Could Taylor Swift Be Nominated for the 2026 GRAMMYs?

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The speculation machine around Taylor Swift never sleeps, and this time the question is straightforward: Can her newly announced album, The Life of a Showgirl, make it in under the wire to compete in the next GRAMMY Awards?

The eligibility period for music’s biggest night closes on August 30, 2025. On August 11, Swift confirmed that her next project an that the release date is October, 3. After that, a vinyl pre-order went live on her official site, noting that shipments will begin before October 13, 2025.

The answer to the big question came on August 13, at 7 p.m. ET, when Swift appeared on New Heights, the podcast hosted by her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce, and his brother, Jason Kelce. That’s when she finally revealed the release date. And yes, the album will be eligible for consideration at the 2026 GRAMMY Awards.

Voting Calendar

According to the Recording Academy’s official schedule, first-round voting runs October 3–15, 2025. Second-round voting follows from December 12, 2025 to January 5, 2026. Nominees will be announced on November 7, 2025, and the ceremony will take place February 1, 2026.

This isn’t just a matter of timing—it’s strategy. Swift is a fierce competitor and acutely aware of the GRAMMYs’ influence. She already holds multiple records across different categories. One common tactic among artists is to drop a single from the album before the August 30 cutoff to secure a shot at nominations.

The Album That Missed Out

In her documentary Miss Americana, Swift shared how devastating it was when Reputation failed to earn GRAMMY nominations—a moment that opens the film and underscores just how much these awards mean to her.

The Life of a Showgirl makes the deadline, and it won’t just be in the running for nominations—it could become one of the most talked-about, critically backed albums of the upcoming awards season.