Kendrick Lamar tops the 2026 Grammy nominations with nine nods, followed by Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff and Canadian producer Cirkut.
Kendrick Lamar Takes Top Spot
Kendrick Lamar leads the 2026 Grammy Award nominations announced during a livestream Friday, earning nine nods across major categories. The ceremony will take place Feb. 1 at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena. Lamar’s album GNX is nominated for album of the year, marking the rapper’s fifth consecutive album to receive a nod in that category, a first in Grammy history.
Significance of the Major Categories
Three of Lamar’s nominations land in record, song and album of the year, placing him in a rare position and making him and SZA the first duet partners to receive two record of the year nominations. If GNX wins, it would be Lamar’s first victory in the top album category and only the third hip-hop album to take the honour.
Competitive Album of the Year Field
This year’s album of the year race features nominees who have never won the award before, including Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos, Justin Bieber’s Swag and Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend. It is also the first time three rap albums appear in the category and only the second time a fully Spanish-language album has been nominated.
Lady Gaga and Jack Antonoff in Strong Contention
Lady Gaga and producer Jack Antonoff follow with seven nominations each, reflecting their influence across pop, dance and alternative formats. Gaga is nominated simultaneously for song, record and album of the year for the first time, while Antonoff appears twice in each of the major categories due to his work with Lamar and Carpenter.
Canadian Spotlight: Cirkut and Bieber
Canadian producer-songwriter Cirkut also earned seven nominations, including record and song of the year for his work on Lady Gaga’s Abracadabra and Rosé and Bruno Mars’s APT.. Justin Bieber returned to the forefront with nominations for pop vocal album, pop solo performance and R&B performance. His 2026 schedule includes a Coachella headlining appearance, positioning the year as a potential artistic resurgence.
Surprises and Emerging Voices
The best new artist category features global girl group Katseye, Olivia Dean, Leon Thomas and Alex Warren, among others. Rosé of Blackpink became the first K-pop artist nominated for record of the year. Meanwhile, The Weeknd, who ended his Grammy boycott last year, was notably absent from this year’s nominations.
Looking Ahead to the Ceremony
The 2026 Grammy Awards will air live on Sunday, Feb. 1, from Los Angeles, where artists across pop, hip-hop, R&B and global music will compete for top honours. Full nominee lists are available through the Recording Academy.
