjoying her fiancé Travis Kelce’s football season. She’ll also be releasing her Disney+ documentary series on the Eras Tour next month. Last week, a source told Us Weekly that Swift isn’t planning to tour again imminently after completing her Eras Tour last year. Taylor Swift won’t be on the roster of Grammy Award nominations for the 2026 ceremony, but don’t worry, Swifties.

The Recording Academy voters didn’t forget one of the most dominant artists in Grammy history. Swift’s record-breaking 2025 album The Life of a Showgirl debuted on Oct. 3, roughly a month after the cutoff for 2026 Grammy Award consideration. This year, the Recording Academy casts ballots for music released between Aug. 31, 2024, and Aug. 30, according to Billboard.

The Life of a Showgirl qualifies for the 2027 show. The Recording Academy announces nominees for the 2026 Grammy Awards on Friday at 11 a.m. EST. Backed by a staggering number of physical variants and alternate digital versions, Showgirl smashed first-week sales expectations for a modern release – even by Swift’s standards. The album moved roughly four million album-equivalent units in its first week, with 3.5 million in physical sales. It was the best-selling debut week for an artist since media consumption company Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan) began tracking sales in 1991.

Additionally, the album dominated the Billboard Hot 100 chart on release week, slotting all dozen album songs in the top 12 positions on the chart. As of publication time, lead Showgirl single “The Fate of Ophelia” remains at No. 1 on the Hot 100; the album has also held the top spot on the Billboard 200 for four consecutive weeks (and counting). Taylor Swift has missed out on nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards despite the huge success of her latest album. The Life of a Showgirl, the pop star's 12th studio album, was released on October 3 and sold 4.002 million equivalent album units - which includes album sales and streaming activity - in its... The singer broke the record previously set by Adele's 25, which sold 3.378 million copies in its first week in 2015 in the US.

Despite this, Taylor, 35, hasn't been nominated for the Grammys - but it doesn't mean she has been snubbed. Her latest album was actually ineligible for the awards show because it was released after the eligibility cutoff date. However, The Life of a Showgirl will be eligible for the 2027 Grammys. The 2026 music awards will honour the best recordings, compositions and artists from August 31, 2024 to August 30, 2025. This also applies to Beyoncé, who hasn't received any nominations this time round because her eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter, came out on March 29, 2024. The Grammy Awards, recognising artists from across the music industry, will take place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 1, 2026.

Among those leading the nominations are rapper Kendrick Lamar and pop star Lady Gaga. Taylor Swift was notably absent from the list of nominees for the 2026 Grammy Awards as much to the disappointment of her fans. The 14 time Grammy winner did not receive any nominations as the announcement for the 68th annual awards was made on Friday, November 7, 2025. The reason behind the Blank Space songstress’ snub is straightforward. The eligibility period for this year’s Grammys ran from August 31, 2024 through August 30, 2025. However, the 35-year-old released her 12th studio album The Life of a Showgirl, on October 3 which was after the cutoff date.

According to Daily Mail, this timing meant the album was ineligible for consideration. You need to calm down. Taylor Swift was not snubbed at the 68th Grammy Awards. She did not release any much during the eligibility period and will be competing in next year’s ceremony. Each year, the Grammy eligibility season stirs up some confusion online. Songs, albums, and artists that could be considered for this year’s Grammy Awards were released between Aug.

31, 2024, to Aug. 30, 2025. Anything that has come out since Aug. 31 of this year will be up for consideration for the 69th Grammy Awards, which will air in early 2027. Artists like Swift tend to benefit from letting an album breathe for a full year with Grammy voters. For example, her sophomore album, Fearless, came out in November 2008 and was awarded Album of the Year in February 2010.

Both Red and 1989 were fall releases, with the latter dropping in 2014 and taking home the top honor in 2016. Newer artists have also seen some advantages with the eligibility period not adhering to a typical calendar year. Chappell Roan released her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, in September 2023, after the window closed for the 2024 ceremony. Thankfully for her, Roan’s big breakthrough arrived in the spring of 2024, bringing millions of new listeners to her more quietly released album and singles. She received an Album of the Year nomination at the 2025 ceremony (and took home Best New Artist). The timing of when voting begins for the Recording Academy falls out of step with the rest of awards season, causing further confusion about who has been snubbed and what is surprising.

Oscars and Golden Globes eligibility tends to fall more in step with the January-to-December calendar year, which is why so many awards-bait films tend to drop around the holiday season and lists celebrating the... So Swifties, The Life of a Showgirl has a chance to dominate the 69th Grammy Awards. You’ll just have to wait a year to see what happens. Taylor Swift talks about releasing her album “The Life of a Showgirl,” Travis Kelce trying to distract her from his surprise proposal and why she’s not performing at the Super Bowl. Taylor Swift can't check off more Grammy nominations from her wish list quite yet. Stream NBC4 newscasts for free right here, right now.

After the 2026 Grammy nominations were announced Nov. 7, music fans may have wondered why the singer's latest album "The Life of a Showgirl" was completely missing from the list of nods — but don't fret, Swift's absence from the list of... Turns out, she simply wasn't eligible this go 'round. The Life of a Showgirl is the biggest album of 2025, but it won’t be honored at the upcoming ceremony. The 2026 Grammy nominations will be announced on Nov. 7, recognizing the biggest hits and most beloved albums of the past year.

Taylor Swift Grammys Snub Explained Why Her Album Was Ineligible

People Also Search

Global Superstar Taylor Swift Has Found Herself Absent From The

This Timing Issue Also Affected Other Major Artists. Beyoncé Similarly

Taylor Swift Did Not Get Any Nominations For The 2026

Fans Quickly Noticed Her Absence Once The Nominations Dropped For

Still, When Grammy Nominations Were Announced Today For The 2026