Is Lana Del Rey Blacklisted From the Grammys?

Is Lana Del Rey blacklisted from ever winning a Grammy?

The singer lost out on a Grammy trophy for the 11th time on Sunday (Feb. 4), leaving many fans to wonder if the star will ever take home the award. The alternative icon has received 11 nominations throughout her career but has never won one of music’s most prestigious awards, despite her contributions to the alternative genre.

According to one viral theory, however, the infamous awards show snubs Del Rey on purpose.

A blind item fueling the theory that Lana Del Rey is blacklisted from winning a Grammy is going viral on TikTok and Twitter.

It seemingly suggests that Grammy voters refuse to vote for Del Rey because of her highly criticized 2012 Saturday Night Live performance. After the performance, her vocal abilities were slammed and she was parodied in a later episode of the sketch comedy show.

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The blind item was submitted by an anonymous Grammys voter to Hollywood race predictions website Gold Derby.

“I haven’t taken Lana Del Rey seriously as an artist since her infamous SNL performance and never will,” the alleged voter says.

Per the submission, the alleged Grammy voter also claims he only voted for Taylor Swift’s Midnights for Album of the Year simply because she’s the biggest name, not necessarily because he thought it deserved the win based on artistic merit.

Notably, the alleged Grammy voter is a middle-aged male who leans toward country, Americana and rock music — a demographic Del Rey sang about in many songs early in her career.

However, it’s worth noting that several iconic musicians have never won Grammys. Katy Perry has been nominated 13 times and never managed to come out on top at the awards show. Legendary rapper Snoop Dogg has 16 nods and has never won. And shockingly, Diana Ross has won a lifetime achievement award, but not an actual Grammy despite being nominated 13 times.

Still, for many fans, it’s hard to ignore Lana Del Rey’s Grammys snubs, especially since she’s been an undeniable force in alternative music for so long.

Many of the alt-pop stars we know and love today have been inspired by the “Video Games” singer, even Swift.

Swift’s most recent work and forthcoming album, The Tortured Poets Department, seemingly contains influence from Del Rey in both the music and aesthetic.

In Swift’s 2024 Album of the Year acceptance speech — which she won over Del Rey’s Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd — she said, “I think so many female artists would not be where they are and would not have the inspiration they have if it weren’t for the work that [Lana has] done. I think she’s a legacy artist, a legend in her prime right now. I’m so lucky to know you and to be your friend.”