After four decades away from the Grammy conversation, Candi Staton has returned to the ballot. The 85 year-old singer has received her fifth nomination for Back to My Roots, marking her first Grammy nod in 40 years and placing her once again beside some of gospel and roots music’s most established names. The album is nominated for Best Roots Gospel Album at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, scheduled for February 1, 2026, in Los Angeles.
Back to My Roots is Staton’s 32nd album and arrives late in a career that has moved fluidly among gospel, soul, R&B, dance, and Americana. Recorded with her British band as well as longtime collaborators, the project revisits material that reflects her formative years, including traditional gospel songs, spiritually themed originals, and select covers. Several tracks draw directly from lived experience, including “1963,” Staton’s recollection of the Birmingham church bombing, and “I Missed the Target Again,” written in the aftermath of her recent divorce. Her older sister, Maggie Staton Peebles, appears on two songs.
Staton’s last Grammy nomination came in the mid-1980s alongside Shirley Caesar, Tramaine Hawkins, Albertina Walker, and Deniece Williams. Since then, she has continued to work steadily, often outside the mainstream spotlight, building a later career catalog rooted in Southern soul and Americana traditions. This latest acknowledgment positions Back to My Roots as a career milestone that closes a 40-year gap while underscoring the endurance of a unique voice that carries gospel, history, and survival.
Libra Nicole Boyd, PhD is a musician, award-winning author, gospel music aficionado, and the founder and editor of Gospel Music Fever™. Her commitment to journalistic integrity includes bringing you reliable gospel music content that uplifts and advances the art form. Libra is presently working on several scholarly projects about gospel music in the media as well as gospel music in social movements.