Grammy voting opened Monday and perhaps the biggest story from the submissions this year is the absence of PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson‘s “Stateside” remix in every category. The Top 10 hit, which went ultra-viral earlier in the year and topped pop radio, was heavily predicted by most pundits and audiences to score General Field nominations, and was positioned to be a front-runner in the pop or
dance field. “Stateside” also featured two recent first-time nominees in Larsson and PinkPantheress, and was aided by the big years each has had, as well as critical acclaim. But Gold Derby has confirmed it doesn’t appear on the nomination ballot, ruling it out of any nod — and therefore wins — for the next ceremony. Why?
First, a note on the eligibility. The original version of “Stateside” appeared on PinkPantheress’ mixtape Fancy That and was released as a single in April 2025, meaning it would have qualified for the 2026 Grammys. This incarnation of “Stateside” had modest success internationally, reaching No. 3 on the U.K. charts.
The remixed version was, per the Grammy guidelines, a distinct recording, thanks to the new vocals by both headliners and a reworking of its instrumentation. It arrived in September 2025, during the current eligibility period.
The new cut, technically titled “Stateside + Zara Larsson,” seemed primed to follow the same path as other submitted remixes, like Sabrina Carpenter’s “Please Please Please” remix with Dolly Parton, and live versions, like Leon Thomas’ nominated “Mutt (Live),” from the prior cycle. Even this year, alternate versions of hits originally released in earlier years compete on the ballot: this year, for Record of the Year, there’s Malcolm Todd’s “Earrings (Live)” and Dominic Fike’s “Babydoll (Live at Dick’s Den),” among others.
There has been some speculation that the song was not submitted properly. Grammy rules are dependant on how a song is documented during the entry process. Last year, the viral TikTok hit “Shake It to the Max (Fly)” was deemed ineligible for certain categories because it was specifically submitted as a remix. For Grammy consideration in the performance and songwriting categories, artists cannot submit a song explicitly as a “remix” (as in, have the word in the title); instead, they must enter it as an alternate version. That’s why, a few weeks ago, you might have noticed Tame Impala and Jennie’s “Dracula (Remix)” was renamed to “Dracula (with Jennie),” or why Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito,” Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage,” and Charli xcx’s “Guess” do not have the word “remix” in their official title despite being labeled as such on streaming services. If an artist enter the song with that label, it will get shifted to Best Remixed Recording, where it could be disqualified if it isn’t different enough from the original version per screening rules.
But that theory doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. As noted, the song’s title is “Stateside + Zara Larsson,” and it would be difficult to imagine the seasoned teams behind top-tier artists like PinkPantheress and Larsson would not be well versed enough on Grammy eligibility to avoid such a rookie mistake.
Further, if that had been the case, the song would’ve still been eligible for Best Music Video, since that category works independently of the song’s eligibility. For example, the Beatles won the category for the 2023 video of their 1966 album cut “I’m Only Sleeping.” So, assuming “Stateside” was submitted for Best Music Video as well, it should’ve been there. Last month, the video was up for five MTV VMAs, winning for Best Art Direction, proving its viability.
Considering all the circumstantial evidence, that leads us to the conclusion that PinkPantheress simply didn’t submit “Stateside” across the board. That would also explain its absence in the music categories as well as it not appearing on the ballot for music video.
PinkPantheress could have opted for her hit “Girl Like Me” and its viral music video; however, that also isn’t on the ballot. In fact, the British producer isn’t listed for any Grammy category, neither as a producer nor an artist, despite a significant amount of eligible material from both her 2025 Grammy-nominated
release Fancy That (since it lost, new singles from it would’ve been eligible, like how “Wildflower” by Billie Eilish was eligible and won a year after its album) and her remix album Fancy Some More? — not even in the Best Remixed Recording category.
We remain perplexed over why PinkPantheress would choose not to submit “Stateside.” Not only was it perceived as an easy front-runner for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, but the artist celebrated her nominations last year and attended the ceremony, so any animosity with the Recording Academy would seem out of the ordinary. There is a cadre of artists who have refused to submit due to various beefs with the Grammys — see: Drake, Morgan Wallen, and BTS — but their boycotts have come after years of constant snubs or perceived bias, which would not seem to be the case for PinkPantheress.
Regardless of the reason, it will be a shame that “Stateside” will not be celebrated at the 2027 Grammys. The song marked an important moment in pop music this year and solidified both artists as key forces in the zeitgeist.
On the flip side, Tame Impala’s team is probably very happy right now.
