Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar lead the nominees for the 2026 Grammy Awards, while K-Pop has broken into the song of the year category for the first time.
For the second year in a row, Compton rapper Lamar has the most nominations – nine in total – including a coveted album of the year nod for the sleek, fiery GNX.
Gaga is also up for the main prize for Mayhem, a record that leans into her own history, and marks a return to her electro-pop roots. She has seven nominations overall.
Meanwhile, two K-Pop songs are shortlisted for song of the year: Rosé and Bruno Mars’ frothy pop hit APT, and Hunter/x’s Golden, the breakout hit from Netflix’s animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters.
Both Gaga and Lamar have five previous nominations for album of the year, but neither has ever lifted the coveted gold gramophone in that category.
If Lamar wins next February, GNX would become the first rap album to earn the night’s main prize since Outkast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below in 2004.
He faces competition from fellow rap maverick Tyler, The Creator with his wildly inventive Chromakopia; and reunited hip-hop duo Clipse, whose Let God Sort Em Out is their first release since 2009.
It is the first time in Grammy history that three rap albums have made the shortlist for album of the year.
Also nominated is Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny – who is also set to headline next year’s Super Bowl half time show.
He’s shortlisted for the musically ambitious Debí Tirar Más Fotos, which fuses live instrumentation with the hip-swaying pulse of reggaeton.
British stars Olivia Dean and Lola Young have got their first ever Grammy nominations in the best new artist category, where they will compete against pop star Addison Rae and global girl group Katseye.
The nominees were revealed in a live stream by a host of stars, including 2025 winners Chappell Roan, Doechii and Sabrina Carpenter, and British stars such as Sam Smith and Marcus Mumford.
Who has the most nominations?
Kendrick Lamar – nine
Lady Gaga – seven
Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, Leon Thomas – six
The ‘big four’ awards
Song of the year
Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Doechii – Anxiety
Rosé & Bruno Mars – APT
Bad Bunny – DtMF
Hunter/x – Golden
Kendrick Lamar feat SZA – Luther
Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
Billie Eilish – Wildflower
Record of the year
Bad Bunny – DtMF
Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
Doechii – Anxiety
Billie Eilish – Wildflower
Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Kendrick Lamar feat SZA – Luther
Chappell Roan – The Subway
Rosé & Bruno Mars – APT
Album of the year
Bad Bunny – Debí Tirar Más Fotos
Justin Bieber – Swag
Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend
Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out
Lady Gaga – Mayhem
Kendrick Lamar – GNX
Leon Thomas – Mutt
Tyler, the Creator – Chromakopia
Best new artist
Olivia Dean
Katseye
The Marias
Addison Rae
Sombr
Leon Thomas
Alex Warren
Lola Young
Why isn’t Taylor Swift nominated?
This is the first time since 2006 that Taylor Swift hasn’t been eligible for the Grammys.
The star’s latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, was released in October, missing the cut-off point for nominations.
To qualify, a song or album must have been released between 31 August, 2024, and 30 August, 2025.
The Life of a Showgirl will therefore be eligible for the 2027 ceremony, and looks certain to secure Swift her eighth nomination for album of the year.
How are the Grammys decided?
Almost 23,000 entries were submitted for the 2026 Grammys awards.
The biggest field was for song of the year, which had 1,015 entries.
The least populated category was best compilation soundtrack for visual media, with just 48 entries.
Once the submissions are screened and verified, voting members take over. Nearly 15,000 musicians, critics and music industry professionals cast ballots to decide the final nominees.
After the publication of the shortlist, a final round voting will take place between 12 December and 5 January.
The winners will be announced at a star-studded ceremony in Los Angeles on 1 February 2026.
BBC
