2026 Grammy Awards Nominations: Kendrick Lamar Leads with Nine Nods, Surprises, and Snubs
The 2026 Grammy Award nominations have been announced, with Kendrick Lamar leading the pack with nine nods for his album "GNX." The awards ceremony will take place on February 1st in Los Angeles. This year, there are three releases nominated in both the rap album and album of the year categories, including Lamar's "GNX," Clipse, Pusha T & Malice's "Let God Sort Em Out," and Tyler, the Creator's "Chromakopia."
While the album of the year category shows more attention to hip-hop, the best new artist nominees list lacks representation from rap and country music. Billie Eilish is up for two awards this year for her track "Wildflower," which was released in May 2024. The Grammys have made some changes this year, including the creation of a best traditional country album category and renaming the best country album category to best contemporary country album.
The Weeknd, who criticized the Grammys in 2020, did not receive any nominations this year despite submitting his album "Hurry Up Tomorrow" for consideration. K-pop has also seen a shift in recognition, with Rosé becoming the first K-pop artist to receive a nomination in the record of the year category for her song "APT." Bad Bunny is a top nominee this year for his album "Debí Tirar Más Fotos," making history as the second all-Spanish language album to be nominated in the album of the year category.
The Grammys seem to be recognizing more Spanish-language music, with Bad Bunny's success, but there are still notable absences in the nominations list. The inclusion of Latin Grammy voting members in the Recording Academy's new member class may lead to more openness to Latino performers in the future. Despite some disappointments, there are still bright spots, with Jack Antonoff receiving seven nominations this year for his work with Kendrick Lamar and Sabrina Carpenter.
In conclusion, the 2026 Grammy Awards nominations showcase a mix of established and emerging artists across various genres, with some surprises and snubs along the way. The ceremony promises to be an exciting event celebrating the best in music from the past year.