2026 Grammy Awards nominations: Kendrick Lamar leads list of music contenders – National

The list of nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards has been revealed, and red-hot rapper Kendrick Lamar is leading the pack.

Lamar is up for nine trophies at the February ceremony: record, song and album of the year — marking the third time he’s had simultaneous nominations in those big categories — as well as pop duo/group performance, melodic rap performance, rap song and rap album. He’s also nominated twice in the rap performance category.

The Not Like Us rapper has 22 Grammy career wins and 66 nominations in total. His album GNX is his fifth consecutive studio album to be nominated for album of the year, something no other artist has ever done. If it wins, it will be his first win in the category. And it will be only the third rap album to win the top prize, following Outkast in 2004 for Speakerboxxx/The Love Below and Lauryn Hill in 1999 for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

Lamar’s nine nominations for his album GNX are part of a wave of hip-hop albums competing in the top categories, including Tyler, the Creator’s Chromakopia and Let God Sort Em Out from Clipse, Pusha T and Malice.

Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff and Canadian record producer/songwriter Cirkut follow Lamar with seven nominations each.

Cirkut is up for both record and song of the year, twice — for Lady Gaga’s Abracadabra and Rosé and Bruno Mars’ APT. — as well as album of the year and best dance pop recording.

Other top nominees include Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, Leon Thomas and Justin Bieber.

Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos is only the second time an all-Spanish language album has been nominated for the top prize. This comes three years after Bad Bunny’s release, Un Verano Sin Ti, became the first Spanish-language album to earn a nomination in the album of the year category.

This year’s nominees were announced during a video livestream with a host of talent, including Doechii, Gayle King, Karol G, Lizzo, Mumford & Sons, Sabrina Carpenter, Sam Smith, David Foster, Chappell Roan and more.

Only recordings commercially released in the U.S. between Aug. 31, 2024, through Aug. 30, 2025, were eligible for nominations.

The Grammy Awards made a change this year to the best country album category, following Beyoncé’s historic win of best album and best country album at the 2025 Grammy Awards for Cowboy Carter. The category has now been divided into two, with the creation of a best traditional country album category. The existing best country album category has been renamed best contemporary country album.

The 2026 Grammy Awards will take place on Feb. 1 live from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. A host is yet to be announced.

Find a list of the nominees in the major categories below.

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Album of the Year

Debí Tirar Más Fotos, Bad BunnySwag, Justin BieberMan’s Best Friend, Sabrina CarpenterLet God Sort Em Out, Clipse, Pusha T & MaliceMayhem, Lady GagaGNX, Kendrick LamarMutt, Leon ThomasChromakopia, Tyler, the Creator

Record of the Year

DtMF, Bad BunnyManchild, Sabrina CarpenterAnxiety, DoechiiWildflower, Billie EilishAbracadabra, Lady GagaLuther, Kendrick Lamar & SZAAPT., Rose & Bruno MarsThe Subway, Chappell Roan

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Song of the Year

Abracadabra, Lady GagaAnxiety, DoechiiAPT., Rose & Bruno MarsDtMF, Bad BunnyGolden [From KPop Demon Hunters], HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei AmiLuther, Kendrick Lamar & SZAManchild, Sabrina CarpenterWildflower, Billie Eilish

Best Music Video

Young Lion, SadeManchild, Sabrina CarpenterSo Be It, ClipseAnxiety, DoechiiLove, OK Go

Best Pop Solo Performance

Daisies, Justin BieberManchild, Sabrina CarpenterDisease, Lady GagaThe Subway, Chappell RoanMessy, Lola Young

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Defying Gravity, Cynthia Erivo & Ariana GrandeGolden [From KPop Demon Hunters], HUNTER/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei AmiGabriela, KatseyeAPT., Rose, Bruno Mars30 for 30, SZA & Kendrick Lamar

Best Pop Vocal Album

Swag, Justin BieberMan’s Best Friend, Sabrina CarpenterSomething Beautiful, Miley CyrusMayhem, Lady GagaI’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2), Teddy Swims

Best New Artist

Olivia DeanKatseyeThe MariasAddison RaeSombrLola YoungLeon ThomasAlex Warren

Best Rap Performance

Outside, Cardi BChains & Whips, Clipse, Pusha T & Malice Featuring Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell WilliamsAnxiety, DoechiiTV Off, Kendrick Lamar Featuring Lefty GunplayDarling, I, Tyler, the Creator Featuring Teezo Touchdown

Best Melodic Rap Performance

Proud of Me, Fridayy Featuring Meek MillWholeheartedly, JID Featuring Ty Dolla $ign & 6LackLuther, Kendrick Lamar & SZAWeMaj, Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon Featuring RapsodySomebody Loves Me, Partynextdoor & Drake

Best Rap Song

Anxiety, DoechiiThe Birds Don’t Sing, Clipse, Pusha T & Malice Featuring John Legend & Voices of FireSticky, Tyler, the Creator Featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil WayneTGIF, GloRillaTV Off, Kendrick Lamar Featuring Lefty Gunplay

Best Rap Album

Let God Sort Em Out, Clipse, Pusha T & MaliceGlorious, GloRillaGod Does Like Ugly, JIDGNX, Kendrick LamarChromakopia, Tyler, the Creator

Best R&B Performance

Yukon, Justin BieberIt Depends, Chris Brown Featuring Bryson TillerFolded, KehlaniMutt (Live From NPR’s Tiny Desk), Leon ThomasHeart of a Woman, Summer Walker

Best Traditional R&B Performance

Here We Are, Durand BernarrUptown, Lalah HathawayLove You Too, LedisiCrybaby, SZAVibes Don’t Lie, Leon Thomas

Best R&B Song

Trending Now

Folded, KehlaniHeart of a Woman, Summer WalkerIt Depends, Chris Brown Featuring Bryson TillerOverqualified, Durand BernarrYes It Is, Leon Thomas

Best R&B Album

Beloved, GiveonWhy Not More?, Coco JonesThe Crown, LedisiEscape Room, Teyana TaylorMutt, Leon Thomas

Best Dance Pop Recording

Bluest Flame, Selena Gomez & Benny BlancoAbracadabra, Lady GagaMidnight Sun, Zara LarssonJus Keep Watching, Tate McRaeIllegal, PinkPantheress

Best Dance/Electronic Music Album

Eusexua, FKA TwigsTen Days, Fred Again..Fancy That, PinkPantheressInhale / Exhale, Rüfüs Du SolF*** U Skrillex You Think Ur Andy Warhol But Ur Not!! <3 , Skrillex

Best Rock Album

Private Music, DeftonesI Quit, HaimFrom Zero, Linkin ParkNever Enough, TurnstileIdols, Yungblud

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Best Rock Song

As Alive as You Need Me to Be, Nine Inch NailsCaramel, Sleep TokenGlum, Hayle WilliamsNever Enough, TurnstileZombie, Yungblud

Best Rock Performance

U Should Not Be Doing That, Amyl and the SniffersThe Emptiness Machine, Linkin ParkNever Enough, TurnstileMirtazapine, Hayley WilliamsChanges (Live From Villa Park) Back to the Beginning, Yungblud Featuring Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman, II

Best Metal Performance

Night Terror, Dream TheaterLachryma, GhostEmergence, Sleep TokenSoft Spine, SpiritboxBirds, Turnstile

Best Alternative Music Album

Sable, Fable, Bon IverSongs of a Lost World, The CureDon’t Tap the Glass, Tyler, the CreatorMoisturizer, Wet LegEgo Death at a Bachelorette Party, Hayley Williams

Best Contemporary Country Album

Patterns, Kelsea BalleriniSnipe Hunter, Tyler ChildersEvangeline vs. the Machine, Eric ChurchBeautifully Broken, Jelly RollPostcards From Texas, Miranda Lambert

Best Traditional Country Album

Dollar a Day, Charley CrockettAmerican Romance, Lukas NelsonOh What a Beautiful World, Willie NelsonHard Headed Woman, Margo PriceAin’t in It for My Health, Zach Top

Best Country Solo Performance

Nose on the Grindstone, Tyler ChildersGood News, ShaboozeyBad as I Used to Be, Chris StapletonI Never Lie, Zach TopSomewhere Over Laredo, Lainey Wilson

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

A Song to Sing, Miranda Lambert And Chris StapletonTrailblazer, Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey WilsonLove Me Like You Used to Do, Margo Price & Tyler ChildersAmen, Shaboozey & Jelly RollHonky Tonk Hall of Fame, George Strait, Chris Stapleton

Best Country Song

Bitin’ List, Tyler ChildersGood News, ShaboozeyI Never Lie, Zach TopSomewhere Over Laredo, Lainey WilsonA Song to Sing, Miranda Lambert And Chris Stapleton

Best Latin Pop Album

Cosa Nuestra, Rauw AlejandroBogotá (Deluxe), Andrés CepedaTropicoqueta, Karol GCancionera, Natalia Lafourcade¿Y ahora qué?, Alejandro Sanz

Best Comedy Album

Drop Dead Years, Bill BurrPostMortem, Sarah SilvermanSingle Lady, Ali WongWhat Had Happened Was…, Jamie FoxxYour Friend, Nate Bargatze, Nate Bargatze

Best Musical Theatre Album

Buena Vista Social ClubDeath Becomes HerGypsyJust In TimeMaybe Happy Ending

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For a complete list of the 2026 Grammy nominees, visit the official Grammy Awards website.

— With files from The Associated Press

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