Grammy nominations 2026: Surprises, snubs, and lineup no one saw coming

The Grammy race is officially on — and it’s shaping up to be a showdown. Kendrick Lamar leads the 2026 nominations with nine nods, topping every major category after a blockbuster year with his album GNX.

Right behind him is Lady Gaga with seven nominations for her theatrical pop record, Mayhem, while Bad Bunny makes history again with six, finally breaking into the top categories that once overlooked Latin music.

The Recording Academy revealed the full list of nominees Friday, setting the stage for one of the most competitive years in recent memory. Here’s who’s in the running for music’s biggest night.

Major Categories

Song of the Year

Lady Gaga – Abracadabra

Doechii – Anxiety

Rose & 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

Rose & Bruno Mars – APT

Album of the Year

Bad Bunny – DeBI TiRAR MaS 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

Pop & Dance

Best Pop Vocal Album

Justin Bieber – Swag

Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend

Miley Cyrus – Something Beautiful

Lady Gaga – Mayhem

Teddy Swims – I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy Pt. 2

Best Pop Solo Performance

Justin Bieber – Daisies

Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild

Lady Gaga – Disease

Chappell Roan – The Subway

Lola Young – Messy

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande – Defying Gravity

Huntr/x – Golden

Katseye – Gabriela

Rose & Bruno Mars – APT

SZA with Kendrick Lamar – 30 For 30

Best Dance/Electronic Recording

Disclosure & Anderson .Paak – No Cap

Fred again.., Skepta & PlaqueBoyMax – Victory Lap

Kaytranada – Space Invader

Skrillex – Voltage

Tame Impala – End Of Summer

Best Dance/Electronic Album

FKA Twigs – Eusexua

Fred again.. – Ten Days

PinkPantheress – Fancy That

Rufus Du Sol – Inhale / Exhale

Skrillex – F** U Skrillex You Think Ur Andy Warhol But Ur Not!!

Best Dance/Pop Recording

Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco – Bluest Flame

Lady Gaga – Abracadabra

Zara Larsson – Midnight Sun

Tate McRae – Just Keep Watching

PinkPantheress – Illegal

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Laila Biali – Wintersongs

Jennifer Hudson – The Gift Of Love

Elton John & Brandi Carlile – Who Believes In Angels?

Lady Gaga – Harlequin

Laufey – A Matter Of Time

Barbra Streisand – The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume 2

Latin Music

Best Latin Pop Album

Rauw Alejandro – Cosa Nuestra

Andres Cepeda – Bogota (Deluxe)

Karol G – Tropicoqueta

Natalia Lafourcade – Cancionera

Alejandro Sanz – ¿Y ahora qué?

Best Musica Urbana Album

Bad Bunny – DeBI TiRAR MaS FOToS

J Balvin – Mixteip

Feid – Ferxxo Vol X: Sagrado

Nicki Nicole – Naiki

Trueno – Eub Deluxe

Yandel – Sinfonico (En Vivo)

Rock & Metal

Best Rock Performance

Amyl and The Sniffers – U Should Not Be Doing That

Linkin Park – The Emptiness Machine

Turnstile – Never Enough

Hayley Williams – Mirtazapine

Yungblud ft Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman, II – Changes (Live From Villa Park)

Best Rock Song

Nine Inch Nails – As Alive As You Need Me To Be

Sleep Token – Caramel

Hayley Williams – Glum

Turnstile – Never Enough

Yungblud – Zombie

Best Rock Album

Deftones – Private Music

Haim – I Quit

Linkin Park – From Zero

Turnstile – Never Enough

Yungblud – Idols

Best Alternative Music Album

Bon Iver – Sable, Fable

The Cure – Songs Of A Lost World

Tyler, the Creator – Don’t Tap the Glass

Wet Leg – Moisturizer

Hayley Williams – Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party

Best Metal Performance

Dream Theater – Night Terror

Ghost – Lachryma

Sleep Token – Emergence

Spiritbox – Soft Spine

Turnstile – Birds

Rap

Best Rap Performance

Cardi B – Outside

Clipse, Pusha T & Malice feat. Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams – Chains & Whips

Doechii – Anxiety

Kendrick Lamar feat. Lefty Gunplay – TV Off

Tyler, the Creator feat. Teezo Touchdown – Darling, I

Best Melodic Rap Performance

Fridayy feat. Meek Mill – Proud Of Me

JID feat. Ty Dolla $ign & 6Lack – Wholeheartedly

Kendrick Lamar with SZA – Luther

Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon feat. Rapsody – WeMaj

Partynextdoor & Drake – Somebody Loves Me

Best Rap Song

Doechii – Anxiety

Clipse, Pusha T & Malice feat. John Legend & Voices of Fire – The Birds Don’t Sing

Tyler, the Creator feat. GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne – Sticky

GloRilla – TGIF

Kendrick Lamar feat. Lefty Gunplay – TV Off

Best Rap Album

Clipse, Pusha T & Malice – Let God Sort Em Out

GloRilla – Glorious

JID – God Does Like Ugly

Kendrick Lamar – GNX

Tyler, the Creator – Chromakopia

Country

Best Country Solo Performance

Tyler Childers – Nose On The Grindstone

Shaboozey – Good News

Chris Stapleton – Bad As I Used To Be

Zach Top – I Never Lie

Lainey Wilson – Somewhere Over Laredo

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton – A Song To Sing

Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert & Lainey Wilson – Trailblazer

Margo Price & Tyler Childers – Love Me Like You Used To Do

Shaboozey & Jelly Roll – Amen

George Strait & Chris Stapleton – Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame

Best Country Song

Tyler Childers – Bitin’ List

Shaboozey – Good News

Zach Top – I Never Lie

Lainey Wilson – Somewhere Over Laredo

Chris Stapleton – A Song To Sing

Best Contemporary Country Album

Kelsea Ballerini – Patterns

Tyler Childers – Snipe Hunter

Eric Church – Evangeline vs The Machine

Jelly Roll – Beautifully Broken

Miranda Lambert – Postcards From Texas

R&B & African Music

Best R&B Performance

Justin Bieber – Yukon

Chris Brown feat. Bryson Tiller – It Depends

Kehlani – Folded

Leon Thomas – Mutt (Live From NPR’s Tiny Desk)

Summer Walker – Heart Of A Woman

Best R&B Song

Kehlani – Folded

Summer Walker – Heart Of A Woman

Chris Brown feat. Bryson Tiller – It Depends

Durand Bernarr – Overqualified

Leon Thomas – Yes It Is

Best R&B Album

Giveon – Beloved

Coco Jones – Why Not More?

Ledisi – The Crown

Teyana Taylor – Escape Room

Leon Thomas – Mutt

Best African Music Performance

Burna Boy – Love

Davido feat. Omah Lay – With You

Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin – Hope & Love

Ayra Starr feat. Wizkid – Gimme Dat

Tyla – Push 2 Start

Production & Songwriting

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical

Dan Auerbach, Cirkut, Dijon, Blake Mills, Sounwave

Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical

Amy Allen, Edgar Barrera, Jessie Jo Dillon, Tobias Jesso Jr., Laura Veltz

The winners will be announced live on February 1, 2026, starting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, streaming globally.

Between Kendrick’s creative dominance, Gaga’s theatrical flair, and Bad Bunny’s global impact — this year’s Grammys are more than a competition. They’re a culture clash, and everyone’s invited to watch it play out live.