Why Zara Larsson Doesn’t Want the Grammy Award for Best New Artist

“That’s why I like ‘breakthrough,’” she continued. “It feels like the whole world is looking at me at the same time. Before, this song was successful over here, and another song a year later was successful over there. Now it feels like it’s all coming together quite nicely.”

As it turns out, though, Larsson’s wish has already been granted, because she actually isn’t eligible for Best New Artist because her song “Midnight Sun”—released as a single in June 2025—received a nomination for Best Dance Pop Recording at the 2026 Grammy Awards. 

As the Recording Academy states in its rules for the Best New Artist category, an artist is not eligible if they have “a previous Grammy nomination as a performer, including a nomination as an established member of a nominated group.”

Her Midnight Sun album, however,is eligible for consideration for the 2027 Grammys. Nominations will be announced in November.

In the end, though, Larsson’s personal measure of success isn’t awards—it’s the fans. 

“The older I get, it’s becoming clearer and clearer to me that my passion and what I really care about is people coming to my shows,” she continued to Perfect. “People have taken time out of their real lives. They paid money to experience this with their friends, and I get to be on stage and sing live. The live culture of it all is what I really, really care about.”

As Larsson put it, “What’s been so amazing about Midnight Sun is I feel like it’s gone beyond just a good album or a good song. People are being invited into my world by putting on their outfits and their flowers and the glitter and the colours. The culture around it is how I feel successful.”

Ahead of the 2027 Grammy nominations being announced in November, read on to look back at artists who have never won a Grammy.