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Winning a Grammy Award was once a musician's biggest dream. But over the years, the Grammy Awards have become something of a controversy, as, with each passing year, the list of artists allegedly being snubbed grows longer. From its inception in 1957, the once-coveted golden gramophone has slipped through the fingers of many an icon, leaving many to question the integrity of the award itself.
Artists like Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, and Post Malone have long been overlooked, and while they've given fans hits to last a lifetime, to this day, they remain Grammy-less. Below is a list of 7 rappers, or icons, some might say, who are yet to clutch the golden gramophone.
From Post Malone to the Doggfather, here are 7 rap icons who have never won a Grammy
1) Snoop Dogg
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Nominations: 16
Snoop Dogg has been nominated for the award a whopping 16 times, but not once has he been awarded. He's been bringing his A-game for over three decades now, and it looks like he's done it all except win a Grammy. He has a total of about 27 wins and 98 nominations for several awards.
Some of his most famous nominated songs include Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang, Gin & Juice, and Still D.R.E. In 2023, the artist took to Instagram to vent, posting, "Snoop Dogg. 20 nominations. 0 wins." He likely included the nominations his producers garnered for his work as well.
2) Nicki Minaj
Nominations: 12
The Super Bass singer has not five, not ten, but twelve Grammy nominations to her name, and yet, she has never taken the award home. She has shattered ceilings in the male-dominated rap industry since 2004 and earned over 400 different awards and 600 nominations for other awards.
She's best known for Anaconda, Starships, and Bang Bang. In February 2024, fans were elated when they got to know the singer had finally won an award after the Grammys posted it on their official X account-- except she hadn't. The statement was promptly deleted, and the internet went wild, fueling speculations.
3) Post Malone
Nominations: 10
The 3x American Music Award and 10x Billboard Music Award winner has just ventured into other genres, namely country music, with his F-1 Trillion album. It remains to be seen if this will bring him success in another category.
Post Malone has been in the rap game since 2011 and is known for his massive hit songs like Rockstar and Sunflower. He nabbed his first two nominations for the Grammy for these two songs and, in total, has about 30 wins and 166 nominations for other awards to his name. In July 2024, he won the title of Favorite Male Artist at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.
4) Travis Scott
Nominations: 10
Perilous concerts aside, Travis Scott, born Jacques Bermon Webster II, made his way to the industry in 2008. He has since nabbed a Latin Grammy Award, Billboard Music Award, MTV Video Music Award, and multiple BET Hip Hop Awards.
He's known for his songs 3500 and Antidote, and just this year, his album Utopia was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album of 2024. However, it went to Killer Mike instead, leaving yet another rapper-of-color without the industry's highest honor.
5) Tupac Shakur
Nominations: 7
You say Hip-hop, I say Tupac. The late rapper has accumulated 7 nominations for his work, 5 of which were posthumous. This means that while he never even lived to see these songs get nominated, he passed on before he could stand a chance at winning.
He's known for touching on themes of social injustice, violence, and street life. He's most renowned for his All Eyez on Me album and songs like California Love and Dear Mama. All of these were nominated for a Grammy, but none made the cut. Regardless, he's often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time.
6) Big Sean
Nominations: 6
Sean Michael Leonard "Big Sean" Anderson climbed to success on the back of his third mixtape, Finally Famous Vol. 3: Big (2010). Throughout his 17-year career, several of his songs have made it to the Billboard Hot 100. He also has 12 wins and 55 nominations for other awards to his credit.
His relationship with Jhené Aiko aside, the Detroit-native rapper has made the cut for a BET Award, an MTV Video Music Award, and perhaps one day, a Grammy Award. He was last nominated for the Grammys in 2021 and an NAACP Image Award for his work, Deep Reverence.
7) Jack Harlow
Nominations: 6
Jackman Thomas "Jack" Harlow, also known as the face of many memes, has been nominated for a Grammy 6 times. Albeit relatively new, the rapper has already bagged 7 wins and over 30 nominations in total.
Several of his songs, such as What's Poppin and First Class, went viral on TikTok and Instagram, propelling him to stardom. While he may not hold a Grammy, his awkward Met Gala 2022 interview with Emma Chamberlain has undoubtedly made him well-known.
Over the years, several artists have questioned the award ceremony and, by extension, its very integrity. The nomination process is infamous for being a secret, and the identities of the people on the committee have long been under wraps. Many contend that it could be due to racial bias, while others blame it on the lack of transparency.
Nicki Minaj has echoed this sentiment, tweeting in 2020,
"Never forget the Grammys didn’t give me my best new artist award when I had 7 songs simultaneously charting on billboard & bigger first week than any female rapper in the last decade- went on to inspire a generation. They gave it to the white man Bon Iver. #PinkFriday"
In February 2024, Jay-Z stood up for his wife, Beyoncé, and called out the Recording Academy. She has never won the Album of the Year award, and the Empire State of Mind singer was not happy, to put it lightly, as he said,
“Even by your own metrics it doesn’t work. Some of you don’t belong in the category. When I get nervous, I tell the truth.”
In response to the allegations, the Recording Academy revealed its six-step nomination process, which includes submission, screening, and nominating. Then, the Special Nominating Committees come in, followed by final voting and results.
