How did Billie Eilish’s 2024 song Wildflower win Song of the Year at the 2026 Grammys? Fans cry foul as she makes Grammy history

The 2026 Grammys were a total pop culture fever dream, from Justin Bieber's return to Billie Eilish's deserving win. But to really get why Billie's win hit the way it did, we need a quick rewind. Back in 2025, fans cried robbery after Billie walked away empty-handed, despite Hit Me Hard and Soft being widely tipped for Album of the Year. Instead, Beyoncé made history with her first-ever AOTY win for Cowboy Carter, while a visibly emotional Billie became the internet’s main character of the night.

Fast-forward to 2026, and Wildflower from Hit Me Hard and Soft just snagged Song of the Year, beating out fan favourites like Anxiety, APT, Manchild, and Golden. But naturally, the pop enthusiasts had questions: how did a 2024 song even qualify this year? Let’s unpack the Grammy math.

At the 2026 Grammys, Billie Eilish's Wildflower took home Song of the Year, and yes, the crowd went wild. The 23-year-old looked genuinely shocked, eyes wide and mouth agape, as her name was announced, clutching her award while practically vibrating with excitement. She beat out a seriously stacked lineup including Bad Bunny (DTMF), Doechii (Anxiety), Sabrina Carpenter (Manchild), HUNTR/X (Golden), Lady Gaga (Abracadabra), and Kendrick Lamar & SZA (Luther). Onstage with her brother and co-writer Finneas, Billie thanked her fellow nominees, dropped a quick political callout, “no one is illegal on stolen land,” and reminded everyone why she’s the queen of both pop and subtle activism.



Billie's wild win for Wildflower at the 2026 Grammys stirred plenty of chatter, but it was technically eligible under Grammy rules. Although Wildflower first appeared on her 2024 album Hit Me Hard and Soft, it wasn’t released as an official single until February 2025, which fell squarely within the Recording Academy’s eligibility window for the 2026 Awards (Aug. 31, 2024–Aug. 30, 2025), and because the album didn’t win any major trophies in 2025, that allowed the track to compete again this year.

Many fans on social media have cried foul, calling it a “loophole” or unfair that a song widely heard in 2024 could win in 2026, arguing it gave Billie an edge over peers with singles strictly released during the current ballot year. Despite the song being fully eligible, the online backlash has continued, with debates flooding X and Reddit as fans question the Grammy rules and fairness.