Turnstile Takes Home Historic Grammy Nominations

Turnstile, the Baltimore hardcore punk quintet formed in 2010, has catapulted into the spotlight with five nominations at the 2026 Grammy Awards for their critically acclaimed album Never Enough (released in 2025). 

The nominations are Best Rock Performance for the title track “Never Enough,” Best Metal Performance for “Birds,” Best Rock Song for “Never Enough,” Best Rock Album for the full *Never Enough*, and Best Alternative Music Performance for “Seein’ Stars.” 

Building on their 2023 Grammy nods—Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance for “Holiday,” and Best Metal Performance for “Blackout”—the band’s sound is rooted in hardcore punk with influences from alternative rock and metal, and challenges traditional Grammy categorizations. 

Frontman Brendan Yates’ raw vocals, combined with infectious grooves from bassist Franz Lyons, drummer Daniel Fang, and guitarists Brady Ebert and Pat McCrory, have drawn comparisons to trailblazers like Bad Brains while appealing to modern audiences. Their live energy, often described as transcendent, has fueled sold-out tours and collaborations, amplifying their Grammy buzz.

In Best Rock Album, punk acts have seen success at the Grammy’s. Green Day won twice—for American Idiot (2005) and 21st Century Breakdown (2010)—while Paramore claimed it in 2024 for This Is Why. 

For Best Rock Song, no punk or hardcore band has ever taken the trophy. Green Day received nominations (e.g., “American Idiot” in 2005, “21 Guns” in 2010), but lost to acts U2 and Foo Fighters.

In Best Rock Performance, no punk or hardcore winners, with the category favoring broader rock since its 2012 inception. Arctic Monkeys’ 2015 win for “Do I Wanna Know?” offers a loose punk-adjacent example, but hardcore remains absent.

Best Metal Performance has nominated hardcore-infused acts like Code Orange (2018 for “Forever”) and Knocked Loose (2025 for “Suffocate”), but wins go to metal stalwarts like Metallica or Tool—no hardcore victories yet.

Finally, Best Alternative Music Performance, introduced in 2023, saw Paramore win in 2024 for “This Is Why,” providing a punk precedent.