US rapper Kendrick Lamar leads 2026 Grammy nominations with 9

 American Rapper Kendrick Lamar leads the nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards, music's highest honors, with nine, the Recording Academy announced on Friday.

 

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar © Imago 
Auth

Lamar is up for album of the year (for his most recent, GNX), best rap album, record of the year, and song of the year. He faces competition for the night’s top award album of the year from Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, Leon Thomas, Tyler, the Creator and Clipse, Pusha T & Malice.

 

Gaga follows Lamar with seven nominations, tied for second with producers Cirkut and Jack Antonoff. Other top nominees include Carpenter, Thomas, and next year’s Super Bowl half-time show performer, Bad Bunny, who each received six.

 

Bad Bunny becomes the first Spanish-language artist to be nominated across the Grammys’ big three categories: album of the year, song of the year, and record of the year. His song DtMF competes in record of the year against 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 and Rosé’s APT.

 

Lamar’s Luther is also nominated for song of the year alongside Abracadabra, Anxiety, APT, DtMF, Wildflower, Manchild and the KPop Demon Hunters’ track Golden.

 

See the full list below..

 

Album of the Year

Bad Bunny – DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS

Justin Bieber – Swag

Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend

Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out

Lady Gaga – Mayhem

Kendrick Lamar – GNX

Leon Thomas – Mutt

Tyler, the Creator – Chromakopia

 

Record of the Year

Bad Bunny – “DtMF”

Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”

Doechii – “Anxiety”

Billie Eilish – “Wildflower”

Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”

Kendrick Lamar with SZA – “Luther”

Chappell Roan – “The Subway”

Rosé and Bruno Mars – “APT.”

 

Song of the Year

Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”

Doechii – “Anxiety”

Rosé and Bruno Mars – “APT.”

“DtMF” – Bad Bunny

Huntr/x (Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami) – “Golden” (from KPop Demon Hunters)

Kendrick Lamar with SZA – “Luther”

Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”

Billie Eilish – “Wildflower”

 

Best African Music Performance

Burna Boy – “Love”

Davido Featuring Omah Lay – “With You”

Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin – “Hope & Love”

Ayra Starr featuring Wizkid – “Gimme Dat”

Tyla – “Push 2 Start”

 

Best Global Music Performance

Bad Bunny – “EoO”

Ciro Hurtado – “Cantando en el Camino”

Angélique Kidjo – “Jerusalema”

Yeisy Rojas – “Inmigrante Y Que?”

Shakti – “Shrini’s Dream” (Live)

Anoushka Shankar featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar – “Daybreak”

 

Best New Artist

Olivia Dean

KATSEYE

The Marias

Addison Rae

Sombr

Leon Thomas

Alex Warren

Lola Young

 

Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical

Amy Allen

Edgar Barrera

Jessie Jo Dillon

Tobias Jesso Jr.

Laura Veltz

 

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical

Dan Auerbach

Cirkut

Dijon

Blake Mills

Sounwave

 

Best Pop Solo Performance

Justin Bieber – “Daisies”

Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”

Lady Gaga – “Disease”

Chappell Roan – “The Subway”

Lola Young – “Messy”

 

Best Pop Vocal Album

Justin Bieber – Swag

Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend

Miley Cyrus – Something Beautiful

Lady Gaga – Mayhem

Teddy Swims – I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2)

 

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande – “Defying Gravity”

Huntr/x (Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami) – “Golden”

KATSEYE – “Gabriela”

Rosé and Bruno Mars – “APT.”

SZA with Kendrick Lamar – “30 for 30”

 

Best Dance Pop Recording

Selena Gomez & benny blanco – “Bluest Flame”

Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”

Zara Larsson – “Midnight Sun”

Tate McRae – “Just Keep Watching”

PinkPantheress – “Illegal”

 

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Laila Biali – Wintersongs

Jennifer Hudson – The Gift Of Love

Elton John & Brandi Carlile – Who Believes In Angels?

Lady Gaga – Harlequin

Laufey – A Matter Of Time

Barbra Streisand – The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume 2

 

Best Dance Electronic Album

FKA twigs – Eusexua

Fred again.. – Ten Days

PinkPantheress – Fancy That

Rüfüs Du Sol – Inhale / Exhale

Skrillex – Fuck U Skrillex You Think Ur Andy Warhol But Ur Not!! <3

 

Best Dance/Electronic Recording

Disclosure & Anderson .Paak – “No Cap”

Fred again.., Skepta, & PlaqueBoyMax – “Victory Lap”

Kaytranada – “Space Invader”

Skrillex – “Voltage”

Tame Impala – “End of Summer”

 

Best Rock Album

Deftones – Private Music

Haim – I Quit

Linkin Park – From Zero

Turnstile – Never Enough

Yungblud – Idols

 

Best Rock Song

Nine Inch Nails – “As Alive As You Need Me To Be”

Sleep Token – “Caramel

Hayley Williams – “Glum”

Turnstile – “Never Enough”

Yungblud – “Zombie”

 

Best Metal Performance

Dream Theater – “Night Terror”

Ghost – “Lachryma”

Sleep Token – “Emergence”

Spiritbox – “Soft Spine”

Turnstile – “Birds”

 

Best Rock Performance

Amyl and The Sniffers – “U Should Not Be Doing That”

Linkin Park – “The Emptiness Machine”

Turnstile – “Never Enough”

Hayley Williams – “Mirtazapine”

Yungblud featuring Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman, II – “Changes” (Live From Villa Park, Back To The Beginning)

 

Best Alternative Music Performance

Bon Iver – “Everything Is Peaceful Love”

The Cure – “Alone”

Turnstile – “Seein’ Stars”

Wet Leg – “Mangetout”

Hayley Williams – “Parachute”

 

Best Alternative Music Album

Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE

The Cure – Songs Of A Lost World

Tyler, The Creator – Don’t Tap the Glass

Wet Leg – Moisturizer

Hayley Williams – Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party

 

Best R&B Album

Givēon – Beloved

Coco Jones – Why Not More?

Ledisi – The Crown

Teyana Taylor – Escape Room

Leon Thomas – Mutt

 

Best R&B Song

Kehlani – “Folded”

Summer Walker – “Heart Of A Woman”

Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller – “It Depends”

Durand Bernarr – “Overqualified”

Leon Thomas – “Yes It Is”

 

Best R&B Performance

Justin Bieber – “Yukon”

Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller – “It Depends”

Kehlani – “Folded”

Leon Thomas – “Mutt” (Live From NPR’s Tiny Desk)

Summer Walker – “Heart Of A Woman”

 

Best Traditional R&B Performance

Durand Bernarr – “Here We Are”

Lalah Hathaway – “Uptown”

Ledisi – “Love You Too”

SZA – “Crybaby”

Leon Thomas – “Vibes Don’t Lie”

 

Best Progressive R&B Album

Durand Bernarr – Bloom

Bilal – Adjust Brightness

Destin Conrad – Love on Digital

Flo – Access All Areas

Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon – Come As You Are

 

Best Spoken Word Poetry Album

Queen Sheba – A Hurricane in Heels: healed people don’t act like that (partially recorded live @City Winery & other places)

Marc Marcel – Black Shaman

Omari Hardwick & Anthony Hamilton – Pages

Saul Williams, Carlos Niño & Friends – Saul Williams meets Carlos Niño & Friends At Treepeople

Mad Skillz – Words For Days Vol. 1

 

Best Rap Album

Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out

GloRilla – Glorious

JID – God Does Like Ugly

Kendrick Lamar – GNX

Tyler, The Creator – Chromakopia

 

Best Rap Song

Doechii – “Anxiety”

Clipse featuring John Legend and Voices of Fire – “The Birds Don’t Sing”

Tyler, The Creator featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red, and Lil Wayne – “Sticky”

GloRilla – “TGIF”

Kendrick Lamar featuring Lefty Gunplay – “TV Off”

 

Best Melodic Rap Performance

Fridayy featuring Meek Mill – “Proud Of Me”

JID featuring Ty Dolla $ign & 6Lack – “Wholeheartedly”

Kendrick Lamar with SZA – “Luther”

Terrace Martin and Kenyon Dixon featuring Rapsody – “WeMaj”

PartyNextDoor and Drake – “Somebody Loves Me”

 

Best Rap Performance

Cardi B – “Outside”

Clipse featuring Kendrick Lamar and Pharrell Williams – “Chains & Whips”

Doechii – “Anxiety”

Kendrick Lamar featuring Lefty Gunplay – “TV Off”

Tyler, The Creator featuring Teezo Touchdown – “Darling, I”

 

Best Música Urbana Album

Bad Bunny – DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS

J Balvin – Mixteip

Feid – Ferxxo Vol X: Sagrado

Nicki Nicole – Naiki

Trueno – Eub Deluxe

Yandel – Sinfónico (En Vivo)

 

Best Música Mexicana Album (Including Tejano)

Fuerza Regida, Grupo Frontera – Mala Mía

Grupo Frontera – Y Lo Que Viene

Paola Jara – Sin Rodeos

Carín León – Palabra De To’s (Seca)

Bobby Pulido and Friends Una Tuya Y Una Mía – Por La Puerta Grande (En Vivo)

 

Best Latin Pop Album

Rauw Alejandro – Cosa Nuestra

Andrés Cepeda – Bogotá (Deluxe)

Karol G – Tropicoqueta

Natalia Lafourcade – Cancionera

Alejandro Sanz – ¿Y ahora qué?

 

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album

Aterciopelados – Genes Rebeldes

Astropical – Astropical

Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso – Papota

Los Wizzards – Algorhythm

Fito Paez – Novela

Best Tropical Latin Album

Rubén Blades, Roberto Delgado & Orquesta – Fotografías

Gloria Estefan – Raíces

Grupo Niche – Clásicos 1.0

Alain Pérez – Bingo

Gilberto Santa Rosa – Debut y Segunda Tanda, Vol. 2

 

Best Traditional Country Album

Charley Crockett – Dollar A Day

Lukas Nelson – American Romance

Willie Nelson – Oh What A Beautiful World

Margo Price – Hard Headed Woman

Zach Top – Ain’t In It For My Health

 

Best Contemporary Country Album

Kelsea Ballerini – Patterns

Tyler Childers – Snipe Hunter

Eric Church – Evangeline Vs. The Machine

Jelly Roll – Beautifully Broken

Miranda Lambert – Postcards From Texas

 

Best Country Solo Performance

Tyler Childers – “Nose On The Grindstone”

Shaboozey – “Good News”

Chris Stapleton – “Bad As I Used To Be”

Zach Top – “I Never Lie”

Lainey Wilson – “Somewhere Over Laredo”

 

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton – “A Song To Sing”

Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson – “Trailblazer”

Margo Price and Tyler Childers – “Love Me Like You Used To Do”

Shaboozey and Jelly Roll – “Amen”

George Strait and Chris Stapleton – “Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame”

 

Best Country Song

Tyler Childers – “Bitin’ List”

Shaboozey – “Good News”

Zach Top – “I Never Lie”

Lainey Wilson – “Somewhere Over Laredo”

Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton – “A Song To Sing”

 

Best American Roots Performance

Jon Batiste featuring Randy Newman – “Lonely Avenue”

I’m With Her – “Ancient Light”

Jason Isbell – “Crimson And Clay”

Alison Krauss and Union Station – “Richmond On The James”

Mavis Staples – “Beautiful Strangers”

 

Best Americana Performance

Sierra Hull – “Boom”

Maggie Rose & Grace Potter – “Poison In My Well”

Mavis Staples – “Godspeed”

Molly Tuttle – “That’s Gonna Leave A Mark”

Jesse Welles – “Horses”

 

Best American Roots Song

I’m With Her – “Ancient Light”

Jon Batiste – “Big Money”

Jason Isbell – “Foxes In The Snow”

Jesse Welles – “Middle”

Sierra Hull – “Spitfire”

 

Best Americana Album

Jon Batiste – Big Money

Larkin Poe – Bloom

Willie Nelson – Last Leaf On The Tree

Molly Tuttle – So Long Little Miss Sunshine

Jesse Welles – Middle

 

Best Bluegrass Album

Michael Cleveland & Jason Carter – Carter & Cleveland

Sierra Hull – A Tip Toe High Wire

Alison Krauss & Union Station – Arcadia

The Steeldrivers – Outrun

Billy Strings – Highway Prayers

 

Best Traditional Blues Album

Buddy Guy – Ain’t Done With The Blues

Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ – Room On The Porch

Maria Muldaur – One Hour Mama: The Blues Of Victoria Spivey

Charlie Musselwhite – Look Out Highway

Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Bobby Rush – Young Fashioned Ways

 

Best Contemporary Blues Album

Joe Bonamassa – Breakthrough

Samantha Fish – Paper Doll

Eric Gales – A Tribute To LJK

Robert Randolph – Preacher Kids

Southern Avenue – Family

 

Best Folk Album

Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson – What Did The Blackbird Say To The Crow

Patty Griffin – Crown Of Roses

I’m With Her – Wild And Clear And Blue

Jason Isbell – Foxes In The Snow

Jesse Welles – Under The Powerlines (April 24 – September 24)

 

Best Gospel Performance/Song

Kirk Franklin – “Do It Again”

Tasha Cobbs Leonard, John Legend – “Church”

Jonathan McReynolds & Jamal Roberts – “Still” (Live)

Pastor Mike Jr – “Amen”

Cece Winans featuring Shirley Caesar – “Come Jesus Come”

 

Best Global Music Album

Siddhant Bhatia – Sounds Of Kumbha

Burna Boy – No Sign of Weakness

Youssou N’Dour – Eclairer le monde – Light the World

Shakti – Mind Explosion (50th Anniversary Tour Live)

Anoushka Shankar Featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar – Chapter III: We Return To Light

Caetano Veloso And Maria Bethânia – Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo

 

Best Musical Theater Album

Buena Vista Social Club

Death Becomes Her

Gypsy

Just In Time

Maybe Happy Ending

 

Best Reggae Album

Lila Iké – Treasure Self Love

Vybz Kartel – Heart & Soul

Keznamdi – Blxxd & Fyah

Mortimer – From Within

Jesse Royal – No Place Like Home

 

Best Comedy Album

Bill Burr – Drop Dead Years

Sarah Silverman – PostMortem

Ali Wong – Single Lady

Jamie Foxx – What Had Happened Was…

Nate Bargatze –Your Friend, Nate Bargatze

 

Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording

Kathy Garver – Elvis, Rocky & Me: The Carol Connors Story

Trevor Noah – Into The Uncut Grass

Ketanji Brown Jackson – Lovely One: A Memoir

Dalai Lama – Meditations: The Reflections Of His Holiness The Dalai Lama

Fab Morvan – You Know It’s True: The Real Story Of Milli Vanilli

 

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media

Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown

Various Artists – F1® The Album

Various Artists – KPop Demon Hunters

Various Artists – Sinners

Various Artists – Wicked

 

Best Song Written For Visual Media

Nine Inch Nails – “As Alive As You Need Me To Be” (from Tron: Ares)

Huntr/x (Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami) – “Golden” (from KPop Demon Hunters)

Miles Caton – “I Lied to You” (from Sinners)

Elton John and Brandi Carlile – “Never Too Late” (from Elton John: Never Too Late)

Jayme Lawson – “Pale, Pale Moon” (from Sinners)

Rod Wave – “Sinners” (from Sinners)

 

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Includes Film and Television)

John Powell – How to Train Your Dragon

Theodore Shapiro – Severance: Season 2

Ludwig Göransson – Sinners

John Powell & Stephen Schwartz – Wicked

Kris Bowers – The Wild Robot

 

Best Music Video

Sade – “Young Lion”

Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”

Clipse – “So Be It”

Doechii – “Anxiety”

OK Go – “Love”

 

Best Music Film

Devo – Devo

Raye – Live at the Royal Albert Hall

Diane Warren – Relentless

John Williams – Music by John Williams

Pharrell Williams – Piece by Piece

 

Best Album Cover

Tyler, The Creator – Chromakopia (Shaun Llewellyn & Luis “Panch” Perez)

Djo – The Crux (William Wesley II)

Bad Bunny – Debí Tirar Más Fotos (Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio)

Perfume Genius – Glory (Cody Critcheloe & Andrew J.S.)

Wet Leg – Moisturizer (Hester Chambers, Ellis Durand, Henry Holmes, Matt de Jong, Jamie-James Medina, Joshua Mobaraki & Rhian Teasdale)

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