Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga top 2026 Grammy nominations
The nominees for the 2026 Grammy Awards have been announced, with Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga leading the pack. Kendrick Lamar, a rapper from Compton, leads with nine nominations, including a nomination for album of the year for his album “GNX.” Lady Gaga follows closely behind with seven nominations for her record “Mayhem,” which marks her return to her electro-pop roots.
Notably, K-Pop has made a breakthrough this year with two songs shortlisted for song of the year: Rosé and Bruno Mars’ pop hit “APT,” and Hunter/x’s hit “Golden” from the animated film “K-Pop Demon Hunters.”
Both Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga have been nominated five times in the past for album of the year but have not yet won in that category. Kendrick Lamar’s previous track, “Not Like Us,” won multiple awards at the 2025 Grammys, making him an early favorite for the upcoming awards. If Lamar wins album of the year, “GNX” would be the first rap album to win the main prize since Outkast’s “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” in 2004.
Other notable nominees include Tyler, The Creator for “Chromakopia” and reunited hip-hop duo Clipse for “Let God Sort Em Out,” their first release since 2009. Additionally, Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny is nominated for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” making it the second entirely Spanish-language album to be shortlisted for album of the year.
The nominations for the “big four” awards including song of the year, record of the year, album of the year, and best new artist feature a diverse range of talent across various genres. Rosé from Blackpink is the first K-Pop idol to be nominated for a “Big Four” award with her song “APT,” while Sabrina Carpenter received six nominations for her album “Manchild.”
British stars Olivia Dean and Lola Young are nominated for best new artist, while British band Wet Leg is recognized for best alternative album and best alternative song. Yungblud has received three nominations in the rock categories.
One notable absence from this year’s nominations is Taylor Swift, whose album “The Life of a Showgirl” missed the cut-off point for nominations.
The Grammy Awards are highly competitive, with almost 23,000 entries submitted for consideration. It will be interesting to see who takes home the prestigious awards at the ceremony next year.