Nearly five decades after first forming in Crawley, The Recording Academy has finally given The Cure the recognition they deserve. On February 1, 2026, at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, the band won two Grammys — Best Alternative Music Performance for “Alone” and Best Alternative Music Album for Songs Of A Lost World — the first Grammys of their career.
Both awards were presented during the Premiere Ceremony, the pre-broadcast portion of the show in which most genre categories are announced.
When their name was called, The Cure were thousands of miles away. Multiple outlets report that the band did not attend the ceremony because they were in England for the funeral of guitarist and keyboardist Perry Archangelo Bamonte, who died at home on December 24th, 2025, after a short illness, aged 65.
Bamonte, originally part of the band’s crew in the 1980s, became a full member in 1990, playing on Wish, Wild Mood Swings, and Bloodflowers, and later rejoined for the Shows of a Lost World tour in 2022–24.
In their absence, a prepared message from Robert Smith was read on stage by presenter Jesse Welles, thanking the Recording Academy, the team behind Songs Of A Lost World, and the fans who supported the recent tours. The note closed with Smith’s line: “Without you, none of this would be possible.”
Until this year, The Cure’s relationship with the Grammys was strictly limited to nominations. The band had been shortlisted twice before 2026, both times in Best Alternative Music Album: first for 1992’s Wish at the 35th Grammys in 1993, then for 2000’s Bloodflowers at the 43rd Grammys in 2001.
On both occasions, they lost out to Tom Waits’ Bone Machine and Radiohead’s Kid A, respectively — and then went more than two decades without another nod.
That changed with Songs Of A Lost World. Released in 2024 as the band’s 14th studio album and their first new full-length since 2008, it earned nominations in both Best Alternative Music Album and Best Alternative Music Performance for lead single “Alone.”
The Grammy wins arrive alongside another milestone: “Boys Don’t Cry” has officially joined Spotify’s Billions Club, becoming The Cure’s first track to surpass one billion streams on the platform.
Originally released as a standalone single in 1979 and later the title track of the US compilation Boys Don’t Cry, the song has long been one of the band’s most recognisable releases. It was remixed and reissued in 1986 as “Boys Don’t Cry (New Voice – New Mix),” which pushed it to broader international success.
To mark the streaming milestone, Rhino/Elektra and Fiction/Polydor have announced a limited-edition EP campaign:
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Remastered “Boys Don’t Cry (86 Mix)” available digitally for the first time,
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New 12″ and 7″ vinyl editions, plus CD and digital bundles,
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B-sides, including “Plastic Passion,” “Pillbox Tales,” and “Do The Hansa,” all remastered by Matt Colton.
Grammys or not, The Cure’s 2026 calendar was already packed. As previously outlined on their official site and in recent tour announcements, the band will spend June to August 2026 moving through a dense run of European festivals and open-air headline shows.
These shows follow last year’s confirmation that The Cure have already recorded 13 new songs at Rockfield Studios for a follow-up to Songs Of A Lost World, and the release of the Show Of A Lost World concert film.
The Cure UK & Europe, Summer 2026:
- Primavera Sound Barcelona (June 3–7, 2026): passes via primaverasound.com
- North Festival (June 5–7, 2026, Maia/Porto): passes via northmusicfestival.com
- Nova Rock (June 11–14, 2026, Nickelsdorf): passes via novarock.at
- Firenze Rocks (June 12–14, 2026, Florence): passes via firenzerocks.it
- Isle of Wight Festival (June 18–21, 2026, Newport): passes via isleofwightfestival.com
- Pinkpop (June 19–21, 2026, Landgraaf): passes via pinkpop.nl
- Cardiff, Blackweir Fields (June 24, 2026): with The Twilight Sad & The Joy Formidable — tickets via the band’s official shows page
- Dublin, Marlay Park (June 26, 2026): with The Twilight Sad, Just Mustard & Stella and the Dreaming — tickets via Ticketmaster Ireland — SOLD OUT
- Belfast, Belsonic (Ormeau Park) (June 28, 2026): with The Twilight Sad & Just Mustard — tickets via Ticketmaster Ireland
- Roskilde Festival (June 27–July 4, 2026, Roskilde): passes via roskilde-festival.dk
- Open’er Festival (July 1–4, 2026, Gdynia): passes via opener.pl
- Rock Werchter (July 2–5, 2026, Werchter): day tickets via rockwerchter.be
- Pohoda Festival (July 8–11, 2026, Trenčín): passes via pohodafestival.sk
- Berlin, Wuhlheide (July 10–12, 2026): three headline nights — details via the band’s official shows page — ALL DATES SOLD OUT
- EJEKT Festival (July 14–15, 2026, Athens): The Cure headline July 15 — tickets via ejekt.gr
- Electric Castle (July 16–19, 2026, Bonțida/Cluj): passes via electriccastle.ro
- Phill Good Festival (July 17–19, 2026, Plovdiv): passes via phillgood.ink
- Festival de Nîmes (July 24–26, 2026, Nîmes): three arena shows — tickets via festivaldenimes.com — July 24 & 25 SOLD OUT
- Øyafestivalen (August 12, 2026, Oslo): tickets via Øya / See Tickets
- Way Out West (August 13–15, 2026, Gothenburg): passes via wayoutwest.se
- Manchester, Wythenshawe Park (August 21, 2026): with Slowdive & The Slow Readers Club — tickets via Ticketmaster UK — SOLD OUT
- Edinburgh Summer Sessions (August 23, 2026, Royal Highland Showgrounds): with Mogwai, Slowdive & Just Mustard — tickets via Ticketmaster UK — SOLD OUT
- Rock en Seine (August 26–30, 2026, Paris): The Cure headline Sunday Aug 30 — passes via rockenseine.com
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