2026 GRAMMY Nominations: Kendrick Lamar Leads the 68th Awards — Key Highlights, Major Categories & Dates

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2026 GRAMMY Nominations

The 2026 GRAMMY nominations are out, and hip-hop, pop, and Latin music anchor the race. Kendrick Lamar tops the field with nine nods tied to his album GNX, while Lady Gaga follows with seven for her project MAYHEM. Close behind: multi-category tallies for Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, Leon Thomas, and producers Jack Antonoff and Cirkut.

Ceremony: Sunday, February 1, 2026, Los Angeles
Eligibility window: Aug. 31, 2024 – Aug. 30, 2025
Final voting: Dec. 12, 2025 – Jan. 5, 2026

General Field — The Big Picture

While the Recording Academy published full ballots across 90+ categories, here are the headline takeaways from the four General Field races. (Listed artists are representative highlights, not exhaustive.)

Album of the Year (highlights)

Kendrick Lamar — GNX
Lady Gaga — MAYHEM
Bad Bunny — Debí Tirar Más Fotos
Justin Bieber — Swag
Sabrina Carpenter — Man’s Best Friend
Leon Thomas — MUTT
Tyler, The Creator — Chromakopia
Clipse — Let God Sort ’Em Out

Why it matters: Lamar and Gaga chase a career-defining AOTY win; the lineup mixes blockbuster pop with auteur rap and a veteran duo reunion, plus rising-star heat for Carpenter and Thomas.

Record of the Year (highlights)

Kendrick Lamar & SZA — “luther”
Lady Gaga — “Abracadabra”
Bad Bunny — “DtMF”
Sabrina Carpenter — “Manchild”
Rosé & Bruno Mars — “APT.”

What to watch: A tightly contested engineering and performance showcase, with sleek pop craftsmanship stacked against muscular rap production and a cross-continental K-pop/retro-soul curveball.

Song of the Year (songwriting) (highlights)

“luther” — Kendrick Lamar, SZA & songwriters
“Manchild” — Sabrina Carpenter & songwriters
“APT.” — Rosé, Bruno Mars & songwriters
Additional contenders from Billie Eilish and other multi-nominees round out a lyric-driven field.

Pulse check: Big, sticky hooks meet writerly narratives; expect close balloting between maximalist pop and intricately structured hip-hop.

Best New Artist (highlights)

Olivia Dean
KATSEYE
Leon Thomas
Alex Warren
Addison Rae

Trendline: A genre-fluid crop blending UK soul-pop, K-pop, R&B polymathy, and social-native singer-songwriters signals how discovery now cuts across platforms and scenes.

Who’s Up Big — And Why

Kendrick Lamar: Category breadth (album, record, song, rap) positions him as the night’s top-line favorite, with collaborative momentum alongside SZA.
Lady Gaga: A strong AOTY shot plus pop-vocal and production nods reward the maximal pop era of MAYHEM.
Bad Bunny: Multiple marquee slots confirm sustained dominance in the Latin-to-global pipeline.
Sabrina Carpenter: Breakout year converts to major-field respect beyond pure chart metrics.
Producers’ lane: Jack Antonoff and Cirkut rack up multi-genre credits, keeping the Producer of the Year conversation lively.

New & Notable Category Moves

Best Album Cover debuts, elevating visual art and packaging in the streaming age.
Best Traditional Country Album arrives as the Academy continues to fine-tune genre representation.
Several category definitions were refreshed to better reflect current production and release patterns.

Why Some Heavyweights Are Missing

A few headline releases are absent not due to snubs but eligibility timing—projects dropping after Aug. 30, 2025, shift into next year’s race. Always check release dates against the window before reading the tea leaves.

Dates & What’s Next

Now: Nominees campaign and perform late-year TV/festival slots that can sway sentiment.
Dec. 12 – Jan. 5: Final voting window.
Feb. 1: Winners revealed across the Premiere Ceremony and the primetime telecast in Los Angeles.

Quick FAQ

How many nominations lead the field? Kendrick Lamar with nine; Lady Gaga with seven.
How many categories are there? Mid-90s overall, spanning General Field, genre, composing/arranging, visual media, production, and more.
Biggest storyline? A resurgent hip-hop and Latin presence at the very top, with pop heavyweights and fast-rising newcomers making it a genuinely competitive year.

For the complete slate in every category—from jazz and classical to global, gospel, and engineering—check the Recording Academy’s published list and ballot notes, including definitions and crediting updates for 2026.