Here's Why Taylor Swift Decided Not to Attend the 2026 Grammy Awards
Taylor Swift has been a fixture of the Grammy Awards over the past decade.
Published Feb. 2 2026, 11:14 a.m. ET
The Grammy Awards predate Taylor Swift, but for the last 15 years, the pop star has dominated the awards show. She's won Album of the Year three separate times in that span, and has come to be considered a fixture of the ceremony. Following the 2026 Grammys, which happened on Feb. 1, many naturally wanted to better understand why Taylor decided not to show.
Taylor did release an album in 2025, "The Life of a Showgirl," but here's what we know about why she wasn't at the ceremony.
Why did Taylor Swift not go to the 2026 Grammys?
Taylor Swift didn't go to the Grammys this year for the relatively simple reason that she was not performing, presenting, or nominated for any award. "The Life of a Showgirl" was released in October of 2025, after the Grammys nomination cut-off, which means that it will be eligible for the 2027 Grammys. Given that she was not tapped to be part of the show, it makes sense that she decided to sit the awards ceremony out.
Taylor did attend last year and served as a presenter, but she was doing so in part to promote her upcoming album. Now, the album is out, and it seems that Taylor was happy to sit this year out, hoping that she'll be nominated in a bunch of categories for the 2027 ceremony. Taylor has been a Grammy favorite historically, but not every album she's released has been a shoo-in for nominations.
The rest of the year is a bit up in the air for Taylor.
After years on the road touring and releasing new music, the rest of 2026 looks to be something of a reset for the pop star. According to reporting from Us Weekly, it might be some time before fans get to see Taylor in concert again.
“The Eras Tour was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so she’s not going to put pressure on herself to make everything that big and ambitious,” the insider explained. “She’ll make sure the next one is special in its own right, but she’s also realistic about it.”
Taylor is also in the middle of planning her wedding to tight end Travis Kelce, and there's still plenty we don't know about exactly when that might happen. 2026 could definitely be a big year for Taylor, but that doesn't mean that she'll necessarily be releasing a new album or heading out on tour. After being in the spotlight for much of the 2020s, 2026 could be the year she steps back from the public eye.
Of course, once next year's Grammys roll around, Taylor seems likely to return to the stage as both a performer and potentially as a nominee. After winning three Album of the Year trophies already, though, it might be somebody else's turn to be the Grammy darling. For now, though, Taylor seems to be prioritizing things other than her attendance at every single Grammy Awards.