How Billie Eilish's 2024 Song 'Wildflower' Snuck into the 2026 Grammy Noms
The 2026 Grammy nominations were announced, and music lovers are scratching their heads over Billie Eilish's inclusion. The Hollywood Reporter breaks down the surprise nod for her song 'Wildflower.'
Eilish, a Grammy and Oscar winner, earned two nominations for 'Wildflower' in the categories of Song of the Year and Record of the Year. In a celebratory Instagram post, she expressed her gratitude, stating, 'Song of the year & record of the year for WILDFLOWERthank you@recordingacademyfeeling so grateful.'
However, some are perplexed by the song's eligibility. 'Wildflower' was initially featured on her latest album, 'Hit Me Hard and Soft,' released in May 2024, which already received Grammy nominations at the 67th annual ceremony in February 2025, including Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. So, how did 'Wildflower' make the cut for the 68th Grammys?
The answer lies in the Grammy rules. 'Wildflower' was released as a single in February 2025, falling within the eligibility period (Aug. 31, 2024 – Aug. 30, 2025) for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards. The Recording Academy distinguishes between tracks and singles, where a 'track' is part of an album, and a 'single' is released separately.
The official Grammy rules state, 'A track or single from a previous year’s album is eligible in the General, Pop & Dance/Electronic, Gospel & CCM, Rock, Metal & Alternative Music, R&B, Rap & Spoken Word Poetry, Country & American Roots Music, Latin, Jazz, Global, African, Reggae & New Age, Ambient, or Chant Fields, provided the recording was not entered as a track or single the previous year and provided the album did not win a GRAMMY in a performance Category.'
Since 'Hit Me Hard and Soft' didn't win any awards at the 2025 Grammys (Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' took Album of the Year, and Sabrina Carpenter's 'Short n’ Sweet' won Best Pop Vocal Album), 'Wildflower' is eligible for the 2026 ceremony.
Eilish's 'Wildflower' now competes for Record of the Year with Bad Bunny's 'DtMF,' Carpenter's 'Manchild,' Doechii's 'Anxiety,' Lady Gaga's 'Abracadabra,' Kendrick Lamar and SZA's 'luther,' Chappell Roan's 'The Subway,' and Rosé and Bruno Mars' 'APT.' For Song of the Year, the nominated singles include 'Abracadabra,' 'Anxiety,' 'APT,' 'DtMF,' 'Golden [From 'KPop Demon Hunters'],' 'luther,' 'Manchild,' and 'Wildflower.'
The 2026 Grammys will be held on February 1st.
