Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga Dominate 2026 Grammy Nominations

Sat Nov 08 2025 20:42:23 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The 2026 Grammy nominations are led by Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga, marking a significant year with K-Pop making its debut in the Song of the Year category.

Kendrick Lamar garners an impressive nine nominations while Lady Gaga follows with seven. Both artists are contending for the Album of the Year, and K-Pop achieves a milestone with two nominations in the Song of the Year category. Lamar is the favorite for the main prize, hoping to become the first rapper to win Album of the Year since 2004. The nominations reflect a diverse landscape in music, with new talents and global genres making a notable impact.

Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar lead the nominees for the 2026 Grammy Awards, marking a year of exciting developments in the music industry. For the second consecutive year, Lamar, the Compton rapper, boasts the most nominations with a total of nine, including a nomination for the coveted Album of the Year for his project 'GNX.'

Lady Gaga also contends for the main prize with her album 'Mayhem,' which reflects her return to electro-pop roots, earning her seven nominations overall.

In a historic move, K-Pop makes its way into the Song of the Year category for the first time, with two nominations: 'APT' by Rosé and Bruno Mars, and 'Golden' by Hunter/x, the breakout hit from Netflix's animated film 'K-Pop Demon Hunters.'

Both artists, Gaga and Lamar, have previously been nominated for Album of the Year five times but have yet to secure a win. Lamar, following success at the 2025 Grammys with his diss track, is now an early favorite to claim the title, possibly making 'GNX' the first rap album to win this accolade since Outkast's 'Speakerboxxx/The Love Below' in 2004.

Competing against Lamar are hip-hop innovator Tyler, The Creator, with 'Chromakopia,' and Clipse, who have returned with their album 'Let God Sort Em Out' after a long hiatus since 2009. This marks a milestone, as it is the first time three rap albums have been shortlisted for the Album of the Year category.

Additionally, Puerto Rican sensation Bad Bunny receives recognition for 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos,' which blends traditional Puerto Rican styles with modern reggaeton, marking only the second entirely Spanish-language album to be nominated in this category.

The nominees for the ‘Big Four’ awards, including Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist, show a blend of established stars and fresh talent. Lady Gaga's nominations include her new single 'Abracadabra,' while Sabrina Carpenter emerges as a strong contender with multiple nominations, including one for her song 'Manchild.'

The announcement of the nominations on November 7, 2025, is only the beginning as we await the glitzy Grammy ceremony scheduled for February 1, 2026, in Los Angeles, where the winners will be revealed. This year's nominations not only highlight the year's best music but also signal the growing influence of diverse genres, including K-Pop, within mainstream music.