Has Drake Won Any Grammys? What Most People Get Wrong

Has Drake Won Any Grammys? What Most People Get Wrong

Five. That is the number. For a guy who has spent the better part of fifteen years living at the absolute summit of the Billboard charts, it feels low. Kinda weird, right? If you walked into a room and asked a casual fan, they’d probably guess he has twenty or thirty of those little gold gramophones gathering dust in his Toronto mansion. But the reality is much more complicated, involving a decade-long cold war with the Recording Academy that hasn't really cooled down.

Has Drake Won Any Grammys? The Actual Count

Drake has won 5 Grammy Awards out of more than 50 nominations.

He didn't even show up for most of them. Honestly, the relationship between the 6 God and the Grammys is less of a "romance" and more of a "toxic ex" situation where they keep inviting him to the party and he keeps blocking their number. His first win came back in 2013 for Take Care, which took home Best Rap Album. It felt like the start of a dynasty. It wasn't.

The Breakdown of the Wins

It took four years for him to win again. In 2017, "Hotline Bling" snagged two awards: Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Performance. Here’s the kicker—Drake wasn't even there. He was on tour in Manchester. Later, he basically trashed the wins, complaining that "Hotline Bling" isn't even a rap song. He felt the Academy was just pigeonholing him because he’s a Black artist.

Then came 2019. "God's Plan" won Best Rap Song. This was the infamous night he actually showed up, took the stage, and told the entire world that the awards don't matter. He told the kids watching that if people are spending their hard-earned money to see you play, you’ve already won. They cut his mic before he could finish. Talk about awkward.

His most recent win? That was in 2023 for Best Melodic Rap Performance for his feature on Future’s "Wait for U."

The 2026 Grammy Nominations: A New Chapter?

We are currently looking at the 2026 Grammy cycle, and the vibes are... heavy. Kendrick Lamar is leading the pack with nine nominations. Drake? He only has one.

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The industry is buzzing about this because, as everyone knows, 2024 and 2025 were defined by the massive, earth-shaking feud between Kendrick and Drake. While Kendrick's GNX and the single "Luther" are dominating the conversation, Drake’s presence at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards is remarkably quiet. It’s a stark contrast to the days when he was a lock for every major category.

Why the Snubs Happen

People often wonder why he doesn't have more. Is it a conspiracy? Maybe. But a lot of it is self-inflicted. Drake has a history of not submitting his music for consideration.

  • He withdrew his nominations for Certified Lover Boy in 2022.
  • He didn't submit Honestly, Nevermind or Her Loss (though Her Loss eventually got in through other contributors).
  • He’s publicly called the awards "the institution" and suggested they are out of touch.

If you don't enter the race, you can't win the trophy. It’s a power move, basically. By refusing to play the game, he’s trying to prove he’s bigger than the game itself.

The "Hotline Bling" Controversy

You've got to understand why he's so salty. When "Hotline Bling" won Best Rap Song, Drake was genuinely insulted. He called it "weird."

"I'm a Black artist. I'm apparently a 'rapper' even though 'Hotline Bling' is not a rap song. The only category they can manage to fit me in is a rap category."

He wanted "One Dance" to be recognized as a pop song. He wanted to be measured against the Michael Jacksons and the Madonnas of the world. Instead, the Academy kept him in the "urban" boxes. That’s where the rift really started. It wasn't about losing; it was about being categorized in a way that felt limiting.

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Comparing Drake to the Competition

To put his 5 wins in perspective, look at his peers. Kanye West has 24. Jay-Z has 24. Kendrick Lamar is sitting on 17 (and likely about to add a bunch more in 2026). Even Taylor Swift is in the double digits.

Drake is the highest-certified digital singles artist in history. He has 41 Billboard Music Awards. He has more hits than the Beatles. So, why the Grammy disconnect?

Part of it is the voting block. The Recording Academy consists of thousands of industry professionals—producers, engineers, songwriters. Sometimes, the "cool factor" of a chart-topping hit doesn't translate to the technical "merit" these voters look for. Or, more likely, they just don't like his attitude toward the ceremony.

What Really Happened With the Boycotts?

It’s not just Drake. Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, and Kanye have all taken turns throwing rocks at the Grammy windows. The Weeknd famously boycotted after After Hours—one of the biggest albums of the decade—got zero nominations.

Drake stood by him. He posted on Instagram that we should "stop being shocked every year by the disconnect between impactful music and these awards." Since then, he’s been in and out. Sometimes he submits, sometimes he doesn't. It depends on the mood, the project, and probably who else is nominated that year.

The Future: Will He Ever Sweep?

Looking ahead to the rest of 2026 and into 2027, the question isn't just "has Drake won any Grammys," but "does he even want them anymore?"

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He’s 39 now. He’s achieved everything there is to achieve. If he wanted to sweep the Grammys, he’d probably have to play the "campaign" game—doing the interviews, attending the brunches, and kissing the rings. Drake doesn't seem like he's in a ring-kissing mood.

Actionable Insights for Fans

If you're trying to keep track of his legacy, don't use the Grammys as your only yardstick. Here is how to actually measure Drake's impact:

  • Look at the RIAA Certifications: He is the king of Diamond and Platinum records. That’s a measure of what people actually listen to.
  • Watch the Billboard Music Awards: This is where his dominance is actually reflected in the trophy count (41 wins).
  • Check the Tour Revenue: His 2024 and 2025 tours were some of the highest-grossing in hip-hop history.

The Grammys are a specific type of validation from a specific group of people. Drake has clearly decided that the validation of the streets and the charts is worth more than a gold statue. Whether you agree with him or not, you can't deny that his five wins represent a tiny fraction of his actual influence on culture.

Keep an eye on the 2026 ceremony. Even with just one nomination, a Drake appearance—or another pointed Instagram story—will probably be the most talked-about moment of the night.

To stay updated on his current stats, check the official Grammy.com database or the latest Billboard chart updates, as his total nomination count continues to fluctuate with every new collaboration and "surprise" drop.