The nominees for the 2026 Grammy Awards have been announced, with Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar leading the field. In a historic moment for K-Pop, the genre has broken into the prestigious Song of the Year category for the first time. This year’s nominations reflect a diverse and dynamic music landscape, featuring a wide range of artists across genres and nationalities.
Kendrick Lamar, the critically acclaimed rapper from Compton, once again leads all nominees with nine nods, including a coveted Album of the Year nomination for his latest work, *GNX*. This marks the second consecutive year that Lamar has topped the nominations list. His album is noted for its sleek and fiery production, underscoring Lamar’s reputation as one of the most innovative voices in hip-hop. Despite multiple previous nominations for Album of the Year, Lamar has yet to win in this top category.
Lady Gaga also makes a strong showing with seven nominations overall, including an Album of the Year nod for *Mayhem*. This album is seen as a return to her electro-pop roots and draws heavily on her personal history, highlighting her artistic evolution. Like Lamar, Gaga has been nominated five times previously in the Album of the Year category but has never taken home the award.
The 2026 Grammys also mark a significant milestone for K-Pop artists. Two songs from the genre have been shortlisted for Song of the Year: “APT,” a bubbly pop track by Rosé in collaboration with Bruno Mars, and “Golden,” the breakout hit from the Netflix animated film *K-Pop Demon Hunters* by the band Hunter/x. Rosé, a member of the globally successful girl group Blackpink, is the first K-Pop idol ever nominated for any of the Grammys’ “Big Four” awards—Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist. “APT,” which cleverly riffs on Toni Basil’s 1980s hit “Mickey,” is also nominated for Best Pop Duet, and its co-writer Amy Allen is up for Songwriter of the Year. Meanwhile, Hunter/x makes history as the first animated band nominated in a major category, echoing the earlier success of Damon Albarn’s animated band Gorillaz.
In the Album of the Year category, Lamar faces stiff competition from several notable artists. Tyler, The Creator is nominated for *Chromakopia*, an album praised for its wild inventiveness, while the legendary hip-hop duo Clipse returns with *Let God Sort Em Out*, their first album since 2009. This is the first time in Grammy history that three rap albums have been shortlisted for Album of the Year, marking a landmark moment for the genre. Additionally, Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny earns a nomination for *Debí Tirar Más Fotos*, an album that blends live instrumentation with reggaeton and traditional Puerto Rican styles like plena. This is only the second time a fully Spanish-language album has been nominated for Album of the Year, the first being Bad Bunny’s own 2022 release *Un Verano Sin Ti*. Bad Bunny is also set to headline the half-time show at the 2026 Super Bowl, underscoring his rising global profile.
Other notable nominees include Sabrina Carpenter, who won two Grammys last year and has garnered six nominations this year. Her nominations span Best Album, Best Pop Album, and Song of the Year for “Manchild,” a country-pop crossover track. UK rising star Alex Warren is nominated for Best New Artist, thanks to his devotional love song “Ordinary,” which has become the most popular single in the UK this year.
The nominations also highlight some unexpected entries. Actor Timothée Chalamet has been nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack for his album of Bob Dylan songs featured in the film biopic *A Complete Unknown*. In a surprising twist, the Dalai Lama is shortlisted for Best Audiobook alongside the autobiography of Milli Vanilli’s Fab Morvan and other contenders.
British artists Olivia Dean and Lola Young continue the UK’s strong presence in the Best New Artist category, joining a competitive field that includes US pop sensation Addison Rae and global girl group Katseye. Lola Young’s hit “Messy” is also nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance.
The Isle of Wight indie band Wet Leg is nominated for Best Alternative Album (*Moisturizer*) and Best Alternative Song (“Mangetout”), categories they previously won in 2023. They are also