From Gaga to Doechii: The LGBTQ+ Noms at the 2026 GRAMMYs
This morning, Friday, November 7, the Recording Academy officially unveiled the full list of nominees for the 2026 GRAMMY Awards, marking the start of another exciting GRAMMY season and setting the stage for Music’s biggest night. And as always, we’re here to spotlight the rainbow team, the incredible LGBTQ+ artists who are proudly representing our community across some of the night’s biggest categories.
Starting strong, the Record of the Year race is a dazzling one for queer gals. Doechii earned a nod for her vulnerable and razor-sharp anthem Anxiety, Billie Eilish scored a nomination for her dreamy ballad WILDFLOWER, Lady Gaga’s cinematic Abracadabra made the cut, and Chappell Roan joined the lineup with her viral hit The Subway. Over in Album of the Year category, Gaga is once again flying the rainbow flag with her album Mayhem, proving that she’s still one of the fiercest creative forces in pop.
The Song of the Year category is another major win for LGBTQ+ representation, with Gaga’s Abracadabra, Doechii’s Anxiety, and Eilish’s WILDFLOWER all in contention for the coveted songwriting award. And speaking of new voices making waves, Best New Artist features not one but two queer powerhouses: KATSEYE, the dynamic pop group whose members Lara and Megan have both come out as bisexual, and rising star Lola Young, whose raw honesty has captured hearts worldwide.
Pop continues to sparkle with queer excellence. In Best Pop Solo Performance, Gaga is nominated for Disease, Chappell Roan returns with The Subway, and Lola Young joins with Messy. The Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category is just as exciting, with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande soaring through Defying Gravity from the Wicked soundtrack, and KATSEYE once again showing up strong with Gabriela. Over in Best Pop Vocal Album, Miley Cyrus represents with Something Beautiful while Gaga’s Mayhem makes another well-deserved appearance.
Dance and R&B are no exception when it comes to queer brilliance. Gaga’s Abracadabra is up for both Best Dance Pop Recording and Best Remixed Recording, keeping her domination alive across genres. Meanwhile, in R&B, Durand Bernarr shines with Here We Are (Best Traditional R&B Performance), and Kehlani earns a Best R&B Performance nomination for Folded. Both Kehlani and Bernarr are also recognized in Best R&B Song, with Folded and Overqualified respectively, while Bernarr’s full-length project BLOOM blooms beautifully in the Best Progressive R&B Album category.
In the rap world, the rainbow still waves strong: Cardi B is nominated for Best Rap Performance with Outside, while Doechii’s Anxiety picks up nods in both Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song, cementing her as one of the genre’s most exciting queer voices.
Over in Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, queer icons unite: Sir Elton John and Brandi Carlile scored a nomination for Who Believes In Angels?, joined once again by Gaga with her lush project Harlequin.
A few special mentions deserve their own spotlight. The Wicked soundtrack received a nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, featuring LGBTQ+ stars Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang, and Bronwyn James among its cast. In Best Song Written for Visual Media, Brandi Carlile and Sir Elton John teamed up for the touching Never Too Late from Elton John: Never Too Late, while Doechii keeps representing with Anxiety nominated for Best Music Video. And finally, in Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella category, Cynthia Erivo is recognized once again for Be Okay, this time as an arranger—a testament to her multifaceted talent.
The 2026 GRAMMY Awards will take place Sunday, February 1, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, broadcasting live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. The 2026 GRAMMYs may not be a full rainbow takeover, but they’re still a powerful showcase of the queer talent shaping today’s music scene.
So, who are you rooting for on Team Rainbow this GRAMMY season? Let the predictions begin! Check out the full list of nominations here.
The 2026 GRAMMY Awards will take place Sunday, February 1, broadcasting live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Images via Getty Images for Recording Academy, Billboard, Elle, QCity Metro.
