10 LGBTQ Musicians Who Have Been Nominated For But Never Won a Grammy
Many of the LGBTQ musicians who have been nominated but have yet to receive a Grammy may surprise you.
Several renowned LGBTQ musicians received awards at the 2023 Grammy Awards, including Sam Smith, Kim Petras, and Brandi Carlile.
However, there are still many LGBTQ musicians who have yet to be nominated, or who have been contenders but haven’t won.
While too numerous to mention all at once, some of the LGBTQ musicians who have yet to receive a Grammy may surprise you.
Here are 10 LGBTQ musicians who have all been nominated for a Grammy, but who haven’t yet won.
Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert is renowned for his exceptional vocal talent, but he has yet to receive a Grammy. The former American Idol star’s sole Grammy nomination came in 2011 for his song “Whataya Want from Me,” which was nominated in the category of Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
Lambert was part of the last group of nominees in the gendered categories, and that year he lost to Bruno Mars’ “Just the Way You Are.”
The B-52s
The B-52s were nominated for a trio of Grammys during their campy heyday, but they have yet to receive a win. Their chart-topping tracks “Love Shack” and “Roam” were both acknowledged in the category of Best Pop Performance By Duo or Group With Vocal, though they lost both to the powerful pairing of Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville.
Additionally, the B-52s’ album Good Stuff was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album, though it too didn’t win.
Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato has been a standard in pop (and rock, depending on the era) music for a decade and a half, and during that time, she has been nominated for a pair of Grammys…though so far, a win eludes her. The singer’s Confident was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2017, losing to Adele’s unbeatable 25.
Two years later, she was up again for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance alongside Christina Aguilera (for their duet “Fall in Line”) in a crowded period which saw seven tunes up for the honor. They all lost to Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s chart-owning “Shallow.”
Dusty Springfield
One of the most legendary British female singers, Dusty Springfield, reigned supreme on the charts during the 1960s with hit songs such as “I Only Want to Be With You,” “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,” and “Son of a Preacher Man.”
Despite her immense popularity and impact on the music industry, she failed to receive any hardware from the Grammy Awards. Springfield was honored with two Grammy nominations, one for the hit song “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,” and another for her classic track “Son of a Preacher Man.”
Freddie Mercury
Legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury received recognition from the Recording Academy with two nominations for the timeless hit “Bohemian Rhapsody” in 1977, followed by two more nominations in 1981.
Although he did not have the opportunity to receive any Grammy wins during his lifetime, Queen was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
Janelle Monáe
Iconic artist Janelle Monáe has earned eight Grammy nominations, but has yet to take home a trophy. She has been up for Album of the Year twice–once for her own Dirty Computer and earlier as a featured artist on fun.’s Some Nights – but she’s been bested both times.
She has competed alone and with collaborators, but she’s still looking for that piece of gold, which could come with her next chapter.
Miley Cyrus
Despite being a highly sought-after artist and one of the most famous people in the music industry, Miley Cyrus has only received two Grammy nominations thus far.
She was first recognized for Best Pop Vocal Album for her album Bangerz (it went to Sam Smith’s In The Lonely Hour) and then as part of Lil Nas X’s Montero for Album of the Year (the honor was given to Jon Batiste’s We Are).
Rufus Wainwright
Despite two nominations in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category, Rufus Wainwright has yet to win a Grammy Award. His albums Unfollow The Rules and Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall, which featured his renditions of classic Judy Garland songs, were each honored with a nomination.
Sia
One of the most successful songwriters of the past decade or so and also a beloved artist in her own right, Sia has been honored with an incredible nine Grammy nominations…but somehow, not one of them has resulted in her going home a champion. Her streak began in 2013 with “Wild Ones,” a collaboration with Flo Rida.
She went on to earn nods in major fields like Record and Song of the Year (“Chandelier”), but she’s still looking for a win.
Tegan and Sara
Since the mid-nineties Canadian twin sisters Tegan and Sara have been captivating audiences with their ever-changing musical styles, which have ranged from indie to electro-pop.
Unfortunately, their only Grammy nomination was for Best Long Form Music Video, and they ended up losing the race to a group of alternative rock-esque bands who came together to create the film Big Easy Express.
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