Turnstile Takes Home Grammys
Turnstile’s Big Night: Hardcore Takes the Grammy Stage
The 2026 Grammys will be remembered as the night a “tiny little hardcore band out of Baltimore” officially took over the world. In our latest episode of The Album of Record, we broke down Turnstile’s massive wins for Best Metal Performance (for “Birds”) and Best Rock Album (for Never Enough).
For long-time fans, seeing Turnstile on that stage felt like a cultural shift. Andrew noted the significance of their journey, saying, “To see where they’ve gone has just been such a joy for me to follow... I was talking about it all the way back when Time and Space came out. I was like, ‘this band’s got potential to get big’.”
The “Hardcore” Debate
While some gatekeepers might argue that Turnstile has moved away from their roots, we aren’t buying it. Even with the “production magic” and experimental textures on Never Enough, the heart of the band remains the same.
“I can listen to anybody who wants to argue that Never Enough is not a hardcore album. I can accept that argument... but the elements of what hardcore is are everywhere in this band,” Andrew argued. Craig was even more direct about the band’s growth: “They’re translating a very worthy art form to a wider audience that might not listen to it... if this makes the next hardcore band that would have only had 500 fans have 10,000 fans and be able to make a living, then I’m cool with it.”
Why It Matters
Whether it was “Birds” beating out heavy hitters like Sleep Token and Spirit Box, or Never Enough taking the Best Rock Album title over legends like Deftones, the message was clear. Turnstile isn’t just a “crossover” act; they are, as Andrew put it, “the most important band in rock music today.”
As Craig summed it up, “I’m tired of giving space for people to just be a-holes... you can be wrong and say ‘I don’t like it personally,’ but if you’re trying to keep other people from enjoying it, I’m done giving oxygen to stuff like that.”
Turnstile has kicked the doors down, and we can’t wait to see who follows them through.