Ben Winston denies Taylor Swift will perform at 2026 Grammys

Pagesix reports Grammy producer Ben Winston has pushed back on rumors that Taylor Swift will perform at the 2026 awards ceremony, saying the suggestion was fabricated by another outlet. Winston told HITS, “The only reason people think Taylor might be performing or coming is because HITS decided to print it this week and put it in their HITS List, and it was picked up globally,” and added, “But HITS just totally made that up.

And now I am getting asked about it by you, as if it’s a real thing, when it was made up in your office!” The Recording Academy has confirmed Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Dean, SOMBR, Leon Thomas and the Marías to perform at the Feb. 1 ceremony; Trevor Noah will host, and Doechii and Harry Styles are named presenters.

Swift was not nominated this year because her album "The Life of a Showgirl" did not meet the eligibility window — it was released Oct. 3 and missed the Aug. 31, 2024 to Aug. 30, 2025 period for the 68th Grammys. She received six nominations at the 2025 ceremony for "The Tortured Poets Department" but did not win; she is a 14-time Grammy winner and has won album of the year for "Fearless," "1989," "Folklore" and "Midnights." It is unclear if Swift will attend Sunday’s show.