This year, Drake is poised to make another run for the 2022 Grammys. Even though it’s been a year or so since we’ve seen the Canadian rapper on the Grammy list, there was a time when he’d put out a new project every year—and each time he did, he’d get nominated for a few of the prestigious awards. He’s received numerous awards and accolades over the years, but nothing is bigger than a Grammy nod. Naturally, the “Way 2 Sexy” rapper has been a consistent nominee and has even won a few gold statues. But how many does he have so far?
Since 2009, Drake’s singles have managed to pull in at least a few nominations every year. According to the Recording Academy for Grammy Awards, Drake began receiving recognition for his music at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, with nominations for Best Rap Solo Performance and Rap Song for his 2009 debut single, “Best I Ever Had.”
He would also earn nominations the following year at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Rap Performance for “Moment 4 Life” with Nicki Minaj, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for his contribution to DJ Khaled’s “I’m On One,” and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for “What’s My Name.”
It wouldn’t be until the 55th Annual Grammy Awards that Drake would take home his first Grammy for Best Rap Album with his sophomore album, Take Care. He would also earn nominations for Best Rap Performance with the album’s second single, “HYFR” (Hell Yeah, F***ing Right), and Best Rap Song for “The Motto,” with fellow Young Money artists Tyga and Lil Wayne.
He would continue to earn Grammy nominations for the next three years with the singles “Started From the Bottom,” “Nothing Was the Same,” ”0 to 100/The Catch-Up,” “Back to Back,” and his commercial mixtape, “If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late,” but wouldn’t actually win again until 2016 when he released his fourth studio album, Views, and the smash hit “Hotline Bling.” Again, he would be nominated for both the album and single at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, snagging awards for Best Rap/Sung Performance and Best Rap Song for “Hotline Bling.”
He would then return two years later with his fifth studio album, Scorpion, in 2018. He would receive numerous Grammy nods for his work on Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode” in addition to his singles “Nice For What” and “God’s Plan.“ Nominated for Record and Album of The Year, “God’s Plan” would end up earning him his fourth Grammy in the Best Rap Song category.
Although Drake has been working for the last two years, releasing singles like “No Guidance” with Chris Brown and the 2020 summer smash “Laugh Now Cry Later” with Lil Durk, the OVO captain has not won any Grammys for his recent music.
Over the course of his decade-long career, he’s managed to win four Grammys total, but now that Certified Loverboy is making waves on all streaming platforms, there’s a good chance that a few of his latest songs—including “Way 2 Sexy” with Future and Young Thug—may help him win a few Grammys in 2022. And with the album’s fresh release and the Grammys still months away, Drake may have just enough time to gain the necessary momentum to shoot his shot.