The 2026 GRAMMY Award nominations were announced last week. Amongst many returning artists, there are also a few who have earned their first nods from the Recording Academy. Here are a few notable first-timers making their debut at the 68th annual ceremony:
1. Tate McRae
Best Dance Pop Recording: “Just Keep Watching”
Long overdue, fans can now say Tate McRae is a GRAMMY-nominated artist. After submitting herself for Best New Artist in previous years, this marks her first official nomination for any of the iconic awards. Originally gaining public attention from her time on So You Think You Can Dance, she has since released multiple albums and EPs and is currently on her biggest tour yet for her latest project So Close To What. Her nominated song, “Just Keep Watching,” was released as part of the F1 movie soundtrack this past May.
2. sombr
Best New Artist
2025 has been sombr’s breakout year, in a bigger way than anyone thought possible. He’s had multiple viral hits, including “back to friends” and “undressed,” which hit the top 20 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and Global 200 charts. His debut album, I Barely Know Her, charted within the top 10 in multiple major countries. He also made his live TV debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and recently performed on Saturday Night Live. sombr just wrapped up his North American leg of The Late Nights and Young Romance Tour, almost entirely sold out.
3. KATSEYE
Best New Artist
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: “Gabriela”
KATSEYE has only been in the business for a year, and they’ve already cemented their spot as a contender to be the next big thing. Their 2025 single “Gnarly” blew up online, giving the group their first ever entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Their nominated song, “Gabriela,” quickly peaked at #23 on the Billboard Global 200 and #37 on the U.S. Hot 100. KATSEYE has officially made GRAMMY history, making them the first K-pop group to be nominated for two awards and the first girl group up for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance since the category’s creation 13 years ago.
4. Addison Rae
Best New Artist
Addison Rae rose to fame after her time as a TikTok star, quickly becoming one of the up-and-coming pop girls. Her critically acclaimed debut album Addison peaked at #4 on the U.S. Billboard 200, also reaching #8 on the U.S. Apple Music album charts. The album, released this past June, has already accumulated over 1 billion streams on Spotify. She is currently on her debut headline tour, The Addison Tour, just about sold out.
5. YUNGBLUD
Best Rock Album: IDOLS
Best Rock Song: “Zombie”
Best Rock Performance: “Changes at Villa Park”
Born Dominic Harrison, YUNGBLUD has been slowly but surely making his mark in the rock scene. His exposure began in 2018, with single “Tin Pan Boy” being featured on the soundtrack for the hit Netflix show 13 Reasons Why. That same year, he performed at the historic Vans Warped Tour as a breakout act. Since then he has released multiple EPs and albums, breaking into mainstream with his 2019 EP, the underrated youth. IDOLS, Harrison’s fourth studio album, shot to #1 on the UK Official Albums Chart the week after its release. His cover of Black Sabbath’s “Changes” at Villa Park went viral, earning him one of his three nominations this year. He has a collaboration EP with Aerosmith, One More Time, coming to streaming services Nov. 21.
6. PinkPantheress
Best Dance Pop Recording: “Illegal”
Best Dance/Electronic Album: Fancy That
Going by Pink for short, PinkPantheress has officially earned her first nods from the Recording Academy after four years in the industry. She first went viral for her single “Boy’s a liar, Pt. 2 (ft. Ice Spice)”, with TikTok fueling its breakthrough. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it the first top 10 entry for both artists. Pink’s current viral track, “Illegal,” is continuously gaining traction online and has reached the Hot 100 yet again, making this her first solo spot on the chart. Fancy That hit #3 in the UK and #12 in Australia and New Zealand.
7. Djo
Best Album Cover
Djo rose to fame during his time acting on the critically acclaimed Netflix show Stranger Things before pursuing a music career. His big break came with his song “End of Beginning” off his sophomore album DECIDE. Blowing up on social media, it exposed him to a whole new demographic; music lovers, on top of people who were already fans of his acting. His latest album cover for The Crux is what earned him his first GRAMMY Award nomination for the 2026 ceremony. While fans were expecting him to get a nod for the music itself, his supporters are more than confident that he can take home his first trophy.
8. Timothée Chalamet
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: A Complete Unknown
Yes, the actor Timothée Chalamet! He has officially earned his first GRAMMY nomination for his singing on the Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown. The film did excellently at the box office, becoming Searchlight Picture’s highest grossing film in North America. In its first weekend, the movie became Searchlight’s second-biggest opening in the company’s history. If Chalamet achieves this feat and wins the award, this will put him at step one towards EGOT (Emmy, GRAMMY, Oscar, Tony) status.
9. Lola Young
Best New Artist
Best Pop Solo Performance: “Messy”
Born in London, Lola Young made her mark in the industry just last year with her single “Messy,” gaining commercial attention. The song hit #1 on the UK Singles Chart for four weeks, making her the youngest British woman to top the chart since Dua Lipa in 2017. It is also 2x Platinum certified in the U.S. and has peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Young’s unfiltered media/stage presence combined with her raw vocals give her the ability to stand out; some have even compared her to the late Amy Winehouse.
10. Zara Larsson
Best Dance Pop Recording: “Midnight Sun”
Some of the most iconic songs from the mid-2010s were given to the world by Zara Larsson, her talent not going unnoticed. Officially debuting in 2013, the Swedish native has since been steadily rising to stardom and is now up for the crown. Her nominated song comes off her latest album, Midnight Sun, representing her finally reaching that dance-floor ecstasy feeling. The album debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top Dance Albums chart, as well as a sweet #1 spot in her home country on both Apple Music and iTunes.
Other first-time nominees include:
Alex Warren
FLO
Leon Thomas
JID
Omah Lay
Olivia Dean
PlaqueBoyMax
ROSÉ
Sexyy Red
The Marías
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