The Grammys are usually great at recognizing the top queer talent in the world. Legendary gay artists like Melissa Etheridge, The Indigo Girls, Ricky Martin, Elton John, and George Michael have all won at least one of the prestigious music award. In more recent years stars like Lil Nas X, St. Vincent, Brandi Carlile, and Lady Gaga have all picked up their own Grammy trophies. But there are still plenty of talented and influential LGBTQ+ artists who have, surprisingly, never won.
Here’s a look at 17 of the most popular, talented, and groundbreaking LGBTQ+ artists to never have won a Grammy. If you want to watch this year’s ceremony, Sunday, April 3 at 8pm ET/5pm PT on CBS, or stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
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Despite having one of the greatest voices of his generation, Adam Lambert has no Grammys and has only been nominated once. He was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for his song “Whataya Want from Me” in 2011.
Another unquestionably influential group, the B-52s have three Grammy nominations, but no awards. Their songs “Love Shack” and “Roam” were each nominated for Best Pop Performance By Duo or Group With Vocal, and their album Good Stuff was nominated in the Best Alternative Music Album category.
The lead singer and musician for English rock band Bloc Party is another influential gay artist without a single Grammy win. The band won the 2005 NME Award for Best Album.
Another powerhouse vocalist without any Grammy wins is Demi Lovato. They’ve been nominated twice, once for Best Pop Vocal Album for Confident, and once for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Fall in Line” with Christina Aguilera.
One of the most iconic British female singers of the ’60s, Springfield dominated the charts with songs like “I Only Want to Be With You,” “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,” and “Son of a Preacher Man,” but failed to get any Grammys. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was nominated for two Grammys, one for “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,” and one for “Son of a Preacher Man.”
Perhaps the greatest vocalist of all time has zero Grammy wins. The legendary Queen frontman died at the age of 45, but was nominated for two Grammys for “Bohemian Rhapsody” in 1977 and two more in 1981. Despite not winning any Grammys while he was alive, Queen was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018, and the songs “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Will Rock You,” and “We Are the Champions” are included in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
How does Janelle Monáe not have any Grammys??? The groundbreaking and era-defining artist has been nominated eight times, but has yet to win. Her lastest album, Dirty Computer, was even nominated for Album of the Year. She also scored Record and Album of the Year nominations for being a part of fun.’s song “We Are Young” off of the album Some Nights.
Another one of the greatest vocalists of all time, Janis Joplin only received two Grammy nominations in her short lifetime, for Best Pop Vocal Performance and Best R&B Vocal Performance. Despite not ever winning a Grammy, Joplin was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005, and is a member of the Grammy Hall of Fame.
British folk singer Joan Armatrading has been nominated for three Grammys, including twice for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, but has never won. She was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2016.
This Icelandic musician and vocalist has zero Grammys as a solo artist and zero with his groundbreaking band Sigur Rós. The band was nominated for the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album in 2004 for ().
Lesley Gore exploded into the spotlight with her 1963 hit “It’s My Party,” and later had ten more Billboard top 40 hits, including “Judy’s Turn to Cry” and the feminist anthem “You Don’t Own Me.” However, she was only nominated for one Grammy, for “It’s My Party,” and she didn’t win.
Despite being one of today’s most popular artists, and despite performing at the Grammys several times, Miley has only been nominated twice, once for Best Pop Vocal Album for Bangerz, and then again as a part of Lil Nas X’s Montero for Album of the Year. She’s got a long career ahead of her though, and should pick up plenty more chances to win.
The band that Morrissey fronted, The Smiths, never even got a Grammy nomination despite being one of the most influential British bands of the ’80s. He was nominated as a solo artist in 1993 for Best Alternative Music Album.
Coming from a famous family of musicians and actors, Rufus Wainwright has made quite the mark of his own. He’s been nominated for two Grammys, both in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. His albums Unfollow The Rules and Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall (where he sang Judy Garland songs) were each nominated, but he has no wins.
Queer Australian singer Sia has a whopping nine Grammy nominations and no wins. Her song “Chandelier” was nominated for Record and Song of the Year at the 2015 Grammys but took home no trophies.
The Queen of Disco continues to influence artists today, but his songs like “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” and “Dance (Disco Heat)” never were even nominated for a Grammy. He died from AIDS-related complications in 1988.
Canadian twin sister duo Tegan and Sara have been rocking out since the mid-nineties, but have yet to score a Grammy win. In fact, they only have one nomination, for Best Long Form Music Video. The pair has won three Juno Awards and two GLAAD Media Awards. They were also nominated for an Oscar for their song “Everything Is Awesome” from The Lego Movie.
