The real reason Ariana Grande hasn't attended the Grammys in years.

As music's biggest names gathered for the 2025 Grammy Awards, one A-List nominee was conspicuously absent: Ariana Grande.

Despite being nominated for best pop duo/group performance for 'The Boy Is Mine' with Brandy and Monica, best pop vocal album for 'Eternal Sunshine', and best dance pop recording for 'Yes, And?', Grande was nowhere to be seen at the ceremony, even as her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo took to the stage to pay tribute to Quincy Jones in a performance alongside Lainey Wilson, Jacob Collier, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock and Janelle Monáe. And while Grande's been everywhere lately promoting Wicked, her Grammy absence didn't exactly surprise fans. In fact, she hasn't attended the ceremony since 2020, when she stunned in a grey Giambattista Valli tulle gown.

Watch Ariana Grande's Glambot for 2020 Grammys. Article continues after video.

But why has Grande seemingly boycotted the Grammys since then?

While Grande herself has kept quiet about her reasons for skipping music's night of nights, there are two theories that explain her complicated relationship with the Recording Academy.

The Mac Miller incident.

In 2019, Grande wasn't just upset about the Grammys — she was furious. After the Recording Academy flew Mac Miller's family to Los Angeles to attend the show — only to watch him lose the posthumous award for Best Rap Album to Cardi B — Grande took to Twitter to express her rage.

"F***," she tweeted at the time. "Trash," she continued, and "literal bulls***."

After some speculated that she was angry about Cardi B's win, Grande clarified that it had "nothing to do with her", rather the situation with Miller's family.

Miller, Grande's ex-boyfriend, had passed away just months earlier, making the situation particularly painful for both his family and Grande. The fact that the Grammys seemed to use his family's grief for ratings didn't sit well with many fans.

"This. this is what i meant," she responded to a tweet explaining that Miller's family was invited to the ceremony only to watch him lose.

Ariana Grande dated Mac Miller from 2016 to 2018. Image: Getty.

"Karen was gonna have a green suit made," she said, referring to Miller's mother, Karen Meyers.

"THEY INVITED HIS PARENTS OUT. NO," she said in another now-deleted tweet.

While she did attend the following year in 2020, she hasn't been back since.

Miller and Grande performed together during her One Love Manchester Benefit Concert. Image: Getty.

Her multiple snubs.

Then there's what fans call 'the snub situation'.

Despite being one of pop music's most successful artists, Grande's Grammy recognition has often felt... lacking. Her devoted fanbase was particularly vocal about this year's nominations, arguing that she deserved more recognition for her latest album, 'Eternal Sunshine'.

Ariana Grande last attended the Grammys in 2020. Image: Getty.

It's a pattern her fans have noticed before. Despite having multiple number-one albums and breaking several records, Grande's Grammy wins don't quite reflect her impact on pop music. She's won just two Grammys out of her 18 nominations — a statistic that has prompted her fanbase to question the academy's choices.

Looking at the track record, it makes perfect sense that Grande would rather spend Grammy night literally anywhere else — even if that means missing the chance to serve another iconic red carpet moment.

And given she's just been nominated for an Oscar, we doubt she's sweating it.

Feature Image: Getty.