2026 Grammy Awards Nominations: Kendrick Lamar Leads with Nine Nods for 'GNX
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 1 at the Crypto.com Arena 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 has seen more hip-hop representation, the best new artist nominees this year do not include any rap artists. The same is true for the country genre. Billie Eilish is up for two trophies this year for her track "Wildflower," which was released in May 2024. The eligibility rules allow for tracks from an album released during the previous year's eligibility period to be considered in the current year, as long as they were not entered the previous year and the album did not win a Grammy.
The Grammys have introduced a new category for best traditional country album and renamed the existing best country album category to best contemporary country album. The distinction between the two categories remains unclear. Notably, Morgan Wallen did not submit his hit album "I'm the Problem" for consideration this year. The Weeknd, who criticized the Grammys in 2020, did not receive any nominations this year despite submitting his album "Hurry Up Tomorrow" in multiple categories.
K-pop artists have received more recognition this year, with Rosé becoming the first K-pop artist to be nominated in the record of the year category for her song "APT." Bad Bunny is a top nominee with 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 acknowledging more Spanish-language music, with Bad Bunny leading the way.
The evolving and diversifying electorate of the Recording Academy may lead to more openness to Latino performers in the future. Despite not receiving a nomination for producer of the year, non-classical, Jack Antonoff is tied for the second most Grammy nominees this year, recognized for his work with Kendrick Lamar and Sabrina Carpenter. The 2026 Grammy Awards promise to be an exciting event with a diverse range of nominees across various genres.