In brief
Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga have topped the nominations for the upcoming 2026 Grammy Awards, with Lamar receiving nine nominations and Gaga seven. Notably, this year marks the first inclusion of K-Pop in the Song of the Year category. Lamar's album 'GNX' and Gaga's 'Mayhem' lead the prestigious album nominations. This year's awards reflect a notable trend of diverse musical genres making their mark on one of music's biggest nights.
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 consecutive year, Compton rapper Lamar boasts 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, marking 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 yet claimed the prestigious award. Lamar is coming off a series of wins for his sharp diss track Not Like Us at the 2025 Grammys. If he secures album of the year in February, GNX will be the first rap album to win the top prize since Outkast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below in 2004.
He faces competition from fellow rap maverick Tyler, The Creator with his inventive Chromakopia; and reunited hip-hop duo Clipse, whose Let God Sort Em Out is their first release since 2009.
This year features a historic first as three rap albums make the shortlist for album of the year. Also nominated is Bad Bunny, recognized for the musically ambitious Debí Tirar Más Fotos, creatively blending live instrumentation with reggaeton and traditional Puerto Rican styles.
Bad Bunny's album is only the second entirely Spanish-language album to be shortlisted for album of the year, following his 2022 release Un Verano Sin Ti.
The nominations also highlight cultural shifts with the inclusion of songs crossing genres and reaching diverse audiences. This year’s Grammy ceremony promises to be an exciting event as artists from various genres unite for a night of celebration.
