Olivia Dean and Lola Young have received their first ever Grammy nominations.
The global breakthrough stars are among a number of UK acts in the running for the 2026 Grammy Awards, which takes place in LA on February 1.
Capitol-signed Olivia Dean and Island-signed Lola Young both make the coveted Best New Artist category – one of the big four – along with Katseye, The Marias, Addison Rae, Sombr, Leon Thomas and Alex Warren. Young is also nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance for Messy.
FLO, also signed to Island, have earned their first Grammy nomination – Best Progressive R&B album for UK Top 3 LP Access All Areas.
Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar lead the nominees for the 2026 Grammys with nine apiece. Both are represented in the other big categories – Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Album Of The Year.
Other stars in the running for Album Of The Year include Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Clipse, Pusha T & Malice, Leon Thomas and Tyler, The Creator. Taylor Swift was not eligible as she did not release new music in the release period for the 2026 Grammys.
2025 Grammy Songwriter Of The Year winner Amy Allen – interviewed in the latest edition of Music Week – is in the running for the same category again in 2026, as well as being represented in Song and Album Of The Year categories.
Meanwhile, K-pop has been recognised in the Song Of The Year category for the first time with nods for K-pop Demon Hunters smash Golden by Huntr/x, and Rosé, who dueted with Bruno Mars on Apt.
UK artists recognised elsewhere include Yungblud, with three nods in rock categories, along with US chart toppers Sleep Token, who earn two nods. Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails is also nominated alongside Trent Reznor.
The brilliant showing of British artists in the Grammy nominations is a potent reminder of the immense cultural reach and economic power of British music
Sophie Jones
Elton John is recognised alongside Brandi Carlile for their collaborative album. Meanwhile, Raye – who received multiple nods for this year's ceremony – is nominated again in 2026 for Best Music Film (Live At The Royal Albert Hall).
Jacob Collier – who has a massive seven wins and 16 nominations at the Grammys – secures a 2026 nod in the Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals category for Keep An Eye On Summer.
In alternative music categories, there are multiple nominations each for The Cure and Wet Leg.
In the dance/electronic categories there are nominations for UK acts including Disclosure (with Anderson Paak), Fred Again.. and Skepta (with PlaqueBoyMax), PinkPantheress and FKA Twigs, who recently won Inspirational Artist at the Women In Music Awards.
In the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category, UK artist Cynthia Erivo is nominated alongside Ariana Grande for Defying Gravity. Erivo is also nominated in the Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella category for her solo recording, Be Okay.
Sade is up for Best Video (Young Lion), alongside Sabrina Carpenter, Clipse Doechii and OK Go.
Anoushka Shankar is nominated in the Best Global Performance category and Best Global Music Album.
Sophie Jones, chief strategy officer, BPI, said: “The brilliant showing of British artists in the Grammy nominations, including by a next generation of global breakthrough talent like Olivia Dean, Lola Young, PinkPantheress, Sleep Token, FLO and Yungblud, is a potent reminder of the immense cultural reach and economic power of British music – one of the crown jewels of our £125 billion-per-year creative industries. Ensuring its continued growth and stability should be high on the Government’s agenda next year, and a priority for us all.”
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