Grammys 2026: Who Will Win Best Alternative Music Album?
Best Alternative Album isn’t just some catch-all category invented to include genre-defying works of exceptional music. It’s a distinct subgenre of rock music that emerged in the late 1970s, but didn’t attain widespread recognition until more than a decade later. With that being said, this Grammy category isn’t necessarily limited to this subgenre, as it also includes somewhat miscellaneous works of pop and/or rock, especially those with indie influences.
The Grammys’ inaugural Best Alternative Album Award went to Sinéad O’Connor in 1991 for I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got (though she refused to accept it out of her decision to boycott the Grammys for anti-commercialist reasons), and since then, it’s been awarded to such famous artists as U2, Green Day, Radiohead, and the Beastie Boys. In this year’s lineup are plenty of names hardly less distinguished.
Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE
The first contestant on this list is certainly unique for its title’s stylization, if nothing else. SABLE, fABLE, released in April of last year, is the fifth studio album by the indie folk band Bon Iver, which has been nominated in this category thrice before, winning the first time for their 2012 sophomore studio album, simply named Bon Iver. That same year, the band received the Best New Artist Award. In total, they have been nominated for 11 Grammy Awards. This year, they’re also in the running for Best Alternative Music Performance on account of the song “Everything Is Peaceful Love.”
The Cure – Songs of a Lost World
Songs of a Lost World, released by the rock band the Cure in November of 2024, is an album that belongs to the space rock subgenre, which may be why it features a literal space rock on its cover. It’s the fourteenth studio album of this band, which will have its half-century anniversary this year and received its first Grammy nod for Best Alternative Album in 1993. Since then, it’s been nominated once more in 2001. “Alone,” from Songs of a Lost World, is also a nominee for Best Alternative Music Performance this year.
Tyler, the Creator – DON’T TAP THE GLASS
DON’T TAP THE GLASS, surprise-released in July of last year, has a unique status on this list as the only hip-hop entry (though it also contains elements of dance, techno, and funk). This marks the first nomination in this category for rap artist Tyler, the Creator, who has won Best Rap Album (a category in which he’s also nominated this year, on account of CHROMAKOPIA) at two previous Grammys and been nominated for a total of 11 Grammys in a career of 19 years. His other nominations this year are Album of the Year, Best Album Cover (both for CHROMAKOPIA), Best Rap Performance (for “Darling, I”), and Best Rap Song (for “Sticky”).
Wet Leg – moisturizer
Moisturizer (the “m” of which is, unusually, only kept uppercase here by virtue of being at the beginning of this sentence), released in July of 2025, is the sophomore studio album by the post-punk/indie band Wet Leg, founded in 2019. Their first album, 2022’s Wet Leg, won this award at the 65th Grammys, and this album’s song “Chaise Lounge” won them Best Alternative Music Performance. (They were also nominated for Best New Artist). Likewise, they’ve been nominated in this same Performance category for one of moisturizer’s songs, “Mangetout.” Wet Leg also won Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical in 2024 for their remix of Depeche Mode‘s “Wagging Tongue.”
Hayley Williams – Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party
This list has saved the most attention-grabbing title for last. For that matter, its title is hardly less arresting, though, alas, it hasn’t gotten a nod for Best Album Cover. However, three separate songs on this album have received nominations in three different categories: Best Alternative Music Performance (“Parachute”), Best Rock Song (“Glum”), and Best Rock Performance (“Mirtazapine”). Hayley Williams, who released this album in August of last year, has received a total of 11 Grammy nominations, going back to 2008. She has won Best Rock Song, Best Rock Album, and Best Rock Performance one time each (all for works that she shares with the band Paramore), while this year marks her first nod for Best Alternative Music Album.
This Year’s Grammys: When, Where, Who
The 68th Grammys will be broadcast live on CBS between 5:00 and 8:30 PM PST, from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. They will also stream on Paramount+. Comedian Trevor Noah will host the ceremony for the sixth time in as many years.
