Being nominated by the Recording Academy for a Grammy award can sometimes be easier than actually winning a trophy. Hit-makers such as Michael Jackson, Beyonce, Alicia Keys and Justin Timberlake all have at least one Grammy to their credit. On the other hand, a number of artists have been nominated for a Grammy and went home empty handed. Then again, some artists have never received a Grammy nomination.
BOB MARLEY
His poster is hanging in hundreds of thousands of college dorm rooms, but despite his prolific legacy, reggae icon Bob Marley has never won a GRAMMY. He was awarded the association's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001.
DIANA ROSS
Diana Ross has also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, but otherwise, the Supremes frontwoman has never won a GRAMMY. That's okay, though—we think her 100 million records sold worldwide will keep her company.
THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G.
His two studio albums Ready to Die and Life After Deathhelped cement him as one of hip-hop's most influential figures, but the Notorious B.I.G. has never taken home a GRAMMY. He was nominated four times.
KATY PERRY
Katy Perry's 2010 album 'Teenage Dream' shattered records—and made her the first female with five No. 1 singles from one album—but she has yet to see that translate into a GRAMMY win. She's been nominated for 13 to date.
NICKI MINAJ
Nicki nearly single-handedly put female rappers back on the map when she stormed the industry at the start of the decade. Her music and rhymes have proven time and times again that she can compete with the top pop and rap stars, yet the Recording Academy has yet to award her a statue. Roman Zolanski ain't happy.
JIMI HENDRIX
Jimi Hendrix has received a number of Hall of Fame GRAMMY awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, but the four albums he recorded during his life, including 'Are You Experienced,' never won a GRAMMY.
SNOOP DOGG
“Being nominated for 16 Grammys and never winning one … I feel what she’s saying as a far as great performances never being acknowledged,” he said. “But who gives a fuck? Fuck the Grammys. Fuck the Oscars. Fuck all that slavery-type award shows.”
16 times already nominated. Reggae or rap. He never had a chance.
QUEEN
Though "Bohemian Rhapsody" got them a Guinness World Record and induction into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame, Queen has never won an actual GRAMMY award. We demand a recount.
KID ROCK
Kid Rock lost the Best New Artist GRAMMY to Christina Aguilera in 2000, but the rest of the Detroit rocker's decade was pretty good—he was the No. 1 selling male musician of the 2000s. Kid has been nominated for four additional GRAMMYs but has yet to win.
TUPAC
Tupac has never won, but he has been nominated for six GRAMMYs, four of which he received after he died in 1996.
BUSTA RHYMES
11 nominations. For nearly two decades, Busta's been one of the most impressive rappers in the game, spitting verses at rapidfire pace nearly constantly. While he's scored almost a dozen GRAMMY nods, Rhymes still has no statue for the mantle. We thought he could at least pick up one for any of his ridiculously speedy guest features "Look at Me Now" but no such luck...yet.
NICKELBACK
Nickelback is one of the most commercial successful Canadian rock groups of all time. "How You Remind Me" was the No. 1 most played song on the radio in the 2000s. Though they've never won, the band has been nominated for a GRAMMY six times. Objectively, it is a shock that they haven't won.
JANIS JOPLIN
The rock legend released four albums before passing away at 27 from a heroin overdose. The GRAMMYs honored Janis Joplin with a postmortem Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.
CHUCK BERRY
He's the Father of Rock n' Roll, but outside of his Lifetime Achievement Award, Chuck Berry has never won a GRAMMY. At 87 years old, Berry still performs live, so there's still time!
NAS
13 nominations, Not even for "Illmatic" from 1994 jumped out a trophy.
Nas ‘ failure to win even one Grammy is in part due to a generational loophole: 1994’s classic Illmatic widely considered to be his masterwork, was released a year before the Best Rap Album category was even introduced.
BJORK
13 times empty hands. It can not be due to her eccentricity, as she has already received international awards such as MTV Awards.
RUN-D.M.C.
Tough Run-D.M.C. was one of the first hip hop acts to grab a GRAMMY nomination, the Queens trio never actually won one. The were the first rap group, however, to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone.
Jazmine Sullivan
Jazmine Sullivan broke into the music scene in summer 2008 with her number one single “Need You Bad.” Her debut album Fearless dropped later that year and became a gold-selling record. Sullivan earned herself five nominations at the 2009 ceremony but walked away with zero. At the 58th Grammy Annual Awards in 2016, Sullivan landed three nods, including Best R&B Album for Reality Show. Though once again, she missed out on a win.
Photo Credits: NurPhoto, Mark Horton, Michael Putland, Ron Galella, David Redfern, Kevin Mazur, Peter Still, Scott Legato, Jorge Rosenberg, Larry Marano, Hulton Archive, Isaac Brekken, David Corio, Michael Ochs Archives, Erika Goldring, Tom Copi, Rick Kern, Chelsea Lauren
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