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Will The Rolling Stones Win a Grammy for ‘Foreign Tongues’?
The Rolling Stones were notoriously slow to gain Grammy recognition despite decades of acclaim, only receiving their first nomination in 1979 for "Some Girls" at the album of the year category. This oversight stemmed from Grammy voters' early resistance to rock music and the absence of dedicated rock categories until 1980, meaning classic albums such as "Sticky Fingers" and "Exile on Main St." went unrecognised at the time. The Recording Academy has since sought to make amends, and attention now turns to whether the band's new album, "Foreign Tongues", produced by Andrew Watt, can secure a nomination.
The Stones received a lifetime achievement award in 1986, becoming the first group or duo from any genre to be honoured this way, and seven of their recordings have since been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Their fortunes improved markedly in recent years, with "Blue & Lonesome" winning best traditional blues album in 2018 and "Hackney Diamonds" taking best rock album in 2025, giving "Foreign Tongues" a strong chance at a nomination when the 2027 nominees are announced on 16 November, ahead of the ceremony on 7 February 2027.
In short
- Stones' first Grammy nod came in 1979, decades into their career
- Early rock bias and lack of rock categories caused years of Grammy snubs
- New album "Foreign Tongues" tipped for a 2027 best rock album nomination
Explained simply
The Rolling Stones are one of the most influential rock bands in history, with a career spanning more than six decades. Despite their enormous global fame and critical acclaim, they were largely overlooked by Grammy voters for most of their existence, receiving their first nomination in 1979—over 25 years after forming.
This historical oversight occurred because the Grammy Awards were initially resistant to rock music and did not introduce dedicated rock categories until 1980, which meant classic albums such as "Sticky Fingers" and "Exile on Main St." went unacknowledged by the Academy. The Recording Academy has since worked to correct this omission, awarding the Stones a lifetime achievement award in 1986 and inducting seven of their recordings into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
The band's Grammy fortunes have improved notably in recent years, with "Blue & Lonesome" winning best traditional blues album in 2018 and "Hackney Diamonds" winning best rock album in 2025. These awards show how much the landscape has changed for the band.