Grammy Nominations 2026 Full List Out: Kendrick Lamar Dominates with Nine Nods as Hip-Hop Takes Center Stage

The Recording Academy unveiled the Grammy Nominations 2026 on Friday morning, November 7, revealing Kendrick Lamar as the most-nominated artist with nine nods across major categories including album, record, and song of the year. Following his historic sweep at the 2025 ceremony where he won more awards than any other artist, the Los Angeles rapper continues his dominance with recognition for his blockbuster album “GNX” and the critically acclaimed single “luther” featuring SZA, bringing his career nomination total to an impressive 66 with 22 wins.

The Top Nominees Breakdown

Lady Gaga emerged as the second most-nominated artist with seven nods, marking her biggest Grammy year since “Chromatica” and her first simultaneous nominations in the Big Three categories since 2010. Her album “MAYHEM” and lead single “Abracadabra” positioned her for a potentially career-defining night at the ceremony scheduled for February 1, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Artist	Total Nominations	Major Categories	Notable Work
Kendrick Lamar	9	Album, Record, Song of the Year	“GNX” album, “luther” with SZA
Lady Gaga	7	Album, Record, Song of the Year	“MAYHEM” album, “Abracadabra”
Jack Antonoff	7	Producer of the Year	Work with Lamar, Carpenter
Cirkut	7	Producer of the Year	Lady Gaga’s “MAYHEM”
Bad Bunny	6	Album, Record, Song of the Year	“DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS”
Sabrina Carpenter	6	Album, Record, Song of the Year	“Man’s Best Friend,” “Manchild”
Leon Thomas	6	Album of the Year, Best New Artist	“MUTT” album

Producers Jack Antonoff and Canadian songwriter Cirkut tied with seven nominations each, with Antonoff recognized for his extensive work with both Lamar and Sabrina Carpenter, while Cirkut co-produced Lady Gaga’s ambitious “MAYHEM” project. Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, Leon Thomas, and mixing engineer Serban Ghenea all secured six nominations during the livestream announcement.

Record of the Year: A Genre-Blending Battlefield

The record of the year category showcases the Grammy’s increasingly diverse nomination landscape, featuring a compelling mix of hip-hop, pop, Latin music, and K-pop that reflects the global nature of contemporary music consumption.

Record of the Year Nominees

Song	Artist(s)	Genre	Significance
“DtMF”	Bad Bunny	Reggaeton/Latin	Latin music representation
“Manchild”	Sabrina Carpenter	Pop	Rising pop star’s breakthrough
“Anxiety”	Doechii	Hip-Hop	Female rap representation
“Wildflower”	Billie Eilish	Alternative Pop	Established artist return
“Abracadabra”	Lady Gaga	Pop	Gaga’s comeback single
“luther”	Kendrick Lamar with SZA	Hip-Hop/R&B	Collaboration powerhouse
“The Subway”	Chappell Roan	Indie Pop	Breakthrough artist
“APT.”	ROSÉ & Bruno Mars	K-Pop/Pop	Historic K-pop nomination

ROSÉ’s nomination alongside Bruno Mars for “APT.” represents a groundbreaking moment as she becomes the first K-pop artist ever nominated in the record of the year category. The BLACKPINK member’s recognition signals the Grammy’s growing acknowledgment of Korean and international artists beyond designated genre categories.

Album of the Year: The Ultimate Prize

Four artists—Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, and Sabrina Carpenter—find themselves competing across all three major categories, positioning them for potential sweeps that could define their careers. This marks Lamar’s third time receiving simultaneous nominations in the Big Three categories, while for Gaga, it’s her fifth album of the year nomination without a win in that category.

The album of the year field presents remarkable diversity: Bad Bunny’s “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” Justin Bieber’s “SWAG,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Man’s Best Friend,” hip-hop veterans Clipse with “Let God Sort Em Out,” Lady Gaga’s “MAYHEM,” Kendrick Lamar’s “GNX,” Leon Thomas’s “MUTT,” and Tyler, The Creator’s “CHROMAKOPIA.” This lineup mixes blockbuster pop with auteur rap, veteran duo reunions, and rising-star heat.

Bad Bunny Makes History

Bad Bunny scores six nods and makes history as the first Spanish-language artist to land nominations in the top three categories, marking a significant milestone for Latin music representation at the Grammy Awards. The Puerto Rican superstar, who will perform the halftime show at the 2026 Super Bowl, previously faced shut-outs from major categories despite his commercial dominance. A fresh influx of voters with dual voting rights for both the Grammys and Latin Grammys has shifted the landscape, making such historical overlooking less likely.

His recognition across album, record, and song of the year categories represents validation that Spanish-language music no longer needs to be relegated solely to Latin Grammy consideration. This breakthrough could pave the way for future Latin artists to compete on equal footing in all-genre categories.

Hip-Hop’s Commanding Presence

Beyond Lamar’s nine nominations, hip-hop artists dominated multiple categories. Doechii, Clipse, and Tyler, The Creator each tied for five nominations, demonstrating the genre’s depth beyond its biggest star. The best rap album category features compelling competition between Clipse’s “Let God Sort Em Out,” GloRilla’s “GLORIOUS,” JID’s “God Does Like Ugly,” Kendrick Lamar’s “GNX,” and Tyler, The Creator’s “CHROMAKOPIA.”

Lamar’s dominance signals a broader shift within the Grammy Awards—hip-hop, once confined to genre categories, now commands the center stage. His ability to secure nominations across general field categories while also sweeping rap-specific awards demonstrates both his artistic versatility and the genre’s ascendance within mainstream music culture. Drake also secured a nomination for his collaboration “Somebody Loves Me” with PartyNextDoor in the best melodic rap performance category.

The Surprising Snubs

Despite the success of Role Model’s chart-topping single “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” and Lorde’s critically acclaimed summer album “Virgin,” both artists were completely shut out from nominations. Producer Jack Antonoff’s exclusion from the producer of the year category raised eyebrows despite his work on several nominated projects, though he still received seven total nominations for specific productions.

The Weeknd suffered perhaps the most talked-about snub, receiving zero nominations despite submitting his album “Hurry Up Tomorrow” in over a dozen categories. After his 2020 fallout with the Recording Academy—when he called the Grammys “corrupt”—it looks like the bad blood still lingers. His complete exclusion, particularly given the album’s commercial performance, sparked immediate debate about whether personal conflicts with the Recording Academy influenced voting outcomes.

Taylor Swift’s most recent release, “The Life of a Showgirl,” could not qualify for consideration as it released on October 3, falling outside the eligibility window that ran from August 31, 2024, to August 30, 2025. Country music also faced notable underrepresentation, with no nominations in any of the four all-genre categories despite strong contenders like Megan Moroney, Ella Langley, and Zach Top who had been considered frontrunners for best new artist.

K-Pop’s Historic Breakthrough

Continuing its glory run, the animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” found favor with Grammy voters with its showstopper “Golden” picking up four nods, including Song of the Year. This recognition, combined with ROSÉ’s record of the year nomination, signals the Grammy’s growing embrace of Korean musical talent beyond novelty or niche appeal.

The nominations demonstrate that K-pop has transcended its status as a regional phenomenon to become a legitimate force in global popular music. KATSEYE, the K-pop group mentioned among rising stars, highlights the Grammy’s shift toward global talent and young voices that reflect contemporary music consumption patterns shaped by streaming platforms and social media.

New Categories Debut

The 68th annual Grammy Awards will feature 95 categories total, including two brand-new awards. The first recognizes best album cover, with nominees including Bad Bunny and Wet Leg for “moisturizer.” This category acknowledges the continued importance of visual artistry in music despite the digital age, where album cover design influences streaming platform thumbnails and social media sharing.

The second debuting category honors best traditional country album, with nominees including father-son collaborations and Margo Price for “Hard Headed Woman.” This addition addresses concerns from Nashville about country music’s representation at the Grammys, providing a dedicated space for traditional sounds even as mainstream country evolves into pop-adjacent territory.

Best New Artist: Fresh Faces

The best new artist category showcases performers who didn’t receive extensive recognition elsewhere, maintaining the award’s tradition of highlighting emerging talent rather than established artists having breakthrough years. Leon Thomas, who just landed his first Top 10 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart this week, is in the running for several R&B categories (including for a song recorded during his NPR Tiny Desk concert), as well as album of the year.

First-time nominees this year include Tate McRae, Zara Larsson, PinkPantheress, JID, and surprisingly, Timothée Chalamet. The actor’s inclusion reflects his musical work, though details about his specific nomination remain among the ceremony’s intriguing storylines heading into February.

The Ceremony Details

Trevor Noah returns to host the 68th Annual Grammy Awards on February 1, 2026, with the ceremony streaming live on Paramount+ Premium and CBS beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The Los Angeles venue, Crypto.com Arena, provides a familiar setting for music’s biggest night, maintaining the tradition of hosting in the city where the Recording Academy is headquartered.

The broadcast will feature performances from nominated artists, with Bad Bunny’s presence guaranteed given his six nominations and upcoming Super Bowl halftime show commitment. Lamar’s potential sweep across major categories could create a historic moment rivaling his 2025 triumph when he dominated with “Not Like Us.”

What These Nominations Reveal

The Grammy Nominations 2026 reflect a recording industry embracing global sounds, genre fluidity, and artistic risk-taking. Hip-hop’s command of general field categories demonstrates its transformation from marginalized genre to cultural mainstream. Latin music’s historic representation through Bad Bunny acknowledges demographic shifts and streaming patterns that have made Spanish-language music unavoidable in American popular culture.

K-pop’s breakthrough beyond novelty status signals recognition of genuine artistry and global fanbase mobilization. The continued prominence of producers like Jack Antonoff and Cirkut in nomination counts reflects the Grammy’s awareness that modern music creation involves extensive collaboration between artists and behind-the-scenes talent.

Lady Gaga’s seven nominations for “MAYHEM” represent a career comeback narrative, while Sabrina Carpenter’s six nods position her as pop music’s next potential superstar. Leon Thomas’s multiple nominations including album of the year and best new artist create an unusual duality—competing as both newcomer and established artist depending on category.

The absence of country music from major categories continues a troubling pattern for Nashville, suggesting either a genuine disconnect between Grammy voters’ tastes and country’s commercial success, or strategic voting patterns that favor other genres. This geographic and stylistic divide may require addressing to maintain the award’s credibility across American music’s diverse landscape.

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