The Grammy nominations for 2026 have been announced, highlighting the biggest names in global music. Kendrick Lamar leads the list with the highest number of nominations, followed by Lady Gaga. Notably, for the first time, K-pop has secured a place in the prestigious Song of the Year category.
Kendrick Lamar, who won five awards at the 2025 Grammys, tops the 2026 nominations with a total of nine nods. These include major categories such as Album of the Year, Best Rap Album, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. In the Album of the Year category, Lamar’s GNX competes against works by Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, Leon Thomas, Tyler, The Creator, and the trio Clips, Pusha T, and Malice.
Following Lamar, Lady Gaga ranks second with seven nominations, sharing some nods with music producers Sark and Jack Antonoff. Other leading nominees include Sabrina Carpenter, Leon Thomas, and Bad Bunny, each earning six nominations.
Significantly, Bad Bunny has made history as the first Spanish-language artist to be nominated in all three major Grammy categories—Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year. In the Record of the Year category, his track DTMF competes alongside Sabrina Carpenter’s Manchild, Doja Cat’s Anxiety, Billie Eilish’s Wildflower, Lady Gaga’s Abracadabra, Lamar and SZA’s Luther, Chappell Roan’s The Savoy, and Bruno Mars & Roses’ Apti.
Last year’s Best New Artist winner, Chappell Roan, announced the nominations this year. The Best New Artist category features Olivia Dean, Catsai, The Marias, Addison Rae, Sombra, Leon Thomas, Alex Warren, and Lola Young.
Additionally, for the first time, the new category Best Album Cover has nominees including Wet Leg, Perfume Genius, Bad Bunny, Dizo, and Tyler, The Creator.
Notably absent from this year’s nominations is Taylor Swift, whose twelfth studio album The Life of a Showgirl was released in October. Eligibility for this year’s Grammys required releases between 31 August 2024 and 30 August 2025.
The 2026 Grammy Awards will take place on 1 February at the Crypto Arena in Los Angeles, with the host yet to be announced.