Getting Grammy nominations is great, but what if you never win? Unfortunately, there’s a long list of famous and successful artists who have never won a single Grammy, despite plenty of noms.
From Snoop Dogg to Katy Perry to Bjork, these artists have had long and successful careers, and they have nothing to be ashamed of. Still, this is a list you’d rather not be on.
Let’s go through the list of the most-nominated artists who never won a Grammy.
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By the way, anyone on this list should take heart: Many artists who waited years to win their first Grammy ended up winning a bunch. Lionel Richie, for instance, started his career 0 for 18, but he ended up winning several Grammys, including Album of the Year and Song of the Year!
The Most Career Grammy Nominations Without a Win
Here’s the complete group of artists who have at least 15 Grammy noms without a victory. For each artist, we’re highlighting one award they really deserved to win.
Nomination totals are accurate though 2026. Don’t be surprised if you don’t recognize a lot of these names. Some work in the classical music genre, while others work behind the scenes as engineers and mixers.
1. Chris Gehringer (22 nominations)
In the short time since 2012, Chris Gehringer has racked up nearly two dozen nods for his mastering and engineering work on albums by Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Lizzo, Lana Del Rey, and more.
Gehringer won three awards at the Latin Grammys, including Album of the Year for Rosalia’s brilliant Motomami, but has yet to win at the main Grammy ceremony.
Should have won: Album of the Year (2020) for Norman F—ing Rockwell!
2. Post Malone (18 nominations)
Post Malone’s 0-for-8 night in 2025 (despite being nominated for collabs with Beyonce and Taylor Swift) dropped the rapper-turned-pop-star-turned-country-star to 0-for-18.
We feel quite certain that Post Malone will win a Grammy someday. He’s the artist most likely to remove his name from the list in the next five years.
Should have won: Best Country Duo/Group Performance (2025) for “I Had Some Help”
3. Zubin Mehta (18 nominations)
The Indian conductor’s most high-profile nom was for Album of the Year in 1995, for conducting The Three Tenors in Concert 1994. His last Grammy nod was in 2008, so it looks like Mehta will probably end his career 0 for 18.
Should have won: Best Classical Album (1991) for Carreras, Domingo, Pavarotti In Concert
4. Brian McKnight (17 nominations)
Pop-soul crooner Brian McKnight recorded many memorable tracks over the years, including “Back at One” and the Vanessa Williams duet “Love Is.”
His losing streak was partially due to competing in vocal categories against legends like Prince, Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, and Luther Vandross.
Should have won: Best Male Pop Vocal Performance (1999) for “Anytime”
5. Fred Hersch (17 nominations)
Jazz pianist Fred Hersch has yet to win, but he’s still getting nominated, so that could change in the future. He has 7 career noms for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, and in 2024 he earned two nods for his vocal album Alive at the Village Vanguard.
Should have won: Best Jazz Instrumental Album (2017) for Sunday Night at the Vanguard
6. Valery Gergiev (17 nominations)
The Russian conductor picked up 17 nominations over a 24-year span, starting in 1993. In recent years, Gergiev has lost work due to his alleged support of Vladimir Putin following the Ukraine invasion.
Should have won: Best Classical Album (2010) for Shostakovich: The Nose
7. Snoop Dogg (16 nominations)
Snoop has won American Music Awards, BET Awards, Billboard Awards, and MTV Video Music Awards, but never a Grammy. Snoop’s list of nominated tracks is incredible, including “Nuthing But a G Thang,” “Gin and Juice,” “Still D.R.E.,” “Beautiful,” “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” and “California Gurls.”
Should have won: Best Rap Solo Performance (1995) for “Gin and Juice”
8. Bjork (16 nominations)
Nine of Bjork’s nominations have come in the Best Alternative Music Album category, but apparently the Icelandic singer-songwriter is a little too alternative even for the alternative crowd, because she hasn’t won. She has claimed 5 BRIT Awards and 4 MTV Video Music Awards.
Should have won: Best Music Video (1996) for “It’s Oh So Quiet”
9. Dave Kutch (16 nominations)
Mastering engineer Dave Kutch has contributed to six Record of the Year nominees and seven Album of the Year nominees, but somehow has not won a gramophone yet. He’s been nominated for his efforts on music by Beyonce, Billie Eilish, the Weeknd, and Bruno Mars.
Should have won: Album of the Year (2017) for Lemonade
10. Dierks Bentley (15 nominations)
Dierks Bentley has had more than two dozen Top 10 hits on the country chart in the past two decades. His bad luck at the Grammys resulted from facing off against stars like Vince Gill, Keith Urban, and Dolly Parton for major awards.
Should have won: Best Male Country Vocal Performance (2007) for “Every Mile a Memory”
11. Joe Satriani (15 nominations)
Guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani was one of the artists hurt when the Recording Academy eliminated many of its instrumental categories in 2011. All 15 of his career noms came in now-defunct categories, like Best Rock Instrumental Performance. He’s one of the most prolific instrumental acts in history.
Should have won: Best Rock Instrumental Performance (1989) for Surfing With the Alien
12. Guarneri Quartet (15 nominations)
This string group from performed together from 1964 to 2009. All 15 of their noms were in the Best Chamber Music Performance category, where they regularly lost to stars like Ravi Shankar and Star Wars composer John Williams.
Should have won: Best Chamber Music Performance (1971) for Beethoven: The 5 Late Quartets
Other Notable Artists Who Never Won a Grammy
This section focuses on other notable names. It is not a complete list.
Martina McBride (country vocalist; 14 nominations from 1995-2012)
Toshiko Akiyoshi (jazz composer; 14 nominations from 1997-1995)
Joe Sample (jazz composer; 14 nominations from 1973-2008)
Charlie Wilson (R&B/funk singer; 13 nominations from 1984-2019)
Katy Perry (pop singer; 13 nominations from 2009-2015)
Diana Ross (pop-soul-disco legend; 13 nominations from 1965-2023; includes Supremes and solo)*
Musiq Soulchild (R&B artist; 13 nominations from 2002-2018)
Spyro Gyra (jazz fusion band; 13 nominations from 1981-2010)
Nicki Minaj (rapper; 12 nominations from 2011-2024)
Busta Rhymes (rapper; 12 nominations from 1997-2012)
Vanessa Williams (pop-R&B singer; 11 nominations from 1989-1998)
Wiz Khalifa (rapper; 10 nominations from 2012-2016)
*Diana Ross won the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award not once but twice, for her solo work and with the Supremes. But she has never won a competitive Grammy Award.
Footnote About the Former Record Holder: Mortin Lindberg
Classical producer Mortin Lindberg used to lead this list. He tallied nearly 30 nominations before winning his first Grammy in 2020 for Best Immersive Audio Album. He won another in 2026.
As of this writing, Lindberg now has 2 Grammys in 42 career nominations.
The Most Nominations in One Night Without a Win
From Paul McCartney to Rihanna, a surprising number of massive superstars actually experienced a night where they lost over and over. Even Grammy favorites like Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar once had a significant winless evening at the Grammys.
At least these artists only endured one night of frustration, rather than career futility.
Most nominations in one night without a Grammy win
9 Paul McCartney (1966)
8 Rihanna (2017)
8 Kanye West (2017)
8 Jay-Z (2018)
8 Justin Bieber (2022)
8 Post Malone (2025)
7 Stevie Wonder (1983)
7 India.Arie (2002)
7 Kendrick Lamar (2014)
7 Billie Eilish (2022)
Last Updated on February 3, 2026