Breakout star Chance the Rapper is one of the leading nominees at this year’s Grammy Awards. Chance is up for seven including Best New Artist, Best Rap Album (“Coloring Book”), and Best Rap Performance (“No Problem”) just to name a few. In each of his categories he faces stiff competition from the likes of Maren Morris, Drake, and Beyonce, among others. So will Chance be able to take home a Grammy or two, or will he suffer the same fate as Stevie Wonder, India Arie and Kendrick Lamar, who hold the unfortunate distinction of having the most nominations in one night without a win.
Sign up to get Gold Derby’s free newsletter with experts’ latest predictions and breaking news
Stevie Wonder was the first to set this record in 1983. He was nominated and lost in the following categories:
- Record of the Year for “Ebony & Ivory” (lost to “Rosanna” by Toto)
- Song of the Year for “Ebony & Ivory” (lost to “Always On My Mind” by Willie Nelson)
- Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group for “Ebony & Ivory” (lost to “Up Where We Belong” by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes)
- Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for “Do I Do” (lost to “Sexual Healing” by Marvin Gaye)
- Best R&B Performance by Duo or Group for “What’s That You’re Doing” (lost to “Let it Whip” by The Dazz Band and “Wanna Be With You” by Earth, Wind and Fire)
- Best R&B Song for “Do I Do” and “That Girl” (lost to George Benson‘s “Turn Your Love Around”)
Luckily for Wonder, he already had several Grammy Awards under his belt before setting this unfortunate record. Wonder currently has won a total of 22 Grammy Awards.
Dish the Grammys with Hollywood insiders in our notorious forums
R&B singer India Arie was the next artist to join this list. She was famously nominated for seven awards in 2002 but was shut out, losing most of her categories to fellow R&B newcomer Alicia Keys. India is the only woman to be a part of this list:
- Album of the Year for “Acoustic Soul” (lost to “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” by U2)
- Record of the Year for “Video” (lost to “Walk On” by U2)
- Song of the Year for “Video” (lost to “Fallin’” by Alicia Keys)
- Best New Artist (lost to Alicia Keys)
- Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “Video” (lost to “Fallin’” by Alicia Keys)
- Best R&B Song for “Video” (lost to “Fallin” by Alicia Keys)
- Best R&B Album for “Acoustic Soul” (lost to “Songs in A Minor” by Alicia Keys)
Following this shocking and embarrassing snub, Arie luckily went on to take home two Grammy Awards in 2003 and two more in 2010 and 2011.
Grammy Best New Artist Gallery: All 56 Winners in Music History
Most recently, rapper Kendrick Lamar joined the list in 2014. Like Arie, Lamar lost most of the categories to a fellow breakout act from the same genre, hip-hop artists Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
- Album of the Year for “good kid, m.A.A.d. City” (lost to “Random Access Memories” by Daft Punk)
- Best New Artist (lost to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis)
- Best R&B Performance for “How Many Drinks?” (lost to “Something” by Snarky Puppy and Lalah Hathaway)
- Best Rap Performance for “Swimming Pools (Drank)” (lost to “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz)
- Best Rap/Sung Performance for “Now or Never” (lost to “Holy Grail” by Jay Z and Justin Timberlake)
- Best Rap Song for “F***in’ Problems” (lost to “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz)
- Best Rap Album for “good kid, m.A.A.d City” (lost to “The Heist” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis)
After his devastating Grammy losses, Kendrick has gone on to be quite a recording academy favorite, winning a total of seven Grammys in 2015 and 2016. Lamar could add more hardware this year. He’s nominated as a featured artist on Beyonce’s “Lemonade” in the Album of the Year category as well as earning a nomination in the Best Rap/Sung Performance race for their collaboration “Freedom.”
Will Chance avoid this Grammy curse or will his name unfortunately be added?
Make your Grammy predictions now; change them till Feb. 12
Gold Derby readers just like YOU often turn out to be our smartest prognosticators, so it’s important that you give us your predictions. You can continue to update and change your forecasts as often as you like before winners are announced on Feb. 12. Just click “Save” when you’ve settled on your choices. You’ll compete to win a $100 Amazon gift certificate, bragging rights and a place of honor on our leaderboard. Our racetrack odds change as you make your predictions, just as they do when you bet on the Emmys, Oscars, Golden Globes and more. Be sure to read our contest rules and sound off on the Grammy race in our music forum.
