Rapper Kendrick Lamar has once again emerged as a frontrunner in the Grammy nominations, securing nine nods for the upcoming 2026 Grammy Awards. This marks the second consecutive year that Lamar leads the nominations, outpacing pop icon Lady Gaga, who has received seven nominations. Both artists will compete for the coveted Album of the Year award, with Lamar’s GNX and Gaga’s Mayhem vying for the prestigious honor. Notably, neither artist has previously won this award despite multiple nominations in the category.
Other contenders in the Album of the Year category include Bad Bunny for his Spanish-language album Debí Tirar Más Fotos, Justin Bieber for his album Swag, and Sabrina Carpenter for Man’s Best Friend. The nominations also reflect a strong representation of rap music, with three albums in contention: in addition to GNX, Tyler the Creator‘s Chromakopia and Let God Sort Em Out by the duo Clipse are also nominated.
Despite her impressive history, Taylor Swift‘s latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, is not eligible for this year’s awards as it was released after the Grammy eligibility window.
On the Australian front, Amyl and the Sniffers have received a nomination for Best Rock Performance for their song U Should Not Be Doing That. Tame Impala is nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album for End of Summer, while Rüfüs Du Sol competes for Best Dance/Electronic Song with their track Inhale/Exhale.
In a notable achievement, Bad Bunny, who is set to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show next year, has garnered six nominations. This includes nods for Record, Song, and Album of the Year, making him the first Latin artist to be nominated in all three major categories in the same year.
The Song of the Year category features two K-pop entries, highlighting the genre’s growing influence. Golden, from the soundtrack of KPop Demon Hunters, Netflix’s most-watched film, and Apt by Rosé and Bruno Mars are both recognized in this significant category.
In the Best New Artist category, Olivia Dean and Katseye will compete against Leon Thomas, Alex Warren, and others. Notably, Thomas also received an Album of the Year nomination for Mutt.
The Grammy winners will be determined by the approximately 15,000 voting members of the Recording Academy. The results will be unveiled during a red-carpet ceremony in Los Angeles on February 1, 2026.
