Los Angeles, 1 February – The world’s most prestigious music accolade, the Grammy Awards, is set to witness historic moments this year, as several artists compete for first-time wins that could reshape the award’s legacy. Among the standout contenders are Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny and K-pop group Golden, both making headlines for their potential landmark victories.
Bad Bunny is nominated in the Album of the Year category for his Spanish-language album Debí Tirar Más Fotos. A win would mark the first time in Grammy history that a Spanish-language album has earned this honour. Last year, Beyoncé took home the same award for Renaissance. Billboard Awards editor Paul Grein commented, “This year’s competition is incredibly tight; the battle between Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar is fierce, with Lady Gaga also in the mix.”
Kendrick Lamar could also make history with his album GNX. If victorious, he would become the first solo male hip-hop artist to win Album of the Year. Historically, only two hip-hop acts have been recognised in this category: Lauryn Hill as a solo female artist and Outkast as a duo.
For Lady Gaga, this represents a long-awaited opportunity to claim a major Album Grammy. Despite a career spanning over two decades, she has never won one of the “big four” Grammy awards. She is nominated this year for her album Mayhem.
The ceremony will be hosted for the sixth and final time by Trevor Noah, broadcasting live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ at 5:00 p.m. local Los Angeles time (GMT 01:00).
Notable Performers and Nominees
| Artist / Group | Genre | Notable Album / Song |
|---|---|---|
| Bad Bunny | Rap | Debí Tirar Más Fotos |
| Lady Gaga | Pop | Mayhem |
| Kendrick Lamar | Hip-Hop | GNX |
| Justin Bieber | Pop | New single |
| Sabrina Carpenter | Pop | New album |
| Addison Rae | Pop | – |
| Golden (K-Pop) | Animated music | KPop Demon Hunters (HUNTR/X) |
K-pop band Golden is also a first-time contender, with a song from the Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters, performed by the fictional band HUNTR/X (real members EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami).
In the Record of the Year category, Bruno Mars and K-pop artist Rosé compete with APT., while Kendrick Lamar’s luther (featuring SZA) and Lady Gaga’s Abracadabra are also nominated.
Emerging artist Leon Thomas leads the Best New Artist category with six nominations, including his R&B/soul album Mutt, contending against British soul-pop singer Olivia Dean and pop artist Alex Warren.
Winners will be chosen by approximately 15,000 Recording Academy members, including artists, songwriters, producers, and engineers. This year, voting procedures have been restructured to enhance diversity: around 1,000 Latin Grammy voters have joined, and 73% of members are new since 2019.
With such a diverse and groundbreaking roster, the 2026 Grammy Awards promise more than just a celebration of music—they could redefine its history.