Kendrick Lamar Dominates Grammy Nominations Once Again
Rap superstar Kendrick Lamar has emerged as the frontrunner for the 68th Grammy Awards, securing an impressive nine nominations across major categories. The 38-year-old artist, who swept last year's ceremony with five wins for his diss track Not Like Us, finds himself in contention for the prestigious Record, Song, and Album of the Year awards.
A Diverse Field of Nominees
The Recording Academy revealed a remarkably varied list of contenders for the 2026 ceremony, blending established icons with exciting newcomers. Following closely behind Lamar's nine nominations are Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff, and Canadian producer Cirkut, each earning seven nods. Pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter received six nominations, matching her tally from the previous year.
The Album of the Year category showcases exceptional diversity, featuring Lamar's GNX alongside Lady Gaga's Mayhem and Bad Bunny's Debí Tirar Más Fotos. Notably, Bad Bunny's album represents only the second all-Spanish language album ever nominated in this top category, following his own 2023 release Un Verano Sin Ti. Other contenders include Sabrina Carpenter's Man's Best Friend, Justin Bieber's Swag, and Tyler, the Creator's Chromakopia.
Despite releasing The Life Of A Showgirl earlier this year, Taylor Swift missed the eligibility window for album nominations, which ran from 31 August 2024 to 30 August 2025.
K-pop's Historic Grammy Breakthrough
In a significant development for the global music industry, K-pop has made its mark on this year's Grammy nominations. Following years of being largely overlooked by the Recording Academy, two K-pop tracks have earned recognition in the Best Song category.
Golden, the lead single from global phenomenon KPop Demon Hunters, and APT, the megahit collaboration between former Blackpink member Rosé and Bruno Mars, both secured nominations. Rosé earned nods in four additional categories, including Best Record, while KPop Demon Hunters received three other nominations, including Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
This represents a major step forward for the genre, as BTS were previously the only K-pop artists to receive Grammy recognition.
British Talent and Surprise Nominees
British music is well-represented in this year's nominations, with rising star Lola Young, niece of acclaimed children's author Julia Donaldson, earning a nomination for Best New Artist alongside fellow UK artist Olivia Dean. Both artists topped the UK charts this year and will compete against international acts including KATSEYE, The Marias, and Addison Rae.
In less expected Grammy news, Sir Elton John received a nomination alongside American singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile for Never Too Late, featured in the soundtrack of his 2024 documentary. Meanwhile, actor Timothée Chalamet earned his first Grammy nod in the Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media category for his work on Oscar-nominated Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.
The nominations were announced by past Grammy winners, including Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, and last year's Best New Artist winner Chappell Roan. In a touching tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away in July, his family Sharon, Kelly and Jack Osbourne came together to announce the rock and metal album nominations.
The 68th Grammy Awards will take place on Sunday, 1 February 2026 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with winners chosen by the approximately 15,000 voting members of the Recording Academy.
