Ariana Grande Grammy Snubs: Recording Academy Responds
Ariana Grande Grammy Snubs — What You Need to Know
- Fans called out the Recording Academy for featuring Ariana Grande in an anti-AI campaign despite repeated nomination snubs.
- The Academy responded on social media, explaining that all Grammy nominations are decided by peer review from industry professionals.
- Grande’s Eternal Sunshine missed Album, Record, and Song of the Year at the 2025 Grammys despite multiple Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s.
- Grande ended the feud in February 2026 by winning Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with Cynthia Erivo for “Defying Gravity” from Wicked.
Ariana Grande has three Grammy Awards, nine Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles on Republic Records, and a fragrance line that has crossed $1 billion in global retail sales. So when the Recording Academy featured her image in a campaign against AI while routinely overlooking her music, fans took notice fast.
The backlash arrived on social media in April 2026, and this time the Academy actually replied. Here is the full story of Grande’s Grammy history, the fan confrontation that sparked a public response, and how things finally shifted in February 2026.
Ariana Grande Grammy Snubs: What the Recording Academy Said
The Recording Academy responded after fans called out the Grammys over what they described as repeated snubs of Ariana Grande while the Academy still used her image in a campaign against AI. The contradiction landed hard with her fanbase.
In reply to a fan post on social media, the Academy clarified its process directly. The organization stated that every Grammy nomination is determined by peer review, meaning fellow musicians, producers, songwriters, and other music industry professionals who are Academy members cast the votes.
The Academy added that the process is led entirely by artists’ peers and invited fans to support artist rights. The reply generated significant traction, reigniting a debate that Grande’s fanbase has kept alive for years.
Ariana Grande’s Grammy History: Three Wins, 20 Nominations
Grande has won three Grammy Awards, one Brit Award, and thirteen MTV Video Music Awards across a career that stretches back to her 2014 debut nominations. For the full picture of her chart records and career milestones, see Ariana Grande’s complete biography.
Her first win came in 2019. Grande won Best Pop Vocal Album for Sweetener, on Republic Records, at the 61st Grammy Awards. She did not attend the ceremony that year, citing creative differences with producers over her performance set.
Her second Grammy arrived in 2021. Grande won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Rain on Me” with Lady Gaga, the first female collaboration to win that award. The Sweetener World Tour had wrapped by then, and she had since released two more chart-defining albums on Republic Records.
Eternal Sunshine Grammy Snub: Why Fans Were Furious
Grande’s fans erupted after the 2025 Grammy nominations overlooked Eternal Sunshine, released on Republic Records, in every top category. The album had delivered multiple Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s, including “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love),” which became her seventh song to debut at No. 1, a record among female artists in chart history.
The Recording Academy excluded Eternal Sunshine from Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. Fans pointed out that the album had received wide critical praise and dominated the charts throughout 2024. For a full breakdown of the album’s chart performance and tracklist, visit the Eternal Sunshine album
Grande seemingly reacted to the snub by unfollowing the Recording Academy on Instagram following the November 2024 nomination announcement. Her silence on the subject made the move speak louder than any public statement could.
Ariana Grande and the Grammys: A Long History of Tension
Grande’s friction with the Recording Academy stretches back to 2019. She publicly clashed with Grammy producer Ken Ehrlich over her planned performance set for the 61st ceremony and skipped the show entirely. Her chart dominance that cycle—five simultaneous Billboard Hot 100 top 10s, matching the Beatles and Drake—made the disconnect more glaring.
When the 2026 Grammy nominations arrived in November 2025, Grande’s expanded Eternal Sunshine era track “Twilight Zone” was completely overlooked despite strong streaming numbers and critical praise. The nominations added fuel to an ongoing conversation about how the Academy weighs commercial performance against peer-voted recognition.
The Academy’s decision to feature Grande in promotional material while routinely bypassing her biggest work drew pointed criticism from fans. They argued the contrast exposed exactly the disconnect they had been raising for years. Every award Grande has won or been nominated for is tracked at Ariana Grande Grammy Awards.
Ariana Grande Wins at the 2026 Grammys The Shift
The feud moved toward resolution on February 1, 2026. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande won the 2026 Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for their performance of “Defying Gravity” from the Wicked film soundtrack on Republic Records. Neither artist attended the untelevised premiere ceremony portion, where the award was presented.
The win marked Grande’s twentieth nomination and third career Grammy. The result was widely described as an upset; prediction markets had heavily favored “APT” by Rosé and Bruno Mars going into the night.
Grande posted on Instagram Stories after the announcement: “This is so special. [Recording Academy] Thank you so, so much.” It was a noticeably warmer tone than she had struck toward the Academy in previous years. For more on Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s friendship since Wicked wrapped,
Ariana Grande Grammy Snubs: Why the Debate Keeps Going
The peer-review structure the Recording Academy described is factually accurate. Grammy nominations have never tracked streaming numbers or chart positions; they reflect votes from roughly 11,000 music industry professionals. That system consistently produces results that diverge from fan expectations.
Grande has scored nine Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles across her Republic Records catalog and holds 40-plus Guinness World Records tied to chart performance. Her Eternal Sunshine Tour, her first headline stadium run since 2019, sold out across North America and Europe.
That commercial reality coexists with a Grammy total her fanbase views as disproportionately small. The Recording Academy’s April 2026 response explained the system. What it did not do was address whether the system is weighting the right things, a question her fans will keep asking.
FAQ — Ariana Grande Grammy Snubs
Has Ariana Grande won a Grammy?
Yes, she has three Grammy wins. She won Best Pop Vocal Album for Sweetener in 2019, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Rain on Me” with Lady Gaga in 2021, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Defying Gravity” with Cynthia Erivo in 2026.
Why was Ariana Grande snubbed at the 2025 Grammys?
Eternal Sunshine received no nominations for Album, Record, or Song of the Year. Grammy nominations are decided by peer-review votes from Recording Academy members, not streaming data or chart performance.
Did the Recording Academy respond to fan complaints about Ariana Grande?
“Yes, in April 2026,” the academy replied on social media. It confirmed that all nominations are determined by peer review from music industry professionals who are Academy members.
How many Grammy nominations has Ariana Grande received?
Grande has received 20 Grammy nominations across her career. Her first nominations came in 2014 for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Bang Bang” with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj.
Did Ariana Grande unfollow the Recording Academy?
Yes, she unfollowed the Academy on Instagram in November 2024 following the Eternal Sunshine Grammy snub. She publicly softened her stance after winning the 2026 Grammy for “Defying Gravity” with Cynthia Erivo.
Ariana Grande Grammy Snubs: The Bottom Line
The Recording Academy’s peer-review explanation is factually accurate. Grammy nominations have never tracked chart dominance alone. That said, Grande’s case—nine Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s on Republic Records, 20 nominations, and three wins—raises legitimate questions about how industry peers weigh commercial pop artistry.
The 2026 Grammy win for “Defying Gravity” with Cynthia Erivo from the Wicked soundtrack on Republic Records represented real progress. It did not settle the larger debate about whether Eternal Sunshine deserved Album of the Year consideration. That conversation belongs to Grande’s fans, and based on April 2026’s social media backlash, they are still very much having it.