The Recording Academy recently found itself explaining its nomination process after a fan of Ariana Grande called out the pop star’s history of being overlooked at music’s biggest night. The conversation started when the Grammys shared an AI awareness post featuring Grande’s voice. The post read, “The future of music creators depends on how we protect them today”.
An Arianator replied with a direct demand. “Ok but 👏GIVE 👏HER 👏THE 👏GRAMMYS 👏 SHE 👏 DESERVES 👏,” the fan wrote. The official Grammy social media account answered back with a detailed explanation about how nominations actually work.
“Every GRAMMY nomination is determined by peer review. That means fellow musicians, producers, songwriters, and other music industry professionals who are Academy members cast the votes,” the Recording Academy stated. The organization added that the process is “led entirely by artists’ peers” and said they are “always looking for ways to make it more transparent”.
The Grammys also told fans how they could help. “What can you do as a fan? Support artist rights. If you love Ariana and want to protect her music and her livelihood, that passion can go a long way,” the response continued.
Ariana Grande’s Grammy Record Shows 3 Wins and 19 Nominations
Grande has been a major name in pop music for more than ten years. Her official Grammy page shows she has 3 wins and 19 nominations to her name. She received her first career nominations back in 2014. Those were for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Bang Bang” with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj, and Best Pop Vocal Album for My Everything.
She also performed at the 57th Grammy Awards for the first time, singing “Just A Little Bit Of Your Heart”. But the numbers do not tell the whole story for many fans. The frustration grew much louder during the 2026 awards cycle.
Eternal Sunshine: Brighter Days Ahead Gets Shut Out Completely
Fans were very upset to see Eternal Sunshine: Brighter Days Ahead get completely ignored by the Recording Academy. The project had done very well at the MTV VMAs, winning Video of the Year, Best Pop Song, and Best Long Form Video. But at the Grammys, it received nothing.
Grande also decided to skip the 2026 ceremony. She had only one nomination that year. That was for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Defying Gravity” with Cynthia Erivo. The song ended up winning, and Grande shared her happiness on social media.
“This is so special! :’) @recordingacademy thank you so so so much!” Grande wrote online. She also congratulated Erivo, saying, “I love you and am so grateful to share this”.
This was not the first time Grande missed the show. The year before, she had three nominations but still did not attend. Those nominations included Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “The Boy Is Mine”, Best Pop Vocal Album for Eternal Sunshine, and Best Dance Pop Recording for “Yes, And?”.
Fans pushed back hard that year too. Many pointed out that Eternal Sunshine was left out of the biggest categories: Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year.
The Complicated History Between Grande and the Recording Academy
The tension between Grande and the Grammys goes back several years. She also skipped the 2019 ceremony. That year was especially painful because her former partner Mac Miller received a posthumous nomination for Best Rap Album for Swimming after his accidental overdose death.
Cardi B won the award instead. Grande did not stay quiet about it. She posted on X (formerly Twitter) calling the loss “literal bullsit” and wrote a brief “fck,” though she made sure to say her anger was not directed at Cardi B.
“Nothing to do with her. Good for her. I promise. I’m sorry,” Grande shared.
She then gave more context about why she was so upset. “THEY INVITED HIS PARENTS OUT,” Grande wrote, adding that Miller’s mother “Karen was gonna have a green suit made”. The idea that Miller’s family attended expecting a win made the loss much harder to accept.
The 2019 ceremony also had another problem. Grande called out producer Ken Ehrlich for lying about why she would not perform. She said her “creativity & self expression was stifled” and that she offered three different songs, but the show wanted something else.
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Fans Debate What Grammy Nominations Really Mean
The Recording Academy’s response to the recent fan complaint has not stopped the online discussion. Many Arianators still believe the voting system has problems. Some have pointed to past accusations about “secret committees” that decide nominees. A former academy employee once claimed that people with business ties to certain artists helped push those artists into nomination spots.
The academy has denied those claims. Bill Freimuth, the Chief Awards Officer, called such allegations “categorically false, misleading and wrong”.
But for fans, the numbers feel off. They argue that Grande’s chart success and streaming numbers should translate into more recognition. Others say the Grammys have a pattern of overlooking younger pop stars in major categories, especially when more established names are in the running.
Some fans have even started to question if Grande herself cares anymore. After the 2026 nominations came out, one social media user wrote, “After they snubbed Ariana many times at the Grammys, I know she only pretended to gag because of Cynthia”. Another added, “I need Ariana to stop acting shocked… we know she dgaf about Grammys”.
Despite the ongoing debate, the Recording Academy stands by its process. The organization says peer review by other music professionals is the fairest way to decide nominations. They also continue to encourage fans to support artist rights rather than focus only on awards.
As of April 2026, Grande has not publicly responded to the Academy’s latest statement. She remains focused on her music and other projects, including her work in the Wicked films. Her fans, however, show no signs of stopping their campaign for what they believe she deserves.
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