Kendrick Lamar Leads 2026 Grammy Nominations as Lady Gaga and K-Pop Make Waves

The music world is buzzing with excitement after the Recording Academy revealed the 2026 Grammy nominations. 

On Friday morning in Los Angeles, all eyes were on the star-studded livestream. Pop stars and past winners like Sabrina Carpenter, Doechi and Sam Smith make the announcement. The big night is set for February 1, 2026, at the iconic Crypto.com Arena. 

Kendrick Lamar dominated the headlines. The rapper scored nine major nominations, making him the most nominated artist this year. Kendrick is in the running for Album, Record and Song of the year, with tracks from his chart-topping album “GNX” and his collaboration “Luther” with SZA. It’s another triumph after a winning streak at last year’s show.

Lady Gaga continues her reign as a Grammy favorite, earning even more nods. Her album “MAYHEM” is up for Album of the year, and her single “Abracadabra” got nominations in both record and song categories. Jack Antonoff and Cirkut, both producers on some of this year’s biggest albums, also received seven nominations each. 

Bad Bunny made history as the first Spanish-language artist to be nominated for Album, Song and Record of the Year at the same time. He grabbed six nominations, driven by this, like “DtMF,” and his acclaimed album. Sabrina Carpenter, another breakout star, was also nominated in six categories, including Album of the Year for “Man’s Best Friend.” 

Leon Thomas and Tyler, the Creator, matched the six-nomination count, while Doechii, SZA, Andrew Watt, and Clipse (Pusha T & Malice). and Rose each secured five. 

K-pop continued its Grammy takeover with Rose and Bruno Mars’s “APT,” scoring Record and Song of the Year nods. The Netflix movie track “Golden” also landed among the top contenders, showing the genre’s growing global power. 

The Recording Academy introduced two new competitive categories: Best Album Cover and Best Traditional Country Album. The Best Country Album. The Best Country Album prize has also become Best Contemporary Country Album, giving even more musicians a chance at Grammy gold this year.

Taylor Swift is missing from the lineup, but only because her latest album, released after August 30, 2025, fell outside the eligibility window. Lily Allen is another major name absent for the same reason. The 2026 eligibility window covered music released between August 31, 2024 and August 30, 2025.

Voting for the winners starts December 12,2025 and closes on January 5, 2026. With such a diverse range of nominees and new categories, the 68th Grammys are set to be a thrilling celebration for fans around the world.