Grammy Awards Executive Producer Ben Winston has denied rumours that global pop star Taylor Swift will perform at the 2026 Grammy Awards, saying the speculation is not true, according to E! News. Winston explained
that the rumours started because HITS published it in their HITS List, and then it spread worldwide. He said in an interview with HITS on January 22, “But HITS just made that up. Now I’m being asked about it as if it’s real, when it was just made up in your office,” as quoted by E! News.
Winston called the situation ironic, saying, “That really is a full-circle rumour.” While Swift will not be performing, Winston confirmed that singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter will perform at the 2026 ceremony. Carpenter made her Grammy debut in 2025 with ‘Please Please Please’ and ‘Espresso,’ and is nominated for six Grammy Awards this year, including Album of the Year for Man’s Best Friend. She was also the first performer announced for the event. Winston explained that the plan is to announce a new artist every day leading up to the show, like a Christmas advent calendar, to build excitement.
He said Sabrina’s performance last year was a turning point for the show, especially after dealing with the wildfires in Los Angeles, which gave the show a somber mood. Winston said they relied on Sabrina to lift the mood and bring fun to the event, which was a tough job for the first performer, but she handled it well. He added that the joy she brought made the rest of the show feel celebratory instead of like a charity fundraiser. He confirmed that Sabrina Carpenter will return with a big performance planned, as quoted by E! News.
