Bruce Springsteen’s Politically-Charged Bestseller May Be Headed To The Grammys

Aug 21, 2026 09:15 PM - 1 day ago 2
Photo of Bruce SPRINGSTEEN

Bruce Springsteen's "Streets of Minneapolis" whitethorn beryllium a existent contender for a Best Rock Song Grammy information — a section the rocker knows very well. UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 11: REDBANK Photo of Bruce SPRINGSTEEN, Bruce Springsteen performing connected shape - Born to Run Tour, 27 (Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns)

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Throughout some of Donald Trump’s position successful office, galore well-known figures successful the intermezo manufacture person spoken retired against him. That includes Bruce Springsteen, 1 of the politician’s astir vocal opponents successful the stone world.

Springsteen is, of course, a philharmonic fable and Grammy champion, having won 20 awards from much than 50 nominations. He does not look astatine the ceremonial arsenic often arsenic he utilized to, though, and it has been much than a decade since he won immoderate prize. While Springsteen continues to grounds and merchandise caller music, overmuch of it has been passed complete by the Recording Academy successful favour of newer, younger acts. That could alteration this year.

Springsteen returned successful January pinch “Streets of Minneapolis,” his first caller azygous successful years. The protestation opus is meant to reason U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known arsenic ICE, and radiance a ray connected the organization’s killings of respective people, including American citizens.

“Streets of Minneapolis” was only a insignificant commercialized deed successful America, but its powerfulness and the issues it taps into whitethorn beryllium capable to bring Springsteen backmost to respective Grammy categories he has not visited successful years.

Bruce Springsteen Could Return to Best Rock Song

“Streets of Minneapolis” seems for illustration a cleanable fresh for a fistful of stone fields astatine the Grammys. Perhaps its strongest changeable astatine a information is successful the Best Rock Song vertical, which is presented solely to songwriters.

More than possibly immoderate of his different accomplishments, Springsteen is known arsenic a awesome songwriter. Grammy voters person been consenting to grant politically applicable compositions successful the past, and they whitethorn take to do truthful again for the Boss.

INDIO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 19: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Musician Dave Grohl, founding personnel of Nirvana and The Foo Fighters, performs onstage arsenic a typical impermanent pinch the Los Angeles Philharmonic during play 2, time 2 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival connected April 19, 2025 successful Indio, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Coachella)

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Springsteen has won Best Rock Song 4 times. He is tied pinch Dave Grohl and Pat Smear arsenic the winningest songwriter successful the history of the category. The Boss besides claims a milestone 10 nominations successful the field, and he is the first creator to scope that figure.

Bruce Springsteen Hasn’t Competed successful More Than a Decade

While Springsteen whitethorn declare the astir wins successful Best Rock Song, he has not been nominated successful the class successful much than a decade. The past clip he appeared successful the section was backmost successful 2013 pinch “We Take Care of Our Own,” 1 of his 4 champions.

Springsteen besides won the prize pinch “Streets of Philadelphia,” from the movie Philadelphia – which happens to astir stock a title pinch “Streets of Minneapolis.” He besides claimed the grant pinch “The Rising” and “Radio Nowhere” arsenic well.

Bruce Springsteen May Earn a Best Rock Performance Nod

“Streets of Minneapolis” could besides beryllium nominated for Best Rock Performance, which honors the creator performing a signaling alternatively than specifically recognizing its songwriters. The existent grant is fundamentally a operation of respective older Grammy categories, including fields that erstwhile separated solo artists and groups and honored instrumental performances independently.

Springsteen has only been nominated erstwhile since the Best Rock Performance class took its existent form. “We Take Care of Our Own” competed astatine the 2013 ceremony, but mislaid to “Lonely Boy” by The Black Keys. “Streets of Minneapolis” could bring him backmost to the section for the first clip successful much than a decade.

Bruce Springsteen Could Also Return to Song of the Year

While it seems for illustration much of a agelong shot, “Streets of Minneapolis” could besides upwind up among the fortunate nominees for Song of the Year. Like Best Rock Song, the prize is handed to songwriters, but it is not circumstantial to immoderate 1 style of euphony – which makes it moreover much competitive.

“Streets of Minneapolis” was not a monolithic commercialized success, which whitethorn wounded its chances successful specified a engaged arena, but Grammy voters whitethorn take to admit Springsteen’s anti-Trump and anti-violence message. A information would springiness Springsteen his 4th profession quality successful the Song of the Year tier, and his first successful much than 20 years.

The rocker won connected his first sojourn to the class pinch “Streets of Philadelphia” successful 1995. He returned successful 2003 pinch “The Rising” and past again 3 years later pinch “Devils & Dust,” though neither of those compositions were named the champion.

Record of the Year Seems Like a Longer Shot

There are different categories wherever “Streets of Minneapolis” will apt beryllium submitted, and though it is eligible, the way apt faces a very reliable battle, and nods are harder to predict.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 14: Bruce Springsteen performs during the first nighttime of his 'The Land of Hopes and Dreams' circuit astatine Co-op Live connected May 14, 2025 successful Manchester, England. (Photo by Shirlaine Forrest/Getty Images)

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Record of the Year is 1 possibility, but that seems for illustration a existent agelong shot. The grant often includes immoderate of the biggest commercialized hits of the eligibility period, and “Streets of Minneapolis” did not execute for illustration 1 of Springsteen’s astir successful singles. The way did scope No. 1 connected Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart, proving that fans were consenting to acquisition the protestation tune… but it missed the Billboard Hot 100 entirely.

Springsteen’s history pinch Grammy voters and his wide likeability, the governmental weight and the connection of “Streets of Minneapolis” and his bonzer way grounds arsenic a songwriter could beryllium capable to bring the stone fable backmost to music’s biggest nighttime aft years mostly distant from the competition.

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