Drake to sit out 2027 Grammys with three albums unsubmitted
Drake will not submit three albums — Iceman, Habibti and Maid of Honour — for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards.
Billboard reported the decision, as cited by Rolling Stone on 5 October 2026. No songs from the three records were entered either.
To be in the running for a Grammy, artists or their labels must first submit music for consideration. That is the formal entry that allows voting members to assess it for nominations. Without a submission, a record cannot be nominated.
The eligibility period for the 69th Annual Grammy Awards runs from 31 August 2025 to 28 August 2026, according to the Recording Academy. The ceremony will air live on Sunday, 7 February 2027.
Iceman arrived with strong chart numbers. It broke Drake's own record for the longest run at No. 1 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, passing the 12-week run set by Take Care. Drake also flagged his awards stance on the album's closing track, 'Make Them Know', with the line 'This album, I'm never submittin' it.'
This is not the first time he has stepped back from the awards. He declined to submit More Life for the 2018 Grammys. He later withdrew Certified Lover Boy from the 2022 contest, a year in which he also withdrew his two nominations, and withdrew Honestly, Nevermind from the 2023 contest.
He did take part in the 2024 cycle. His joint album with 21 Savage, Her Loss, was submitted for Album of the Year and Best Rap Album. It lost Best Rap Album to Killer Mike's Michael. The following year, Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us' won five Grammys.
Drake is not the only major act to sit out the 2027 race. BTS said in July that it would not submit music for consideration, according to Billboard. Recording Academy chief executive Harvey Mason Jr. said at the time that he was saddened by the group's decision.
For fans, this means the outcome is settled early. No entries. No nominations. Billboard has listed Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and Bruno Mars among the early front-runners for the general field, the top categories that include Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
