Kendrick Lamar Leads 2026 Grammy Field as Gaga and Bad Bunny Follow Close Behind
The Recording Academy has announced the nominees for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, with Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, and Lady Gaga emerging as the leading contenders. Lamar tops the field with nine nominations, including Album of the Year for GNX and both Record and Song of the Year for “Luther,” his collaboration with SZA. The strong showing follows the success of “Not Like Us,” which swept the major record categories earlier this year. If Lamar wins Album of the Year, would become the first rap album to claim the top prize since OutKast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below in 2003.
Lady Gaga follows closely with seven nominations, securing recognition in all three general-field categories for her album Mayhem and the single “Abracadabra.” Although Gaga is a 14-time Grammy winner, she has never won one of the night’s major awards, making this another potentially pivotal year for her.
Bad Bunny earned six nods, including his second nomination for Album of the Year for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. He also scored his first nominations as a lead artist for Record and Song of the Year with “DtMF,” expanding his presence in categories that have typically favored English-language pop.
Sabrina Carpenter and Leon Thomas join the year’s top-performing nominees with six nominations each, both appearing in the Album of the Year race for Man’s Best Friend and Mutt, respectively. The category also includes Justin Bieber’s Swag, Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out, and Tyler, the Creator’s Chromakopia, marking Tyler’s first appearance in the field as a solo artist.
In the general categories, “Luther,” “Abracadabra,” and “DtMF” compete against songs by Carpenter, Doechii, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and the collaboration between Rosé and Bruno Mars. Song of the Year includes many of the same titles, along with “Golden,” the breakout hit from KPop Demon Hunters.
The Best New Artist field features Olivia Dean, Katseye, the Marías, Addison Rae, Sombr, Thomas, Alex Warren, and Lola Young. Only a few of these nominees appear elsewhere on the ballot, reflecting a wide range of rising talent.
Across the genre fields, several names made noteworthy debuts. Protest singer Jesse Welles earned four nominations across folk and Americana categories. Rosé, Zach Top, and Yungblud each secured three nominations. Dijon, known for his acclaimed album Baby, earned his first two nods for Producer of the Year (Non-Classical) and for his contribution to Lamar’s “TV Off.” Baltimore hardcore band Turnstile earned recognition in multiple rock categories, while Paramore’s Hayley Williams picked up four nominations for her solo album Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party. Country artist Tyler Childers received four nominations for Snipe Hunter, continuing his slow but steady rise within the category.
The Recording Academy has introduced several adjustments to the awards this year, including the debut of a Best Album Cover category and a restructuring of the country awards into contemporary and traditional divisions. The latter creates one of the more anticipated matchups of 2026: Willie Nelson facing off against his son, Lukas Nelson.
See some of the nominees 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 New Artist
Olivia Dean
KATSEYE
The Marias
Addison Rae
Sombr
Leon Thomas
Alex Warren
Lola Young
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Music Video
Sade – “Young Lion”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
Clipse – “So Be It”
Doechii – “Anxiety”
OK Go – “Love”
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)
