Taylor Swift Could Make Grammy History — And Ariana Grande May Join Her

Taylor Swift Could Break a Grammy Record

Swift is currently tied with both Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande for the honor of the most nominations in the history of the Best Pop Vocal Album category. All three women have nabbed six nods, and each one of them has won in the past.

Swift will almost certainly be included again this time around with The Life of a Showgirl, which arrived last October. The full-length is a perfect contender for the 2027 Grammys, and based on its enormous commercial success, it seems to be a likely contender for some of the biggest honors at the forthcoming show.

A seventh Best Pop Vocal Album nomination would push Swift into first place on the all-time ranking — unless another superstar arrives at the same milestone at the same time.

Ariana Grande May Make the Same History

Swift has a great shot at becoming the first artist – or at least one of the first artists – to collect seven Best Pop Vocal Album nominations. She likely will not be alone in that feat, though.

Grande recently hit at No. 1 on multiple Billboard charts with Petal, her eighth solo studio album and seventh champion on the Billboard 200. That title is also sure to be considered by Grammy voters and could very well end up competing in the same arenas as The Life of a Showgirl.

If both women are nominated, Swift and Grande will make the same bit of history at the same time, moving ahead of Clarkson and jointly establishing a new record of seven Best Pop Vocal Album nods.

Justin Bieber Could Join the Race as Well

Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake have all earned five Best Pop Vocal Album nominations throughout their careers. Bieber and Gaga did so entirely on their own, while Timberlake’s total includes a pair of nods as part of the boy band NSYNC.

Gaga and Timberlake do not have projects in the running this time around, but Bieber could return with Swag II, the sequel to his surprise album Swag. The first installment was nominated for multiple prizes at the most recent ceremony, though it did not take home any gold. Swag II does not seem like quite as strong a possibility as either Petal or The Life of a Showgirl, but Grammy voters are clearly fond of the Canadian pop singer, so he should not be counted out.

Taylor Swift Could Become the First Three-Time Winner

Among winners, four solo women have each claimed the Best Pop Vocal Album trophy twice, and Swift is counted among them. She first won with her foray into pop music, 1989, a decade ago. Then, Midnights came out on top in 2024. Between those triumphs, Swift watched Reputation, Lover, Folklore and The Tortured Poets Department all lose the race.

The Life of a Showgirl is not necessarily the clear frontrunner this time around, but based on its immense popularity and continued chart success months after its release, it should be considered a real potential winner. Sales and streams shouldn’t play a role in the decisions that Recording Academy voters make, but the bigger the release, the more difficult it is to forget.

Swift could become the first artist to own three Best Pop Vocal Album trophies, if The Life of a Showgirl bests fellow potential nominees from artists like Grande, Charli XCX, Olivia Dean, Harry Styles and Bruno Mars, among others.

ForbesTaylor Swift’s Album Of The Year Grammy Winner Hits A Chart MilestoneBy Hugh McIntyre