Grammy 2026 Nominations

The 2026 Grammy nominations reflect a moment of musical fluidity, ambition, and global conversation. At the forefront, Kendrick Lamar receives nine nominations for his sprawling album GNX and the collaboration with SZA titled “Luther,” underscoring his enduring role as a cultural force whose work transcends hip hop. Lady Gaga follows with seven nominations for her project Mayhem, a theatrical reinvention that affirms her creative restlessness and willingness to remodel herself. Bad Bunny earns six nominations for Debí Tirar Más Fotos, marking a milestone that Latin music is not simply present in global pop but central to it. Sabrina Carpenter also lands six nominations, including for Album and Record of the Year. Her crisp pop storytelling signals a transformation into a serious artist rather than just a star. Justin Bieber’s return with SWAG blends mature R&B tones with sleek songwriting, realigning him as a versatile voice in mainstream music. Amongst others, Tyler the Creator’s CHROMAKOPIA is also a strong contender, as he reimagines his sound once again.

Lady Gaga

Bad Bunny

Kendrick Lamar

Rosé & Bruno Mars

Beyond these headline names, the nominations signal shifting cultural currents. K pop manifests powerfully this year. Rosé’s duet with Bruno Mars “APT.” receives nods for Record and Song of the Year, reflecting her crossover appeal and the permeability of global boundaries in pop. HUNTR/X, the collaborative project by EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami scores a Song of the Year nomination for “Golden,” an atmospheric track that captures K pop’s evolution from spectacle into emotional nuance and genre fusion. Rising K pop group Katseye appears in Best New Artist, indicating the latest generation is less about performance alone and more about identity, innovation and creative voice.

sombr, Nominated for “Best New Artist”

Addison Rae, Nominated for “Best New Artist”

KATSEYE, Nominated for “Best New Artist”

The Best New Artist lineup further exemplifies the moment. Katseye leads a diverse cohort alongside Olivia Dean, whose soulful jazz inflected pop draws on British songwriting traditions; Addison Rae, whose transition from internet fame into intimate alt pop disrupts expectations of how artists emerge; Sombr, whose subtle, genre fluid writing has drawn critical attention for its quiet emotional depth; Alex Warren and Lola Young offering their own distinct flavors. These nominees treat genre as palette rather than category, creating work that is personal, global and unmistakably reflective of now.

What defines this year is not a single sound but a collective sense of reinvention. The most powerful artists are not simply following currents. They are creating them. Whether that is Kendrick Lamar pushing narrative scale, Lady Gaga reimagining pop, Bad Bunny bridging cultural spaces, Sabrina Carpenter asserting songwriting integrity, or Tyler the Creator exploring self evolution, the underlying thread is transformation. Music feels borderless, ambitious and more interconnected than ever.