Drake is once again keeping his distance from the Grammys, despite one of the biggest album years of his career. According to Billboard, none of his three 2026 releases — “ICEMAN,” “HABIBTI” or “MAID OF HONOUR” — were submitted for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards, even after the projects made history by occupying the top three spots on the Billboard 200.

Drake is sitting out another Grammy cycle in a major way. According to Billboard, none of the three albums he released in 2026 — “ICEMAN,” “HABIBTI” and “MAID OF HONOUR” — were submitted for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards, despite giving him one of the most commercially dominant years of his career.

The move is especially striking because these were not minor releases or side projects. The three albums formed the center of Drake’s 2026 music run and arrived together in May, creating a chart moment that had never happened before. “ICEMAN” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, while “HABIBTI” and “MAID OF HONOUR” followed directly behind it.

That gave Drake all three of the top positions on the Billboard 200 with three newly released albums at the same time. The achievement made him the first artist in the chart’s history to pull off that exact feat, adding another major record to a career already filled with unusual streaming and chart milestones.

“ICEMAN” became the biggest of the three projects and kept building momentum after its debut. The album also reached No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and went on to surpass Drake’s previous personal best on that ranking, which had belonged to “Take Care” with 12 weeks at the top.

With that kind of commercial performance, the absence of all three albums from the Grammy submission process immediately stands out. This is not a case where Drake entered the race and failed to receive nominations. According to Billboard, the process stopped before that point because the projects were never submitted for consideration in the first place.

There has not been a new public statement from Drake explaining why all three albums were left out. That distinction matters, because the decision has already triggered plenty of speculation. There is no confirmed statement saying that he skipped the Grammys because of a recent Recording Academy decision, his long-running frustration with the awards or his history with Kendrick Lamar.

There is, however, one clear clue inside “ICEMAN.” On the closing track, “Make Them Know,” Drake directly refers to his intention not to submit the album. That line now carries more weight because the Billboard report indicates that the same approach was ultimately extended to “HABIBTI” and “MAID OF HONOUR” as well.

The choice fits into a complicated history between Drake and the Grammys. He has stepped away from the process before, sometimes very publicly, while still returning in other years. His relationship with the awards has never followed one simple pattern, which makes the 2027 cycle feel like another deliberate pause rather than a permanent break.

Back in 2018, Drake kept “More Life” out of Grammy consideration. He later withdrew submissions connected to “Certified Lover Boy” and “Honestly, Nevermind,” showing that he has been willing to remove his biggest projects from the awards conversation even when they were commercially successful.

At the same time, he has not rejected the Grammys every year. “Her Loss,” his joint album with 21 Savage, was submitted for the 2024 ceremony and received a nomination for Best Rap Album. It ultimately lost to Killer Mike’s “Michael,” proving that Drake has continued to take part when he chooses to.

That history makes the current decision more interesting than a simple boycott headline. Drake has not followed a straight line of refusing to participate. Instead, he has moved in and out of the Grammy system depending on the project and the moment, which makes the absence of all three 2026 albums feel more intentional.

The timing also adds another layer. “ICEMAN,” “HABIBTI” and “MAID OF HONOUR” are the first major solo releases from Drake after his highly publicized 2024 feud with Kendrick Lamar. They arrived during a period when his music, image and place in rap culture were under even more attention than usual.

Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” one of the defining songs of that feud, won five Grammys in 2025. The song remains closely tied to the public battle between the two artists, but there is no evidence that its Grammy success directly caused Drake to keep his latest albums out of the 2027 race.

The same caution applies to Drake’s ongoing legal dispute with Universal Music Group. He has challenged the company over the promotion of “Not Like Us,” arguing that the track contained lyrics he considered defamatory. His original case was dismissed by a federal judge, and his legal team has continued with an appeal.

Oral arguments in that appeal are scheduled for December, but there is no confirmed link between the case and the Grammy decision. The legal battle is part of the wider context surrounding Drake, but it should not be treated as the official reason behind the absence of his three albums.

What is certain is that Drake is choosing not to compete in a year when he had unusually strong commercial momentum. His 2026 chart performance gave him a clear path into several major categories, at least on paper, and yet none of the three albums will be part of the official Grammy consideration process.

The Billboard 200 achievement alone made this year different. Taking the top three spots at the same time with three new releases was not simply a strong sales week. It created a new chart record and gave Drake one of the clearest examples yet of the size of his audience in the United States.

“ICEMAN” also pushed his personal Billboard 200 history even further. The album became his 15th No. 1 on the chart, putting him level with Taylor Swift at that point among solo artists with the most chart-topping albums. It also brought his total number of top 10 albums to 20.

That kind of success makes the Grammy absence impossible to ignore. Drake is not leaving an overlooked project outside the race. He is keeping three albums out after they collectively dominated the biggest album chart in the country and added several new milestones to his career.

It is also important to separate submission from nomination. The three albums were not rejected by Grammy voters. They never reached that stage. By not being submitted, “ICEMAN,” “HABIBTI” and “MAID OF HONOUR” are automatically removed from consideration in the relevant album categories for the 2027 ceremony.

That means one of Drake’s biggest recording years will pass through the Grammys without its three central projects appearing in the field. The awards may still feature other work connected to him depending on eligibility and submissions, but the albums themselves will not be competing.

The choice also adds another chapter to his long-running tension with the institution. Drake has questioned the Grammys in the past and has often seemed more interested in chart performance, streaming numbers and audience response than in traditional industry recognition.

Still, the most useful way to read the current situation is to stay with the confirmed facts. Billboard reports that none of the three albums were entered. Drake has not issued a new public explanation covering all three projects, and there is no verified evidence tying the decision directly to Kendrick Lamar, UMG or one specific grievance with the Recording Academy.

The line in “Make Them Know” shows that at least “ICEMAN” was already intended to stay out. What the new report adds is the wider picture: the same approach appears to have been applied to all three albums from his record-breaking 2026 run.

So one of the most commercially powerful years of Drake’s career is heading toward the 2027 Grammys without “ICEMAN,” “HABIBTI” or “MAID OF HONOUR” in the race. The reasons may remain open to interpretation, but the outcome is clear: three major albums, three top Billboard positions and no Grammy submissions.