The race to the 2027 Grammy Awards is officially under way. Submission lists for the next ceremony have begun to surface, and they show that nearly every major name in music is hoping for a nomination. Taylor Swift, Cardi B and Olivia Rodrigo are among the artists whose entries have been reported, along with comedian Trevor Noah.
Voting Window Opens Next Week
First-round voting begins Monday, October 12. Recording Academy members will have until October 22 to cast their ballots. This opening stage narrows the large pool of entries into the shortlists of nominees that will compete at music’s biggest night.
The first round matters because it decides which entries move forward in each category. Artists, labels and their teams have spent recent weeks submitting work for consideration, and the reported lists are being updated as more entries become known.
A Wide Eligibility Window
Releases eligible for this cycle run from August 31, 2025, through August 28, 2026. That stretch of nearly a full year has produced a crowded field. The submissions reach well beyond pop and hip-hop stars. Songwriters, producers, comedians and voice actors are also contending for recognition, which reflects how many fields the Grammys cover.
The presence of Noah on the list points to the spoken-word and comedy categories, which draw their own set of high-profile entrants each year. Alongside them, the major music categories feature some of the most commercially prominent artists working today.
Categories Across the Spectrum
The submission lists also include entries in genre-specific fields. One example is Best Alternative Music Performance, which shows how the process covers the whole range of styles. Entrants in these categories compete for attention with chart-dominating acts.
Submitting does not guarantee a nomination. Being listed only means a project has been put forward for review, and members must still vote it onto the final ballot. Many entries in each category will not advance.
What Comes Next
Once the first round closes on October 22, the process moves toward the announcement of official nominees. Until then, observers will be tracking which acts submitted in which categories, and where artists chose to place their work. Those decisions can shape an artist’s chances, since the competition varies widely from one category to the next.
With so many established stars in the mix, the 2027 Grammys look set to be a closely watched contest. The coming days of voting will be the first real test of which releases from the past year resonated most with Academy members.
Source: Forbes
