The Top 10 Artists With the Most Grammy Nominations in History
After a successful night at the 2024 Grammys, we watched our favorite artists like Taylor Swift and SZA take home several Grammy awards.
The nominations are always a hot topic, possibly even more so than the actual wins, which more often than not can be predicted. Every time an artist receives a nomination, there is potential for controversy and debate. SZA was this year's artist with the most nominations, with nine in total. Taylor Swift also made history with having four of her albums being named Album of the Year.
But what artists have the most Grammy nominations in history? There are some names in the industry that won't surprise you, like Beyoncé or Paul McCartney. In honor of wrapping up Grammys season, L'OFFICIEL has rounded up the top 10 most nominated artists of all time.
Chick Corea
Coming in at 10th place is jazz musician Chick Corea. The producer, composer, and instrumentalist rose to prominence in the '60s as a member of Miles Davis' band. Since then, he has made a name for himself as one of the foremost pianists in the modern jazz era. Although he is 10th on this list with 71 nominations, he is tied for fourth for most Grammy wins ever with 27.
Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini, born Enrico Nicola Mancini on April 16, 1924, in Cleveland, Ohio has earned 72 total nominations, 20 of which were wins. Mancini was an incredibly talented composer who wrote the theme music for the show “Peter Gun” which was a defining track off his album for the 1959 show. He combined jazz orchestration with rock and roll rhythm for a sound that scored several films including 1961's Breakfast At Tiffany's (featuring "Moon River"), 1962's Days Of Wine And Roses (featuring the title song), and 1963's The Pink Panther (featuring the title theme).
John Williams
New York-born composer John Williams has 73 nominations, but 25 wins. Williams may be one of the best-known composers, having crafted music for some of the most watched on-screen franchises of all time, including Star Wars, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Schindler's List, and Harry Potter. The American composer won his first Grammy is 1975 for Album of Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special for Jaws.
Stevie Wonder
With 74 nominations end even more wins (25 in total) than both Jay-Z and Kanye West is Stevie Wonder. At age 11 the Michigan-born musician was signed to Berry Gordy's Motown's Tamla label. By the time he was 13 Wonder had already scored his first hit on Billboard Hot 100 chart with "Fingertips." In those early years, his stage name was actually Little Stevie Wonder. It wasn't until 1973 though that the artist took home his first Grammy for Album Of The Year for Innervisions. That same year, Wonder also won Grammys for "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" (Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male) and "Superstition" (Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male and Best Rhythm & Blues Song).
Georg Solti
Another tie, Hungarian orchestral conductor Georg Solti achieved 74 nominations to match Stevie Wonder. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra leader and music director had more wins than the Motown artist, though, with 31 total. Solti passed away in 2004, but his wife and daughter created The Solti Foundation which provides financial support to young artists facing hard times as a way of carrying on his legacy as a musical educator.
Kanye West
Rapper, fashion designer, and former presidential candidate Kanye West clocks in at number nine with 75 Grammy nominations and 24 wins. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, but raised primarily in Chicago, West took home the first Grammy of his career in 2004 for his breakout album The College Dropout, which earned him Best Rap Album. That same year he won Best Rap Song for "Jesus Walks," and Best R&B Song for "You Don't Know My Name." His debut on the Grammys live stage was a performance of “Jesus Walks,” at the 47th annual awards show.
Quincy Jones
With 80 Grammy nominations total, multifaceted musician, arranger, and producer Quincy Jones has taken home 28 Grammy Awards. This ties him with Alison Krauss for being the two most-awarded people living. It also makes him the second-highest Grammy winner of all time.
Paul McCartney
Sliding in at number three is Beatles legend gone iconic solo act Paul McCartney. The British singer has received 81 nominations and won 18 of them, a pretty difficult ratio that reflects just how hard it can be to actually secure an award. Despite achieving worldwide fame as a member of the Beatles, McCartney didn’t win his first Grammy until after leaving the group in 1970, when he released his first solo album aptly named McCartney.
Jay-Z
Tied for first place at 88 nominations total is rapper Jay-Z. The New York City-born artist took home his first Grammy in 1998 for Best Rap Album, for Vol. 2 … Hard Knock Life. He is also tied with Kanye West for rapper with the most actual Grammy wins, with a total of 24 awards under his belt. In the above video the rapper accepts a win for his collaboration with Rihanna and Kanye, "Run This Town," which took home the award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards.
Beyoncé
Are you even surprised that the queen, Beyoncé, makes it onto this decorated list? Probably not. The singer, entrepreneur, mother, and all-around icon has 88 nominations and 32 total wins. Much like McCartney, the singer originally rose to prominence as a member of the girl group Destiny’s Child, which secured two No. 1 hits in 1999 with "Bills, Bills, Bills" and "Say My Name" from their album The Writing's On The Wall. After going solo with her album Dangerously In Love, Beyoncé scored her own Billboard 200 hits with Jay-Z duet “Crazy in Love” and “Baby Boy.”