After a Self-Nomination, Could iShowSpeed Be a Surprise Grammy Winner?
Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. has nominated himself in several Grammy categories, and fans are speculating whether the wildcard entrant has a chance of winning against more established artists.
2026 is a major year for iShowSpeed, as the YouTuber ended 2025 with his Africa IRL tour ongoing, then toured the Caribbean, and ultimately did FIFA World Cup livestreams. He partnered with FIFA, YouTube, and Fox, and performed at the World Cup. If that isn’t enough, the YouTuber was also featured in Forbes, Complex, and other major publications. iShowSpeed is showing no signs of slowing down, as he is reportedly now nominated for multiple 2027 Grammy categories.
iShowSpeed self-nominated himself as a wildcard in multiple categories
Speed has reportedly submitted himself for Best New Artist and his 2026 FIFA World Cup song, Champions, for four categories at the 2027 Grammy Awards, which take place on February 7. The IRL YouTuber’s Champions is nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Global Music Performance, and Best Music Video. For reference, Champions was an unofficial music video that Speed uploaded, but FIFA ultimately added it to the 2026 World Cup’s official album.
This is no small feat, as FIFA already had 18 tracks featuring international and established artists on the album. iShowSpeed’s Champion music video went so viral that it crossed 125 million views on YouTube. This could explain why FIFA embraced the hit and why he could still be an outside shout for one of music’s biggest awards.
iShowSpeed also became the first streamer to perform at the FIFA World Cup, where the YouTuber performed Champions for the closing ceremony. These elements combined, particularly FIFA recognizing iShowSpeed, indicate that the YouTuber has expanded into an international music artist in his own right.
Grammy prediction markets favor more established artists
Leading prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket both have traders purchasing contracts for various Grammy categories. The Best New Artist in both Kalshi and Polymarket largely favors Ella Langley. Olivia Rodrigo is one of the favorites for Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year on both Kalshi and Polymarket. It’s worth noting that iShowSpeed isn’t a contender on the Grammy prediction markets at the time of writing.
One of the biggest accolades will the for “Song of the Year” and traders are currently backing “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” by Raye, with the hit currently displaying 95% implied probability, though Taylor Swift is not far behind and this is likely to fluctuate massively before February — especially if Speed joins the race.
Image credit: Kalshi
Indeed, as yet there is no official confirmation that the YouTuber is even in the race. Even now, the reports are unverified, and it’s unclear whether Speed met the August cut-off date to nominate himself for Grammy 2027. Still, it is possible that these reports may lead to Speed being featured in the prediction markets closer to the time.
☑️ My Take: iShowSpeed would be a memorable wildcard
The Best New Artist category may be the closest one that Speed could potentially come out on top at. This is because of his breakthrough at the 2026 FIFA World Cup closing ceremony, and his Champions song gaining massive exposure. However, popularity and virality aren’t the only metrics that voters use when voting
There are a significant number of established artists favored for the 2027 Grammy nominations, and Speed has a tough task of winning in any of the categories he is apparently nominated in. More important context is that the categories that Champions is nominated for each have different criteria for a winner. All this said, iShowSpeed may still be one of the best wildcards who could win a Grammy at the 2027 event and it would clearly be the highlight of his career.
Feature image credit: iShowSpeed
Khizar Mundia has been playing video games for as long as he can recall. Things have come a long way since the many days he spent playing the original NES, though. He now covers a variety of competitive games and esports, as well as the world of streaming, ranging from Twitch to Kick. If it’s of interest to gamers, it’s of interest to Khizar.
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