Kendrick Lamar continues to dominate the music world as he leads the Grammy 2026 nominations with nine nods. The acclaimed rapper, who won five awards last year, is once again recognized across the top categories, including album of the year, record of the year, and song of the year. Lamar’s latest project, GNX, has earned critical praise and strong commercial success. His nominations include best rap album and several key categories, reaffirming his place as one of the most influential artists in modern music. He faces competition from global stars such as Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter, Leon Thomas, Tyler, the Creator, and Clipse (Pusha T & Malice) for album of the year. Lady Gaga follows close behind Lamar with seven nominations, tying with producers Jack Antonoff and Cirkut. Both producers contributed to some of the year’s biggest records, marking another strong showing for behind-the-scenes talent. Other artists with standout performances this year include Carpenter, Thomas, and Bad Bunny, each with six nominations. Bad Bunny also made history this year. His album Debí Tirar Más Fotos anchored a record-breaking run in Puerto Rico and made him the first Spanish-language artist ever nominated in all three of the Grammys’ biggest categories — album, song, and record of the year. His hit DtMF competes for record of the year alongside Carpenter’s Manchild, Doechii’s Anxiety, Billie Eilish’s Wildflower, Lady Gaga’s Abracadabra, Lamar and SZA’s Luther, Chappell Roan’s The Subway, and Bruno Mars with Rosé on APT. Lamar’s Luther also appears in the song of the year category, sharing space with Abracadabra, DtMF, Wildflower, Anxiety, Manchild, and the animated K-pop track Golden from KPop Demon Hunters. The song’s nomination marks the first time animated performers — Huntr/X, Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami — have been recognized in a top songwriting category. Chappell Roan, who won best new artist last year, helped announce this year’s nominees alongside artists Olivia Dean, Katseye, the Marías, Addison Rae, Sombr, Alex Warren, and Lola Young. Other presenters included Brandi Carlile, Doechii, Sam Smith, and members of the Osbourne family, paying tribute to the late rock legend Ozzy Osbourne. This year introduces two new Grammy categories, including best album cover. Nominees in that field include Wet Leg, Perfume Genius, Bad Bunny, Djo, and Tyler, the Creator. Several popular artists were notably absent from the major categories. Morgan Wallen, who had one of the best-selling albums of the year with I’m the Problem, received no nominations. His team had previously announced that he would not submit his music for Grammy consideration. Taylor Swift’s album The Life of a Showgirl also missed out, as it was released after the eligibility period, which ended on 30 August 2025. For the first time since 2018, no British artists appear in the record, song, or album of the year categories. However, UK musicians performed well across other fields. Lola Young and Olivia Dean both earned nominations for best new artist. Young also received a nod for best pop solo performance for her song Messy. Yungblud scored three nominations in the rock categories, while indie band Wet Leg picked up two for best alternative performance and best alternative album. PinkPantheress and Fred Again also earned two nominations each in the dance and electronic fields, including Fred Again’s Victory Lap, which gave grime artist Skepta his first Grammy recognition. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said the Grammys remain “music’s most coveted award” because they represent “music people honoring music people.” He noted that more than 15,000 voting members reviewed over 20,000 submissions across 95 categories. Last year’s event saw Lamar dominate with five wins and Beyoncé achieve her first album of the year trophy for Cowboy Carter. The 2026 Grammy Awards ceremony will be held on 1 February 2026 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with the host yet to be announced.