Why Taylor Swift Didn’t Receive a Grammy Nomination for 'The Life of a Showgirl'
Taylor Swift released her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, last month. And with the highly-anticipated release literally breaking records, all 12 tracks from Cancelled! to Ruin the Friendship are still going viral.
In fact, from Swift's surprise album cover reveal on boyfriend Travis Kelce's podcast, to Sabrina Carpenter's involvement and the endless Easter eggs still being found in her lyrics, The Life of a Showgirl could be the singer's most talked-about album to date.
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However, despite the buzz around The Life of a Showgirl, fans were saddened to see that Swift's new album was not nominated for a Grammy Award, with the 2026 shortlist announced this week.
And while Lady Gaga, Chappell Roan, Miley Cyrus and Billie Eilish were among those to receive nominations for the 68th annual awards, Swift, who has won 14 Grammys over her career so far, appeared to have been snubbed.
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However, industry insiders have now stressed that this is far from the truth, revealing the real reason why Swift, 35, didn't receive a Grammy nomination this year. And according to them, it's simply down to timings, with Swift releasing her album after the eligibility deadline.
The 2026 Grammy Awards had an August deadline, with songs, albums and artists only considered for music released between 31 August 2024 and 30 August 2025. And with The Life of a Showgirl released over one month later, on 3 October 2025, it was not eligible for a nomination.
Instead, Swift and her The Life of a Showgirl album will be competing for a nomination at the 69th annual Grammy Awards, with the ceremony set to take place in 2027.
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The 68th annual Grammy Awards will take place on 1 February 2026, held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
We will continue to update this story.

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.
In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.