Winning a Grammy is incredibly difficult, requiring immense talent, strategic campaigning, industry connections, and a bit of luck, as it involves being chosen by thousands of music creator peers from tens of thousands of entries, with only a tiny fraction becoming nominees and winners, meaning it's a combination of exceptional artistry and navigating a complex, peer-driven system.
Winning a Grammy Award represents the pinnacle of success in the music industry. This prestigious accolade doesn't just happen by chance—it requires exceptional talent, strategic planning, and understanding the complex selection process established by the Recording Academy.
The recording with the most votes in a category wins.
If you're an actor, the Grammy will be the most difficult. Musicians may have a harder time with the Emmy. Producers pretty much have to win Best Picture to get an Oscar .
Sinead O'Connor is the only artist to refuse a Grammy. According to O'Connor, her refusal to accept her trophy was her way of boycotting the "false and destructive materialistic values" of the music industry.
Adele: "I can't possibly accept this award!" Adele has apparently turned down the Grammy award for best album, saying Beyonce deserved it more.
LeAnn Rimes holds the record for youngest individual Grammy Award winner. At just 14 years old, Rimes won two Grammy Awards at the 39th annual ceremony in 1997, winning best new artist and best female country vocal performance. She also holds the record for youngest person to win the best new artist category.
Walt Disney received a record 26 Oscars, the most by any individual, with 22 competitive awards and 4 honorary ones, including a unique set for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (one large and seven small) and a posthumous win for Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day. He was nominated 59 times, winning primarily in animated short and documentary categories.
EGOT, an acronym for the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards, is the designation given to people who have won all four of the major performing art awards in the United States. Respectively, these awards honor outstanding achievements in television, audio recording/music, film, and theatre.
Winning a Grammy can catapult an artist's career and solidify their place in history. The Grammy Effect is an industry phenomenon in which a Grammy accolade directly influences the music business and the popular culture.
Swift wasn't nominated at the 2026 Grammys because she didn't release a single, record, album or video in the eligibility period. The 68th show's window ran from Aug. 31, 2024, through Aug. 30, 2025.
Voter Code of Conduct
Voters shall not accept money or anything of value in exchange for votes, access to other members (member lists and contact information are confidential), submission of materials for GRAMMY consideration, or any other privilege of Recording Academy membership.
With 35 Grammys, Beyoncé currently holds the record for most wins. In second place is Georg Solti with 31. Tied for third are Chick Corea and Quincy Jones, both of whom have 28 awards.
Country-pop sensation LeAnn Rimes made history in 1997 when she, at just 14 years old, became the youngest person ever to win a GRAMMY, taking home Best New Artist and Best Female Country Vocal Performance (for her rendition of "Blue," a cover of Bill Mack's 1958 track).
Travis Kelce won't be attending the 2025 Grammy Awards with his girlfriend, Taylor Swift — but he's got a good reason. Page Six has learned that the Kansas City Chiefs tight end has practice with his team leading up to the 2025 Super Bowl.
In 1991, Sinéad O'Connor made music history by becoming the only artist ever to refuse a Grammy Award.
The only person to refuse a Grammy is Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor, who in 1991 declined the award for Best Alternative Music Performance for her album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, protesting the music industry's "false and destructive materialistic values". She chose to boycott the ceremony and the award itself, viewing the Grammys as prioritizing commercialism over genuine artistry, says Far Out Magazine.
At the 65th GRAMMY Awards in 2023, Beyoncé made history by becoming the artist with the most GRAMMY wins ever at that time, reaching 32 total GRAMMYs. As of the 2025 GRAMMYs, Beyoncé now holds 35 GRAMMY wins and 99 nominations, making her both the most-awarded and most-nominated artist in GRAMMY history.
Celebrities Who Refused an Oscar
Only three films in history have won 11 Oscars: Ben-Hur (1959), Titanic (1997), and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), with The Lord of the Rings sweeping all its nominations and Titanic receiving the most nominations (14) for a film that won 11. These epics share the record for the most Academy Awards won by a single movie.
There is no direct financial benefit associated with the awards, so the winners 'only' receive the recognition and prestige associated with the awards. However, this doesn't mean they leave empty-handed... Beyond the trophy itself.
Michael Jackson won a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards in one night at the 26th Annual Grammy Awards in 1984, primarily for his iconic album Thriller, a feat later tied by Santana in 2000. He won awards for Album of the Year (Thriller), Record of the Year ("Beat It"), and several other categories, solidifying his legendary status in music history.
34 Famous Musicians Who Have Never Won a Grammy
Billie Eilish is the youngest artist to win Album of the Year as a lead. She was 18 years old while winning for her album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? in 2020.