Drake is once again choosing commercial success over Grammy consideration, keeping all three of his 2026 albums out of the upcoming awards race. According to Rolling Stone, “Iceman,” “Habibti,” and “Maid of Honour” were not submitted for the 2027 Grammy Awards, and none of the songs from the projects were entered either. The decision extends the Drake Grammys feud that has moved between outright nonparticipation, public criticism, and occasional returns to the ballot for nearly a decade.
The move should not surprise anyone who listened closely to Iceman. On the closing track, “Make Them Know,” Drake directly addressed awards consideration, rapping, “This album, I’m never submittin’ it.” Months later, the reported entry list shows that he followed through, not only with Iceman but with the two albums released alongside it.
That choice removes one of 2026’s biggest commercial releases from Grammy consideration. Drake became the first artist in Billboard 200 history to simultaneously occupy the chart’s top three positions when “Iceman” debuted at No. 1, “Habibti” entered at No. 2, and “Maid of Honour” opened at No. 3. “Iceman” earned 463,000 equivalent album units in its first week, while Habibti earned 114,000 and “Maid of Honour” posted 110,000.
The absence is official in practical terms because Grammy rules require music to be entered before it can reach voters. The Recording Academy’s 2027 submission guide states that eligible recordings had to be entered during the July 7 through August 21 submission window. The Academy makes clear that a recording that is not formally submitted cannot be considered for a nomination or placed on the Grammy ballot.
The Drake Grammys feud stretches back most visibly to the 2017 ceremony. According to the Recording Academy’s own timeline of Drake’s Grammy history, “Hotline Bling” won Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Performance even though Drake viewed the record as a pop song and objected to being repeatedly classified as a rapper. He also questioned why “One Dance,” one of his biggest crossover records, failed to receive recognition in the major general categories.
Drake’s frustration was not about losing that year. It was about what he believed the wins represented. Discussing the two awards afterward, he said, “I won two awards, but I don’t even want them because it just feels weird for some reason.” His criticism centered on whether the Academy was putting his music into rap categories based more on his identity and previous work than on the sound of the individual record.
That dispute quickly moved beyond words. The Recording Academy’s timeline confirms that More Life was not submitted for Grammy consideration for the 2018 ceremony. That decision is important to the current Drake Grammys feud because it shows that withholding Iceman is not a new tactic. Drake had already demonstrated years ago that he was willing to remove a commercially successful project from the awards process rather than participate on terms he questioned.
He did return to the Grammys with “Scorpion“ and “God’s Plan,” but his 2019 victory only produced another public confrontation with the institution. After “God’s Plan” won Best Rap Song, Drake used his acceptance speech to challenge the importance artists place on trophies. As documented by the Recording Academy, Drake said, “We play in an opinion-based sport, not a fact-based sport.” He later added, “You’re already winning, you don’t need this right here.”
The television broadcast went to commercial during the speech. According to the Recording Academy’s account, producers said they interpreted a natural pause as the end of Drake’s remarks and later offered him an opportunity to return to the stage. The Academy said Drake declined because he was satisfied with what he had already said.
The relationship deteriorated further in the years that followed. When The Weeknd received zero nominations in 2020 despite the massive success of “After Hours” and “Blinding Lights,” Drake publicly questioned the credibility of the Grammy system and suggested the music industry needed to build something different. That criticism reinforced a position he had been developing since the “Hotline Bling” controversy: popularity, listener support, and cultural impact did not always match institutional recognition.
By the 2022 ceremony, the Drake Grammys feud had reached another level. Drake initially received nominations for Best Rap Album for “Certified Lover Boy“ and Best Rap Performance for “Way 2 Sexy,” featuring Future and Young Thug. He did not simply lose those categories. His representatives asked for both nominations to be withdrawn, and the Recording Academy honored the request.
That distinction matters. “Certified Lover Boy” was submitted and nominated before Drake withdrew, while other projects were kept out before voting even began. According to Billboard Canada, Drake then chose not to submit “Honestly, Nevermind” or any of its singles for the following Grammy cycle. Even without entering his own album, he remained eligible through work submitted by collaborators and ultimately shared the Best Melodic Rap Performance Grammy for Future’s “Wait for U” with Tems.
Drake briefly reopened the door for the 2024 Grammys. Billboard Canada confirmed that his joint album with 21 Savage, “Her Loss,” was submitted for Album of the Year and Best Rap Album consideration, while “Rich Flex” and “Spin Bout U” were entered in multiple categories. The Recording Academy’s official nominee list shows “Her Loss” earned a Best Rap Album nomination, with “Rich Flex” and “Spin Bout U” also collecting rap category nominations.
The comeback did not end the dispute. Billboard Canada later reported that Drake did not submit his 2023 solo album “For All the Dogs” for Grammy consideration, despite its eligibility. That made Her Loss more of an exception than a permanent reconciliation with the Academy.
Now “Iceman,” “Habibti,” and “Maid of Honour” extend that history into 2027. The Recording Academy says first-round voting begins October 12, nominees will be announced November 16, and the ceremony is scheduled for February 7, 2027. Drake’s three albums will not be part of that voting process. After nearly a decade of skipped submissions, withdrawn nominations, and public criticism, the latest chapter in the Drake Grammys feud looks less like a spontaneous protest than a position he has repeatedly been willing to put into practice.