6 Country Stars Who Didn’t Attend The 2026 Grammys, Despite Being Nominated
on Feb 02, 2026
The 2026 Grammy Awards Were On February 1- Which Country Artists Won?
Country music’s brightest stars gathered in Los Angeles on Sunday (February 1) to celebrate during the 2026 Grammys. But some artists, including several nominees, were noticeably absent.
Artists in attendance at this year’s Grammys included Jelly Roll, Zach Top, Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson, Shaboozey, Lukas Nelson, and Reba McEntire. All were nominees, and by the end of the night, Jelly, Shaboozey, and Zach could call themselves winners.
You can find a complete list of country winners at this year’s Grammys here.
Jelly won the awards for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song (along with Brandon Lake), Best Country Duo/Group Performance, and Best Contemporary Country Album. Meanwhile, Zach won the award for Best Traditional Country Album, which was a brand-new category this year. Shaboozey, along with his duet partner Jelly Roll, won the award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
Lainey served as a presenter, and Reba delivered a moving “In Memoriam” performance alongside Brandy Clark and Lukas Nelson.
Although country music was well-represented at the show, six nominees (and some winners) didn’t attend the ceremony. See a list of country stars who missed the Grammys below.
6 Country Stars Who Were Noticeably Absent From The 2026 Grammys
Willie Nelson
Country music legend Willie Nelson has won 12 Grammy Awards and been nominated for 59. This year, he earned nods for Best Traditional Country Album and Best Americana Album. He didn’t win either, as those awards went to Zach Top and Jon Batiste, respectively.
At age 92, it’s understandable that Willie opted not to travel to attend this year’s Grammys. His son and fellow nominee, Lukas Nelson, was able to attend the event and also performed with Reba McEntire and Brandy Clark.
Tyler Childers
Out of 11 career nominations, Tyler Childers won his first Grammy Award this year. His song, “Bitin’ List,” claimed the award for Best Country Song.
The award was bestowed during the Grammys‘ “Premier Ceremony” before the main presentation. When Tyler’s name was read as the winner, he did not appear onstage to accept the award. Rather, his band, the Food Stamps, accepted the trophy, with “The Professor” Jesse Wells sharing a few remarks on Tyler’s behalf.
On top of his Best Country Song win, Tyler also received nods in the Best Country Duo/Group Performance, Best Country Solo Performance, and Best Contemporary Country Album categories.
Chris Stapleton
Chris Stapleton was one of the most-nominated country stars at the 2026 Grammys, with four nods. He earned nominations for Best Country Song, Best Country Duo/Group Performance (for two songs), and Best Country Solo Performance.
He won the latter award for “Bad as I Used to Be [From F1 The Movie].” In doing so, he secured his 12th Grammy win.
However, Chris did not attend the Grammys this year. He didn’t provide a reason for his absence, but he does have two sold-out shows in Las Vegas on February 4 and 5, and may be preparing for them.
Miranda Lambert
Country fans can usually count on seeing Miranda Lambert at the Grammys, but she wasn’t in attendance this year, despite being nominated.
Miranda earned nominations for Best Country Duo/Group Performance (for two songs), Best Country Song, and Best Contemporary Country Album. But she didn’t win any awards.
George Strait
“The King of Country,” George Strait, earned his 17th Grammy nomination in 2026. He received a nod in the Best Country Duo/Group Performance category for his “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame” collaboration with Chris Stapleton. That award ultimately went to Jelly Roll and Shaboozey.
It’s been several years since George attended the Grammys, so fans didn’t exactly expect to see him at this year’s ceremony (he did not attend). But it would have been great to see him there!
Eric Church
Best Contemporary Country Album nominee Eric Church had every intention to attend the Grammys. But he was forced to stay home because he got sick.
Eric apologized for his absence in a post he shared on social media, writing:
“I’m so disappointed to miss the Grammy Awards tonight due to illness. I’ve tried everything possible to be there in person and unfortunately I just can’t do it. I wish best of luck to all the nominees and respect greatly what this honor means and stands for in the music community. I’m gonna rest up and see everybody in Omaha next week.”
Fans shared their prayers and well-wishes for Eric, and expressed how much they missed seeing him at the Grammys.
Check out the video below from 2015 to hear Eric speak about how much the Grammys mean to him. We hope to see him and all of the other country stars on this list at next year’s ceremony!
