5 LGBTQ Musicians Who Have Never Been Nominated For A Grammy
A handful of well-known members of the LGBTQ community never had their work recognized by the Recording Academy.
The list of nominees for the 2023 Grammys is pretty gay. In fact, there are some categories where nearly half of all the possible winners identify as part of the LGBTQ community.
Win or lose, it’s already shaping up to be a fabulous show.
There are many, many gay and lesbian musicians who have either been nominated for or even won a golden gramophone in the past, but sadly, there are also a handful of well-known members who never had their work recognized by the Recording Academy — at least not yet.
Here are five prominent LGBTQ musicians who have never been nominated for a Grammy.
Sylvester
Still remembered as one of the most prominent (and best) disco artists, Sylvester pushed the genre to the masses in a way few had managed, and he is at least partially responsible for the style’s popularity for a period of time.
Despite scoring huge hits like “Dance (Disco Heat)” and “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)”, Sylvester was never nominated for a Grammy during his lifetime. In 1980, the Recording Academy gave out a single Best Disco Recording trophy before canceling the field the following year.
If the organization had decided to do so a few years prior (his biggest singles preceded that decision), or perhaps kept the category going, he may very well have become a nominee.
Little Richard
Throughout his life, Little Richard spoke openly about being gay, but he also went out of his way to condemn the lifestyle, especially in his later years. Despite his unfortunate view of his own sexuality, Richard’s spot in the history books and the legacy of rock and roll is solidified, and he’s still remembered as an important figure many years after his passing.
By the time the Grammys were inaugurated in 1959, Richard’s career was already on the downslide. Much of his popular output–including legendary smashes like “Tutti Frutti” and “Long Tall Sally”–predated the award ceremony.
Troye Sivan
Not many people realize how commercially successful Troye Sivan is, especially in America.
The Australian pop singer has racked up four top 10 albums, and he’s reached the Hot 100 with several singles. There was a time when he was very much in the conversation for a Best New Artist Grammy nomination – in fact, award prediction-focused outlet Gold Derby even went so far as to say he was a safe bet for a slot at the 2019 ceremony – but sadly, that didn’t come to pass.
Sivan was eligible for Best New Artist – to say nothing of other categories, like the pop field and perhaps a few others–in more than one year, but somehow, he’s been passed over by voters more than once.
The Village People
While they may be looked at now as something of a novelty, there was a small window in the late ’70s when The Village People were proper hitmakers. The band dominated the musical conversation with singles like “Y.M.C.A.” and “In the Navy,” but the Recording Academy chose not to honor either of those works, nor any other from the band.
Theoretically, they could have fit into the Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals category, but the two years their hits might have been eligible, something odd happened. Instead of songs winning, full albums were rewarded, which is something that is no longer seen and is hard to explain.
Kele Okereke
Singer-songwriter Kele Okereke isn’t as well known for his solo output as he is for the music he’s created as a member of the band Bloc Party, who have remained a favorite in the indie rock scene for nearly two decades.
The outfit has created some truly excellent work throughout their years together, and there have been many instances when those in the music industry have predicted–incorrectly, it turns out–that they’d end up in the running for Best Alternative Music Album, but they’re still waiting for their first nod.
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