2026 in music
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This topic covers events and articles related to 2026 in music.
Specific locations
Specific genres
Bands formed
Bands reformed
Albums released
Awards
| 68th Annual Grammy Awards (USA) |
|---|
| Record of the Year: "Luther" by Kendrick Lamar and SZA • Album of the Year: Debí Tirar Más Fotos by Bad Bunny • Song of the Year: "Wildflower" by Billie Eilish • Best New Artist: Olivia Dean |
| 2026 Brit Awards (UK) |
| British Album of the Year: The Art of Loving by Olivia Dean • Song of the Year: "Rein Me In" by Sam Fender and Olivia Dean • British Artist of the Year: Olivia Dean • British Breakthrough Artist: Lola Young • British Group: Wolf Alice |
| Juno Awards of 2026 (Canada) |
| Artist of the Year: Tate McRae • Group of the Year: The Beaches • Album of the Year: So Close to What by Tate McRae • Single of the Year: "Sports Car" by Tate McRae • Breakthrough Artist or Group of the Year: Cameron Whitcomb |
| 40th Golden Disc Awards (South Korea) |
| Album of the Year: Karma by Stray Kids • Song of the Year: "Home Sweet Home" by G-Dragon featuring Taeyang and Daesung • Artist of the Year: Jennie • Rookie Artist of the Year: AllDay Project, Cortis |
Bands disbanded
Deaths
January
- 2
- Ritva Auvinen, 93, Finnish opera singer.[12]
- Tony Carr, 98, Maltese session drummer and percussionist (CCS, Hot Chocolate).[13]
- Johnny Legend, 77, American rockabilly musician[14]
- 5
- Andrew Bodnar, 71, English bass guitarist (The Rumour) and songwriter ("I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass"). (death announced on this date)[15]
- Andrew Carter, 86, English composer and conductor[16]
- Mike Embro, 63, Canadian drummer (Razor) (death announced on this date)[17]
- Elsje de Wijn, 82, Dutch actress and singer[18]
- 6 – Jim McBride, 78, American country music songwriter ("Chasin' That Neon Rainbow", "(Who Says) You Can't Have It All", "Chattahoochee")[19]
- 7
- James Bernard, American music journalist and magazine editor (The Source, XXL)[20] (death announced on this date)
- Ihor Blazhkov, 89, Ukrainian conductor[21]
- 8
- Dave Hitchcock, 76, English record producer (In the Land of Grey and Pink, Foxtrot, The Snow Goose) and accountant.[22]
- Guy Moon, 63, American television composer[23]
- 9
- Dieudonné Larose, 80, Haitian singer
- Terry Sullivan, 87, British drummer (Renaissance)[24]
- 10
- Yeison Jiménez, 34, Colombian singer, plane crash[25]
- Bob Weir, 78, American Hall of Fame musician (Grateful Dead) and songwriter ("Sugar Magnolia", "One More Saturday Night"), complications from cancer[26]
- 11
- Prashant Tamang, 43, Indian singer (Indian Idol), cardiac arrest[27]
- John Wallace, 76, Scottish trumpeter, composer and arts educator[28]
- 12
- Sheila Bernette, 94, English singer (The Good Old Days, The Black and White Minstrel Show)[29]
- Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin, 26, British guitarist (Black Midi)[30] (death announced on this date)
- 13 – Seán Ó Sé, 89, Irish tenor singer[31]
- 14
- Melania Pérez, 76, Argentine singer.[32]
- Quemil Yambay, 87, Paraguayan musician and composer.[33]
- 15
- Raju Bandara, 65, Sri Lankan singer, kidney disease.[34]
- Kenny Morris, 68, English drummer (Siouxsie and the Banshees).[35] (death announced on this date)
- Rubén Patagonia, 69, Argentine singer.[36]
- 16
- Tony Dallara, 89, Italian singer ("Come Prima", "Romantica"), respiratory illness.[37]
- Osvaldo Díaz, 76, Chilean singer.[38]
- Joxean Llorente, 63, Spanish choral conductor, composer and musicologist.[39]
- Marcel Osztas, 37, Slovak radio presenter and music concert host.[40]
- Guillermo Rendón García, 90, Colombian composer and organist.[41]
- 17
- Marikena Monti, 82, Argentine singer and actress.[42]
- Tucker Zimmerman, 84, American singer-songwriter, smoke inhalation.[43]
- 18
- Stephen "Cat" Coore, 69, Jamaican guitarist and cellist (Third World).[44]
- Anders Möller, 63, Swedish musician (Black Ingvars, Swedish Erotica), cancer.[45]
- Jaan Ross, 68, Estonian musicologist and psychologist.[46]
- Ralph Towner, 85, American jazz multi-instrumentalist.[47]
- 19
- Mojmír Maděrič, 70, Czech musician, actor and host.[48]
- Billy Parker, 88, American country music singer and DJ.[49]
- 20
- Rob Hirst, 70, Australian musician (Midnight Oil, Ghostwriters) and songwriter ("Forgotten Years"), pancreatic cancer.[50] (death announced on this date)
- Yaw Sarpong, Ghanaian gospel musician and songwriter.[51]
- 22
- Francis Buchholz, 71, German bass guitarist (Scorpions).[52]
- Guy Hovis, 84, American singer (The Lawrence Welk Show).[53]
- 23
- Dalibor Brun, 81, Croatian singer.[54]
- Kristinn Svavarsson, 78, Icelandic saxophonist (Mezzoforte).[55] (death announced on this date)
- 24 – Yuri Rymanov, 69, Russian guitarist (Lyube).[56]
- 25
- Gabe Lopez, 49, American songwriter and producer, lymphoma.[57]
- Abhijit Majumdar, 54, Indian composer and music director (Sasura Ghara Zindabad, Balunga Toka, Daha Balunga), liver disease.[58]
- Marie Rouanet, 89, French singer and writer.[59]
- Lucky Widja, 49, Indonesian singer and songwriter, kidney tuberculosis.[60]
- 26
- Richie Beirach, 78, American jazz pianist and composer.[61]
- Sly Dunbar, 73, Jamaican drummer (Sly and Robbie), record producer ("Underneath It All"), and songwriter ("Murder She Wrote").[62]
- Béla Lattmann, 60, Hungarian jazz bassist.[63]
- 27
- António Chainho, 88, Portuguese fado guitarist.[64]
- Vladislav Chernushenko, 90, Russian conductor.[65]
- 28
- Maroochy Barambah, 70, Australian Turrbal elder and mezzo-soprano singer.[66]
- Nilton César, 86, Brazilian singer.[67]
- Bryan Loren, 59, American songwriter ("Do the Bartman").[68] (death announced on this date)
- 29 – Wojciech Michniewski, 78, Polish composer and conductor.[69] (death announced on this date)
- 30
- Abdelhadi Belkhayat, 85, Moroccan singer.[70]
- Parthenon Huxley, 70, American musician (ELO Part II).[71]
- Fatih Ürek, 59, Turkish singer and actor, complications from a heart attack.[72]
- 31
- Miklós Fenyő, 78, Hungarian singer, songwriter and musician.[73]
- Mingo Lewis, 72, American percussionist and drummer (Santana, Al Di Meola, The Tubes).[74] (death announced on this date)
- Billy Bass Nelson, 75, American Hall of Fame bass guitarist (Parliament-Funkadelic).[75]
February
- 1
- Fernando Esteso, 80, Spanish singer, comedian, and actor, respiratory failure.[76]
- Steve Washington, 67, American musician (Slave, Aurra).[77] (death announced on this date)
- 2
- Chuck Negron, 83, American singer (Three Dog Night), heart failure and COPD.[78]
- Ken Peplowski, 66, American jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist.[79]
- Yuan Wei-jen, 57, Taiwanese singer-songwriter.[80]
- 3
- Ron Kenoly, 81, American Christian singer, worship leader, and songwriter.[81]
- Lamonte McLemore, 90, American singer (The 5th Dimension).[82]
- S. P. Venkatesh, 70, Indian film score composer (Kilukkam, Spadikam, Rajavinte Makan), cardiac arrest.[83]
- 4
- François Beukelaers, 88, Belgian singer, actor and stage director.[84]
- Tommy Crook, 81, American guitarist.[85]
- Tōsha Meishō, 84, Japanese hayashi musician.[86]
- 5
- Helen Micallef, 75, Maltese singer (Helen and Joseph).[87]
- Fred Smith, 77, American bassist (Television, Blondie).[88]
- Tamás Vásáry, 92, Hungarian pianist and conductor.[89]
- 6 – Lynn Blakey, American musician (Tres Chicas, Let's Active).[90]
- 7
- Brad Arnold, 47, American singer (3 Doors Down) and songwriter ("Kryptonite", "Here Without You"), renal cell carcinoma.[91]
- Greg Brown, 56, American musician (Cake, Deathray) and songwriter ("The Distance").[92]
- Ebo Taylor, 90, Ghanaian musician and producer.[93]
- 8 – Matti Caspi, 76, Israeli singer-songwriter, cancer.[94]
- 9 – Garland Green, 83, American soul singer and pianist.[95]
- 10
- Des de Moor, 64, English writer and musician.[96] (death announced on this date)
- Andrew Ranken, 72, English drummer (The Pogues).[97]
- 11
- Jerry Kennedy, 85, American record producer, songwriter and guitarist.[98]
- Helmuth Rilling, 92, German choral conductor (Gächinger Kantorei, Oregon Bach Festival, Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart).[99]
- László Somfai, 91, Hungarian musicologist.[100]
- 12
- Saúl Cornejo, 79, Peruvian singer and composer (We All Together).[101]
- Milkman, 36, Mexican rapper, producer, and composer.[102]
- Michel Portal, 90, French composer, saxophonist and clarinetist.[103]
- 13 – Simon Harris, 63, British music producer, DJ and electronic musician.[104]
- 14 – Tim Very, 42, American rock drummer (Manchester Orchestra).[105] (death announced on this date)
- 15
- Wayne Proctor, American guitarist (We the People).[106]
- Leo Rosas, 27, Bolivian singer (The Voice of Mexico).[107]
- 16
- Marzio Mazzanti, Italian singer and bassist (Homo Sapiens).[108]
- Billy Steinberg, 75, American songwriter ("Like a Virgin", "True Colors", "Eternal Flame"), cancer.[109]
- 17
- 18
- Béatrice Ardisson, 62, French composer, cancer.[115]
- Lil Poppa, 25, American rapper, suicide by gunshot.[116]
- 19 – Nikolai Komyagin, 39, Russian singer (Shortparis).[117]
- 20 – Zoya Dorodova, 85, Russian singer (Buranovskiye Babushki), cancer.[118]
- 21
- John Bertalot, 94, English organist.[119]
- Willie Colón, 75, American salsa musician ("Pedro Navaja"), respiratory failure.[120]
- Mark Kennedy, 74, Australian drummer (Spectrum, Ayers Rock, Marcia Hines) and record producer.[121]
- 22 – Luci4, 23, American rapper.[122]
- 23
- Oliver "Power" Grant, 52, American executive producer (Wu-Tang Clan).[123]
- Sondra Lee, 97, American musical actress (Hello, Dolly!, Peter Pan, Sunday in New York) and singer.[124]
- Éliane Radigue, 94, French composer.[125]
- Monti Rock III, 86, American singer (Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes), complications from COPD.[126]
- 24
- Rostislav Gepp, 74, Russian musician (Ariel).[127]
- Jiří Valenta, 66, Czech keyboardist (Olympic), suicide.[128]
- Héctor Zamorano, 47, Mexican singer (La Academia).[129]
- 25 – Roman Kofman, 89, Ukrainian conductor (Kyiv Chamber Orchestra) and composer.[130]
- 26 – Utsav Charan Das, 80, Indian dancer, lyricist and music composer.[131]
- 27
- Neil Sedaka, 86, American singer ("Breaking Up Is Hard to Do", "Bad Blood") and songwriter ("Love Will Keep Us Together").[132]
- Travis Wammack, 81, American rock and roll guitarist.[133]
- 28
- John P. Hammond, 83, American blues singer and guitarist.[134]
- Boncana Maïga, 77, Malian composer and musician.[135]
- Viktor Vassiljev, 71, Estonian guitarist.[136]
- Terry Watkinson, 85, Canadian musician (Max Webster).[137]
March
- 1
- Bob Power, 74, American record producer and audio engineer.[138]
- J. Strauss, Swedish singer and musician (Morlocks).[139]
- Gary Walker, 83, American musician (The Standells, The Walker Brothers).[140]
- 2
- Len Garry, 84, English musician (The Quarrymen), pneumonia.[141]
- Mike Vernon, 81, English record producer ("Albatross", "Hocus Pocus"), music executive and recording studio owner (Chipping Norton Recording Studios).[142]
- 3
- Roy Book Binder, 82, American blues musician.[143]
- Gustav Gunsenheimer, 91, German composer and church music director.[144]
- Zsolt Kerestely, 91, Romanian composer and conductor.[145]
- 4 - Bernard Rands, 92, British-born American composer.[146]
- 5
- Jacques Michel, 84, Canadian musician and songwriter.[147]
- Mihail Secichin, 82, Moldovan pianist, director of Maria Bieșu National Opera and Ballet Theatre (1990–1992).[148]
- Lee Turner, 89, American musician (The Dream Weavers).[149]
- 6 - Franco Vito Gaiezza, 66, Italian musician and writer, heart attack.[150]
- 7
- Vidi Aldiano, 35, Indonesian singer-songwriter, kidney cancer.[151]
- David Brigati, 85, American singer (Joey Dee and the Starliters, The Rascals).[152]
- Donny Fattah, 76, Indonesian bassist (God Bless) and songwriter, sarcopenia, vascular blockage, and autoimmune diseases.[153]
- Walter Martino, 72, Italian drummer (Goblin).[154]
- Country Joe McDonald, 84, American singer (Country Joe and the Fish) and songwriter ("I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag").[155]
- Augie Meyers, 85, American musician (Sir Douglas Quintet, Texas Tornados).[156]
- 8
- Zeph Ellis, 37, British rapper.[157]
- Dilworth Karaka, 75, New Zealand musician (Herbs) and songwriter ("Sensitive to a Smile").[158]
- Mantana Morakul, 102, Thai singer and actress.[159]
- Shane Rout, 53, Australian drummer (Blood Duster).[160]
- 9
- Tommy DeCarlo, 60, American singer (Boston),
- Blake Emmons, 81, Canadian country singer. [161]
- Gabba, British guitarist (Chaos UK).[162]
- 10
- Willie Anthony Waters, 74, American opera conductor and artistic director (Connecticut Opera).[163] (death announced on this date)
- Zalek, 30, Colombian reggaeton singer.[164]
- 12
- Hjálmar H. Ragnarsson, 73, Icelandic composer.[165]
- Iulian Vrabete, 70, Romanian bassist (Holograf), cancer.[166]
- 13
- Phil Campbell, 64, Welsh guitarist (Motörhead, Persian Risk, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons).[167]
- Fatma Sarhan, 97–98, Egyptian singer.[168]
- 14 – Paul Geremia, 81, American blues musician.[169]
- 15
- Irmeli Mäkelä, 83, Finnish pop singer.[170]
- Cinzia Oscar, 63, Italian singer.[171]
- 16
- Dolores Keane, 72, Irish folk singer (De Dannan).[172]
- Wayne Perkins, 74, American guitarist, stroke.[173]
- 17
- Dominika Elischerová, 23, Czech singer.[174]
- Bettina Köster, 66, German singer, musician and composer.[175]
- Rainelle Krause, 37, American soprano.[176]
- 18 - Robert White, 89, American tenor.[177]
- 19 - Terry Cox, 89, British drummer (Pentangle, The Humblebums).[178]
- 20
- Aref, 84, Iranian pop singer.[179]
- Louie Louie, 63, American singer ("Sittin' in the Lap of Luxury").[180]
- Richard Phillips, 85, British music promoter.[181]
- 17
- Daniel Buira, 54, Argentine drummer (Los Piojos).[182]
- Steve Houben, 76, Belgian jazz saxophonist and flutist.[183]
- 22
- Ronnie Bowman, 64, American bluegrass guitarist and singer-songwriter[184]
- Sylvia Kersenbaum, 84, Argentine pianist, composer and teacher.[185]
- 23
- Jerry Dee Lewis, American rapper (The Cold Crush Brothers).[186]
- Shinichiro Sato, 61, Japanese rock drummer (The Pillows), esophageal cancer[187]
- Chip Taylor, 86, American singer and songwriter ("Angel of the Morning", "Wild Thing").[188]
- 24
- Gameboy Tetris, 40, Estonian rapper (5miinust), suicide.[189]
- Gino Paoli, 91, Italian singer-songwriter ("Il cielo in una stanza", "Senza fine", "Sapore di sale") and politician, deputy (1987–1992).[190]
- 25
- Dash Crofts, 87, American soft rock singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (Seals & Crofts)[191]
- Mick Roberts, 57, English singer (The Bridewell Taxis).[192]
- 26
- Ahmad Kaabour, 70, Lebanese singer.[193]
- Ross the Boss, 72, American guitarist (Manowar, The Dictators).[194]
- 27
- Jon Dee Graham, 67, American musician (The Skunks, True Believers).[195]
- Mahbuba Rahman, 91, Bangladeshi playback singer (Mukh O Mukhosh, The Day Shall Dawn).[196]
- 28
- DJ Dan, 57, American house music DJ and producer, heart attack.[197]
- Matt Krupanski, American drummer (BoySetsFire).[198]
- Marinella, 87, Greek pop singer.[199]
- 29
- Greg Elmore, 79, American drummer (Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Brogues).[200]
- Volodymyr Komarov, 62, Ukrainian musician.[201]
- David Riondino, 73, Italian singer-songwriter.[202]
- Williametta Spencer, 98, American composer and musicologist.[203]
- 30
- Carl Bonafede, 85, American music manager (The Buckinghams, Daughters of Eve) and musician.[204]
- Walt Maddox, 88, American singer (The Marcels).[205]
- Mykhailo Matsialko, 79, Ukrainian singer.[206]
- Christopher North, 75, American keyboardist (Ambrosia), throat cancer.[207]
- Tony Rivers, 85, English singer (Harmony Grass).[208]
- Michelangelo Zurletti, 89, Italian musicologist and essayist.[209]
- 31 - Bill Leader, 96, English record producer (Hearken to the Witches Rune) and engineer.[210]
April
- 1
- Kiril Ampov, 77, Bulgarian composer and pop singer.[211]
- Fuze, 46, Russian rapper (KREC), traffic collision.[212]
- Suki Lahav, 74, Israeli violinist (E Street Band), singer, and lyricist.[213]
- Dalia Nausheen, 71, Bangladeshi Nazrul Sangeet singer.[214]
- 2
- James Gadson, 86, American drummer (Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band) and session musician.[215]
- Bo Lueders, 38, American guitarist (Harm's Way).[216]
- Fernando Ríos Palacio, 87, Argentine singer.[217]
- 3
- Wojciech Morawski, 76, Polish drummer (Breakout).[218]
- Andrew Perry, 60, English music journalist (Select, Q, Mojo).[219]
- Fred Simon, 74, American singer (The Lost Generation, The Chi-Lites).[220] (death announced on this date)
- 4 - Sajida Obaed, 68, Iraqi folk singer.[221]
- 5
- Alvin L, 67, Brazilian singer-songwriter.[222]
- Donn Landee, 79, American record producer (5150) and recording engineer (Minute by Minute, 1984).[223] (death announced on this date)
- Albert Mazibuko, 77, South African choral singer (Ladysmith Black Mambazo).[224]
- David Wiffen, 84, English–Canadian folk singer-songwriter ("Driving Wheel").[225]
- 6
- Michail Belchev, 79, Bulgarian singer-songwriter.[226]
- Blondy, 66, American rapper (The Sequence) and songwriter ("Funk You Up").[227]
- Álvaro Cassuto, 87, Portuguese composer and conductor.[228]
- 9
- Afrika Bambaataa, 68, American DJ and rapper.[229]
- Björgvin Halldórsson, 74, Icelandic musician.[230]
- Ray Monette, 79, American musician (Rare Earth).[231]
- 10
- Dinah Christie, 83, Canadian singer and actress.[232]
- Harry Kim, 74, American trumpeter (The Phenix Horns).[233]
- 11
- Mike Westbrook, 90, English jazz pianist and composer.[234]
- Václav Hybš, 90, Czech musician, trumpeter and conductor.[235]
- 12 - Asha Bhosle, 92, Indian playback singer.[236]
- 13
- Moya Brennan, 73, Irish singer.[237]
- Patrick Campbell-Lyons, 82, Irish musician (Nirvana) and composer.[238]
- Al Gunn, Canadian bassist (Men Without Hats).[239]
- Magsud Mammadov, 96, Azerbaijani ballet dancer.[240]
- Mister Sam, 80, Argentine music producer (Gretchen).[241]
- Margret Nikolova, 97, Bulgarian pop singer.[242]
- Felipe Stait, 64, Argentine guitarist (Enanitos Verdes).[243]
- Donald K. Tarlton, 82, Canadian music producer and promoter.[244]
- 14 - Dan Wall, 72, American jazz keyboardist.[245]
- 15 - Lucha Moreno, 86, Mexican singer.[246]
- 16
- Oleg Maisenberg, 80, Ukrainian-born Austrian pianist.[247]
- Don Schlitz, 73, American songwriter ("The Gambler", "Forever and Ever, Amen", "When You Say Nothing at All").[248]
- Ernie Smith, 80, Jamaican reggae singer.[249]
- 19 - Dave Mason, 79, English singer-songwriter (Traffic)
- 20 - Alan Osmond, 76, American singer (The Osmonds).[250]
- 21 - Gregg Foreman, 53, American musician (The Delta 72).[251]
- 22 - Evy, 80, France singer, (Belle Epoque).
- 26 - Nedra Talley, 80, American singer (The Ronettes).[252]
- 27 - Beverley Martyn, 79, English folk singer-songwriter.[253]
- 29 - David Allan Coe, 86, American outlaw country singer-songwriter.[254]
- 30 - Alex Ligertwood, 79, Scottish singer and guitarist (Santana).[255]
May
- 1 - Georg Wadenius, 80, Swedish guitarist (Blood, Sweat & Tears).[256]
- 8 - Warren Tipton, 67, American R&B singer (The Chi-Lites).[257]
- 13 - Clarence Carter, 90, American R&B singer.[258]
- 16
- - Dennis Locorriere, 76, American musician (Dr. Hook).[259]
- - Totó la Momposina, 85, Colombian singer.[260]
- 22 - Rob Base, 59, American rapper (Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock).[261]
- 25 - Sonny Rollins, 95, American jazz musician.[262]
- 30
- - Joe Negri, 99, American jazz musician.[263]
- - Foster Sylvers, 64, American singer (The Sylvers).[264]
June
- 2 - Peabo Bryson, 75, American singer.[265]
- 5
- - Indio Solari, 77, Argentine singer (Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota).[266]
- - Talay Riley, 35, English singer-songwriter.[267]
- 14 - Oliver Tree, 32, American singer
- 22
- - Clive Davis, 94, American record executive, A&R executive and record producer.[268]
- - Guesch Patti, 80, French singer.[269]
- 24 - David Clayton-Thomas, 84, American singer (Blood, Sweat & Tears).[270]