2026 in music
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This topic covers events and articles related to 2026 in music.
Specific locations
Specific genres
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.[11]
- Tony Carr, 98, Maltese session drummer and percussionist (CCS, Hot Chocolate).[12]
- Johnny Legend, 77, American rockabilly musician[13]
- 5
- Andrew Bodnar, 71, English bass guitarist (The Rumour) and songwriter ("I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass"). (death announced on this date)[14]
- Andrew Carter, 86, English composer and conductor[15]
- Mike Embro, 63, Canadian drummer (Razor) (death announced on this date)[16]
- Elsje de Wijn, 82, Dutch actress and singer[17]
- 6 – Jim McBride, 78, American country music songwriter ("Chasin' That Neon Rainbow", "(Who Says) You Can't Have It All", "Chattahoochee")[18]
- 7
- James Bernard, American music journalist and magazine editor (The Source, XXL)[19] (death announced on this date)
- Ihor Blazhkov, 89, Ukrainian conductor[20]
- 8
- Dave Hitchcock, 76, English record producer (In the Land of Grey and Pink, Foxtrot, The Snow Goose) and accountant.[21]
- Guy Moon, 63, American television composer[22]
- 9
- Dieudonné Larose, 80, Haitian singer
- Terry Sullivan, 87, British drummer (Renaissance)[23]
- 10
- Yeison Jiménez, 34, Colombian singer, plane crash[24]
- Bob Weir, 78, American Hall of Fame musician (Grateful Dead) and songwriter ("Sugar Magnolia", "One More Saturday Night"), complications from cancer[25]
- 11
- Prashant Tamang, 43, Indian singer (Indian Idol), cardiac arrest[26]
- John Wallace, 76, Scottish trumpeter, composer and arts educator[27]
- 12
- Sheila Bernette, 94, English singer (The Good Old Days, The Black and White Minstrel Show)[28]
- Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin, 26, British guitarist (Black Midi)[29] (death announced on this date)
- 13 – Seán Ó Sé, 89, Irish tenor singer[30]
- 14
- Melania Pérez, 76, Argentine singer.[31]
- Quemil Yambay, 87, Paraguayan musician and composer.[32]
- 15
- Raju Bandara, 65, Sri Lankan singer, kidney disease.[33]
- Kenny Morris, 68, English drummer (Siouxsie and the Banshees).[34] (death announced on this date)
- Rubén Patagonia, 69, Argentine singer.[35]
- 16
- Tony Dallara, 89, Italian singer ("Come Prima", "Romantica"), respiratory illness.[36]
- Osvaldo Díaz, 76, Chilean singer.[37]
- Joxean Llorente, 63, Spanish choral conductor, composer and musicologist.[38]
- Marcel Osztas, 37, Slovak radio presenter and music concert host.[39]
- Guillermo Rendón García, 90, Colombian composer and organist.[40]
- 17
- Marikena Monti, 82, Argentine singer and actress.[41]
- Tucker Zimmerman, 84, American singer-songwriter, smoke inhalation.[42]
- 18
- Stephen "Cat" Coore, 69, Jamaican guitarist and cellist (Third World).[43]
- Anders Möller, 63, Swedish musician (Black Ingvars, Swedish Erotica), cancer.[44]
- Jaan Ross, 68, Estonian musicologist and psychologist.[45]
- Ralph Towner, 85, American jazz multi-instrumentalist.[46]
- 19
- Mojmír Maděrič, 70, Czech musician, actor and host.[47]
- Billy Parker, 88, American country music singer and DJ.[48]
- 20
- Rob Hirst, 70, Australian musician (Midnight Oil, Ghostwriters) and songwriter ("Forgotten Years"), pancreatic cancer.[49] (death announced on this date)
- Yaw Sarpong, Ghanaian gospel musician and songwriter.[50]
- 22
- Francis Buchholz, 71, German bass guitarist (Scorpions).[51]
- Guy Hovis, 84, American singer (The Lawrence Welk Show).[52]
- 23
- Dalibor Brun, 81, Croatian singer.[53]
- Kristinn Svavarsson, 78, Icelandic saxophonist (Mezzoforte).[54] (death announced on this date)
- 24 – Yuri Rymanov, 69, Russian guitarist (Lyube).[55]
- 25
- Gabe Lopez, 49, American songwriter and producer, lymphoma.[56]
- Abhijit Majumdar, 54, Indian composer and music director (Sasura Ghara Zindabad, Balunga Toka, Daha Balunga), liver disease.[57]
- Marie Rouanet, 89, French singer and writer.[58]
- Lucky Widja, 49, Indonesian singer and songwriter, kidney tuberculosis.[59]
- 26
- Richie Beirach, 78, American jazz pianist and composer.[60]
- Sly Dunbar, 73, Jamaican drummer (Sly and Robbie), record producer ("Underneath It All"), and songwriter ("Murder She Wrote").[61]
- Béla Lattmann, 60, Hungarian jazz bassist.[62]
- 27
- António Chainho, 88, Portuguese fado guitarist.[63]
- Vladislav Chernushenko, 90, Russian conductor.[64]
- 28
- Maroochy Barambah, 70, Australian Turrbal elder and mezzo-soprano singer.[65]
- Nilton César, 86, Brazilian singer.[66]
- Bryan Loren, 59, American songwriter ("Do the Bartman").[67] (death announced on this date)
- 29 – Wojciech Michniewski, 78, Polish composer and conductor.[68] (death announced on this date)
- 30
- Abdelhadi Belkhayat, 85, Moroccan singer.[69]
- Parthenon Huxley, 70, American musician (ELO Part II).[70]
- Fatih Ürek, 59, Turkish singer and actor, complications from a heart attack.[71]
- 31
- Miklós Fenyő, 78, Hungarian singer, songwriter and musician.[72]
- Mingo Lewis, 72, American percussionist and drummer (Santana, Al Di Meola, The Tubes).[73] (death announced on this date)
- Billy Bass Nelson, 75, American Hall of Fame bass guitarist (Parliament-Funkadelic).[74]
February
- 1
- Fernando Esteso, 80, Spanish singer, comedian, and actor, respiratory failure.[75]
- Steve Washington, 67, American musician (Slave, Aurra).[76] (death announced on this date)
- 2
- Chuck Negron, 83, American singer (Three Dog Night), heart failure and COPD.[77]
- Ken Peplowski, 66, American jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist.[78]
- Yuan Wei-jen, 57, Taiwanese singer-songwriter.[79]
- 3
- Ron Kenoly, 81, American Christian singer, worship leader, and songwriter.[80]
- Lamonte McLemore, 90, American singer (The 5th Dimension).[81]
- S. P. Venkatesh, 70, Indian film score composer (Kilukkam, Spadikam, Rajavinte Makan), cardiac arrest.[82]
- 4
- François Beukelaers, 88, Belgian singer, actor and stage director.[83]
- Tommy Crook, 81, American guitarist.[84]
- Tōsha Meishō, 84, Japanese hayashi musician.[85]
- 5
- Helen Micallef, 75, Maltese singer (Helen and Joseph).[86]
- Fred Smith, 77, American bassist (Television, Blondie).[87]
- Tamás Vásáry, 92, Hungarian pianist and conductor.[88]
- 6 – Lynn Blakey, American musician (Tres Chicas, Let's Active).[89]
- 7
- Brad Arnold, 47, American singer (3 Doors Down) and songwriter ("Kryptonite", "Here Without You"), renal cell carcinoma.[90]
- Greg Brown, 56, American musician (Cake, Deathray) and songwriter ("The Distance").[91]
- Ebo Taylor, 90, Ghanaian musician and producer.[92]
- 8 – Matti Caspi, 76, Israeli singer-songwriter, cancer.[93]
- 9 – Garland Green, 83, American soul singer and pianist.[94]
- 10
- Des de Moor, 64, English writer and musician.[95] (death announced on this date)
- Andrew Ranken, 72, English drummer (The Pogues).[96]
- 11
- Jerry Kennedy, 85, American record producer, songwriter and guitarist.[97]
- Helmuth Rilling, 92, German choral conductor (Gächinger Kantorei, Oregon Bach Festival, Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart).[98]
- László Somfai, 91, Hungarian musicologist.[99]
- 12
- Saúl Cornejo, 79, Peruvian singer and composer (We All Together).[100]
- Milkman, 36, Mexican rapper, producer, and composer.[101]
- Michel Portal, 90, French composer, saxophonist and clarinetist.[102]
- 13 – Simon Harris, 63, British music producer, DJ and electronic musician.[103]
- 14 – Tim Very, 42, American rock drummer (Manchester Orchestra).[104] (death announced on this date)
- 15
- Wayne Proctor, American guitarist (We the People).[105]
- Leo Rosas, 27, Bolivian singer (The Voice of Mexico).[106]
- 16
- Marzio Mazzanti, Italian singer and bassist (Homo Sapiens).[107]
- Billy Steinberg, 75, American songwriter ("Like a Virgin", "True Colors", "Eternal Flame"), cancer.[108]
- 17
- 18
- Béatrice Ardisson, 62, French composer, cancer.[114]
- Lil Poppa, 25, American rapper, suicide by gunshot.[115]
- 19 – Nikolai Komyagin, 39, Russian singer (Shortparis).[116]
- 20 – Zoya Dorodova, 85, Russian singer (Buranovskiye Babushki), cancer.[117]
- 21
- John Bertalot, 94, English organist.[118]
- Willie Colón, 75, American salsa musician ("Pedro Navaja"), respiratory failure.[119]
- Mark Kennedy, 74, Australian drummer (Spectrum, Ayers Rock, Marcia Hines) and record producer.[120]
- 22 – Luci4, 23, American rapper.[121]
- 23
- Oliver "Power" Grant, 52, American executive producer (Wu-Tang Clan).[122]
- Sondra Lee, 97, American musical actress (Hello, Dolly!, Peter Pan, Sunday in New York) and singer.[123]
- Éliane Radigue, 94, French composer.[124]
- Monti Rock III, 86, American singer (Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes), complications from COPD.[125]
- 24
- Rostislav Gepp, 74, Russian musician (Ariel).[126]
- Jiří Valenta, 66, Czech keyboardist (Olympic), suicide.[127]
- Héctor Zamorano, 47, Mexican singer (La Academia).[128]
- 25 – Roman Kofman, 89, Ukrainian conductor (Kyiv Chamber Orchestra) and composer.[129]
- 26 – Utsav Charan Das, 80, Indian dancer, lyricist and music composer.[130]
- 27
- Neil Sedaka, 86, American singer ("Breaking Up Is Hard to Do", "Bad Blood") and songwriter ("Love Will Keep Us Together").[131]
- Travis Wammack, 81, American rock and roll guitarist.[132]
- 28
- John P. Hammond, 83, American blues singer and guitarist.[133]
- Boncana Maïga, 77, Malian composer and musician.[134]
- Viktor Vassiljev, 71, Estonian guitarist.[135]
- Terry Watkinson, 85, Canadian musician (Max Webster).[136]
March
- 1
- Bob Power, 74, American record producer and audio engineer.[137]
- J. Strauss, Swedish singer and musician (Morlocks).[138]
- Gary Walker, 83, American musician (The Standells, The Walker Brothers).[139]
- 2
- Len Garry, 84, English musician (The Quarrymen), pneumonia.[140]
- Mike Vernon, 81, English record producer ("Albatross", "Hocus Pocus"), music executive and recording studio owner (Chipping Norton Recording Studios).[141]
- 3
- Roy Book Binder, 82, American blues musician.[142]
- Gustav Gunsenheimer, 91, German composer and church music director.[143]
- Zsolt Kerestely, 91, Romanian composer and conductor.[144]
- 4 - Bernard Rands, 92, British-born American composer.[145]
- 5
- Jacques Michel, 84, Canadian musician and songwriter.[146]
- Mihail Secichin, 82, Moldovan pianist, director of Maria Bieșu National Opera and Ballet Theatre (1990–1992).[147]
- Lee Turner, 89, American musician (The Dream Weavers).[148]
- 6 - Franco Vito Gaiezza, 66, Italian musician and writer, heart attack.[149]
- 7
- Vidi Aldiano, 35, Indonesian singer-songwriter, kidney cancer.[150]
- David Brigati, 85, American singer (Joey Dee and the Starliters, The Rascals).[151]
- Donny Fattah, 76, Indonesian bassist (God Bless) and songwriter, sarcopenia, vascular blockage, and autoimmune diseases.[152]
- Walter Martino, 72, Italian drummer (Goblin).[153]
- Country Joe McDonald, 84, American singer (Country Joe and the Fish) and songwriter ("I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag").[154]
- Augie Meyers, 85, American musician (Sir Douglas Quintet, Texas Tornados).[155]
- 8
- Zeph Ellis, 37, British rapper.[156]
- Dilworth Karaka, 75, New Zealand musician (Herbs) and songwriter ("Sensitive to a Smile").[157]
- Mantana Morakul, 102, Thai singer and actress.[158]
- Shane Rout, 53, Australian drummer (Blood Duster).[159]
- 9
- Tommy DeCarlo, 60, American singer (Boston),
- Blake Emmons, 81, Canadian country singer. [160]
- Gabba, British guitarist (Chaos UK).[161]
- 10
- Willie Anthony Waters, 74, American opera conductor and artistic director (Connecticut Opera).[162] (death announced on this date)
- Zalek, 30, Colombian reggaeton singer.[163]
- 12
- Hjálmar H. Ragnarsson, 73, Icelandic composer.[164]
- Iulian Vrabete, 70, Romanian bassist (Holograf), cancer.[165]
- 13
- Phil Campbell, 64, Welsh guitarist (Motörhead, Persian Risk, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons).[166]
- Fatma Sarhan, 97–98, Egyptian singer.[167]
- 14 – Paul Geremia, 81, American blues musician.[168]
- 15
- Irmeli Mäkelä, 83, Finnish pop singer.[169]
- Cinzia Oscar, 63, Italian singer.[170]
- 16
- Dolores Keane, 72, Irish folk singer (De Dannan).[171]
- Wayne Perkins, 74, American guitarist, stroke.[172]
- 17
- Dominika Elischerová, 23, Czech singer.[173]
- Bettina Köster, 66, German singer, musician and composer.[174]
- Rainelle Krause, 37, American soprano.[175]
- 18 - Robert White, 89, American tenor.[176]
- 19 - Terry Cox, 89, British drummer (Pentangle, The Humblebums).[177]
- 20
- Aref, 84, Iranian pop singer.[178]
- Louie Louie, 63, American singer ("Sittin' in the Lap of Luxury").[179]
- Richard Phillips, 85, British music promoter.[180]
- 17
- Daniel Buira, 54, Argentine drummer (Los Piojos).[181]
- Steve Houben, 76, Belgian jazz saxophonist and flutist.[182]
- 22
- Ronnie Bowman, 64, American bluegrass guitarist and singer-songwriter[183]
- Sylvia Kersenbaum, 84, Argentine pianist, composer and teacher.[184]
- 23
- Jerry Dee Lewis, American rapper (The Cold Crush Brothers).[185]
- Shinichiro Sato, 61, Japanese rock drummer (The Pillows), esophageal cancer[186]
- Chip Taylor, 86, American singer and songwriter ("Angel of the Morning", "Wild Thing").[187]
- 24
- Gameboy Tetris, 40, Estonian rapper (5miinust), suicide.[188]
- Gino Paoli, 91, Italian singer-songwriter ("Il cielo in una stanza", "Senza fine", "Sapore di sale") and politician, deputy (1987–1992).[189]
- 25
- Dash Crofts, 87, American soft rock singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (Seals & Crofts)[190]
- Mick Roberts, 57, English singer (The Bridewell Taxis).[191]
- 26
- Ahmad Kaabour, 70, Lebanese singer.[192]
- Ross the Boss, 72, American guitarist (Manowar, The Dictators).[193]
- 27
- Jon Dee Graham, 67, American musician (The Skunks, True Believers).[194]
- Mahbuba Rahman, 91, Bangladeshi playback singer (Mukh O Mukhosh, The Day Shall Dawn).[195]
- 28
- DJ Dan, 57, American house music DJ and producer, heart attack.[196]
- Matt Krupanski, American drummer (BoySetsFire).[197]
- Marinella, 87, Greek pop singer.[198]
- 29
- Greg Elmore, 79, American drummer (Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Brogues).[199]
- Volodymyr Komarov, 62, Ukrainian musician.[200]
- David Riondino, 73, Italian singer-songwriter.[201]
- Williametta Spencer, 98, American composer and musicologist.[202]
- 30
- Carl Bonafede, 85, American music manager (The Buckinghams, Daughters of Eve) and musician.[203]
- Walt Maddox, 88, American singer (The Marcels).[204]
- Mykhailo Matsialko, 79, Ukrainian singer.[205]
- Christopher North, 75, American keyboardist (Ambrosia), throat cancer.[206]
- Tony Rivers, 85, English singer (Harmony Grass).[207]
- Michelangelo Zurletti, 89, Italian musicologist and essayist.[208]
- 31 - Bill Leader, 96, English record producer (Hearken to the Witches Rune) and engineer.[209]
April
- 1
- Kiril Ampov, 77, Bulgarian composer and pop singer.[210]
- Fuze, 46, Russian rapper (KREC), traffic collision.[211]
- Suki Lahav, 74, Israeli violinist (E Street Band), singer, and lyricist.[212]
- Dalia Nausheen, 71, Bangladeshi Nazrul Sangeet singer.[213]
- 2
- James Gadson, 86, American drummer (Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band) and session musician.[214]
- Bo Lueders, 38, American guitarist (Harm's Way).[215]
- Fernando Ríos Palacio, 87, Argentine singer.[216]
- 3
- Wojciech Morawski, 76, Polish drummer (Breakout).[217]
- Andrew Perry, 60, English music journalist (Select, Q, Mojo).[218]
- Fred Simon, 74, American singer (The Lost Generation, The Chi-Lites).[219] (death announced on this date)
- 4 - Sajida Obaed, 68, Iraqi folk singer.[220]
- 5
- Alvin L, 67, Brazilian singer-songwriter.[221]
- Donn Landee, 79, American record producer (5150) and recording engineer (Minute by Minute, 1984).[222] (death announced on this date)
- Albert Mazibuko, 77, South African choral singer (Ladysmith Black Mambazo).[223]
- David Wiffen, 84, English–Canadian folk singer-songwriter ("Driving Wheel").[224]
- 6
- Michail Belchev, 79, Bulgarian singer-songwriter.[225]
- Blondy, 66, American rapper (The Sequence) and songwriter ("Funk You Up").[226]
- Álvaro Cassuto, 87, Portuguese composer and conductor.[227]
- 9
- Afrika Bambaataa, 68, American DJ and rapper.[228]
- Björgvin Halldórsson, 74, Icelandic musician.[229]
- Ray Monette, 79, American musician (Rare Earth).[230]
- 10
- Dinah Christie, 83, Canadian singer and actress.[231]
- Harry Kim, 74, American trumpeter (The Phenix Horns).[232]
- 11
- Mike Westbrook, 90, English jazz pianist and composer.[233]
- Václav Hybš, 90, Czech musician, trumpeter and conductor.[234]
- 12 - Asha Bhosle, 92, Indian playback singer.[235]
- 13
- Moya Brennan, 73, Irish singer.[236]
- Patrick Campbell-Lyons, 82, Irish musician (Nirvana) and composer.[237]
- Al Gunn, Canadian bassist (Men Without Hats).[238]
- Magsud Mammadov, 96, Azerbaijani ballet dancer.[239]
- Mister Sam, 80, Argentine music producer (Gretchen).[240]
- Margret Nikolova, 97, Bulgarian pop singer.[241]
- Felipe Stait, 64, Argentine guitarist (Enanitos Verdes).[242]
- Donald K. Tarlton, 82, Canadian music producer and promoter.[243]
- 14 - Dan Wall, 72, American jazz keyboardist.[244]
- 15 - Lucha Moreno, 86, Mexican singer.[245]
- 16
- Oleg Maisenberg, 80, Ukrainian-born Austrian pianist.[246]
- Don Schlitz, 73, American songwriter ("The Gambler", "Forever and Ever, Amen", "When You Say Nothing at All").[247]
- Ernie Smith, 80, Jamaican reggae singer.[248]
- 19
- Dave Mason, 79, English Singer-Songwriter (Traffic)
- 20
- Alan Osmond, 76, American singer (The Osmonds).[249]
- 21
- Gregg Foreman, 53, American musician (The Delta 72).[250]