Morgan Wallen, the top-selling country artist of the past two years, will not submit his work for the 2026 Grammy Awards, his team confirmed.
No explanation was offered for the decision, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Wallen's choice removes one of the industry's most dominant names from the awards cycle. Released in May, "I'm the Problem" quickly climbed to the top of the Billboard 200 and stayed there for 11 weeks. It is the highest-selling album of 2025 so far. One of its biggest singles, "What I Want" with Tate McRae, also topped the Hot 100.
Tense Relationship with the Grammys
Despite his commercial success, Wallen has had little recognition from the Recording Academy. He earned his first Grammy nomination last year, not for his solo work but through Post Malone's "I Had Some Help," which featured Wallen.
Wallen's music will not be submitted in any categories for 2026, including Best Country Solo Performance or songwriting fields. According to Billboard, songwriters who collaborated with him on "I'm the Problem" are free to submit their own contributions, but Wallen himself will not put the album or singles forward.
The move follows a history of artists stepping back from the Grammys. Frank Ocean withheld "Blonde" from the 2017 ceremony, saying the awards did not represent people from his background. Drake pulled two of his nominations in 2022 after earlier criticism of the Academy. The Weeknd declared a boycott in 2021, saying, "Because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys."
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. later addressed The Weeknd's decision, saying, "Criticism is OK. I heard him. I felt his conviction."
Wallen's Career Momentum
Wallen faced backlash in 2021 after a video surfaced of him using a racial slur. Despite the controversy, his fan base kept growing. Even so, his popularity has only grown. "I'm the Problem" broke streaming records for a country album within a day of release and produced four No. 1 singles on Billboard's Country Airplay chart.
The 37-track project features collaborations with Post Malone, Eric Church, HARDY, ERNEST, and McRae, marking his first duet with a female artist. In announcing the album, Wallen explained the title, "I have been a problem, for sure, and I've got no problem admitting that. But there are other sides to me as well. I've spent the last 11 months really trying to figure out, 'Do I still want to be the problem? Is it time to move past that phase in my life?'"
He added, "I think it probably is, and this might be the last time I get a chance to honestly say it."
The eligibility period for the 2026 Grammys ends Aug. 30, with nominations set to be revealed Nov. 7.
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