2026 Grammy Nominations Review

The Grammy Awards are considered the most popular and prestigious award in music, being one of the greatest awards an artist can earn. Every year, millions of people watch to see the winner in each respective category. This year, artists like Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, and Lady Gaga dominate the nominees, leaving the question: who out of these artists will take home the Grammy? Listed below are some of the nominees that we believe are the frontrunners to earn this esteemed award.

Album of the Year:

The Grammy nominations for Album of the Year were recently announced, and this year’s list is full of popular names and bold projects. The lineup includes DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS by Bad Bunny, SWAG by Justin Bieber, Man’s Best Friend by Sabrina Carpenter, Let God Sort Em Out by Clipse, MAYHEM by Lady Gaga, GNX by Kendrick Lamar, MUTT by Leon Thomas, and CHROMAKOPIA by Tyler, The Creator. One of the most talked-about projects is Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out (LGSEO), a sharp and powerful comeback project by Pusha T and Malice. Critics have praised the lyricism and production, calling it one of the strongest albums of the year. With such a competitive lineup, the winner is hard to predict, but many fans believe LGSEO has the potential to take home the Grammy. 

Record of the Year nominees:

Another main award is Record of the Year, which is the best-produced and performed record. This year’s nominees are  “DtMF” by Bad Bunny, “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter, “Anxiety” by Doechii, “WILDFLOWER” by Billie Eilish, “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga, “luther” by Kendrick Lamar and SZA, “The Subway” by Chappell Roan, and “APT.” by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars. Among them, “luther” is a standout in the crowd, taking over the internet with its hypnotizing production and the powerful chemistry between Kendrick Lamar and SZA. Both fans and critics are calling it one of the most impactful and defining tracks of the year. With so many strong contenders, the category is shaping up to be one of the most competitive of the night. 

Song of the Year nominees:

The Song of the Year category is also packed with major contenders, highlighting some of the strongest songwriting of the year. The nominees are “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga, “Anxiety” by Doechii, “APT.” by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars, “DtMF” by Bad Bunny, “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters by HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and REI AMI, “luther” by Kendrick Lamar with SZA, “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter, and “WILDFLOWER” by Billie Eilish. Among this diverse lineup, “WILDFLOWER” has gained massive popularity for its emotional depth and cinematic writing. Critics have praised the song’s storytelling and powerful delivery. Fans consider it one of Billie Eilish’s finest tracks yet, giving it a strong chance to take home the award.

Best New Artist

Rounding off the “big four” categories is Best New Artist. This year’s rising stars are Olivia Dean, KATSEYE, The Marias, Addison Rae, sombr, Leon Thomas, Alex Warren, and Lola Young. While the field is diverse and competitive, Leon Thomas has emerged as a clear standout thanks to his unique blend of R&B, soul, and genre-bending production. His breakout year and growing critical praise have many predicting he’ll take home the award. 

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical:

Producers are the backbone of a track, and deserve to be recognized for their contributions in the Producer of the Year, Non-Classical category. This year, those nominated for this category are Dan Auerbach, responsible for albums like Love is Cruel, Cirkut, for the multi-nominated hit “APT.”, Dijon, for Justin Bieber's Swag, Blake Mills for “Glory”, and Sounwave for Kendrick Lamar’s celebrated GNX. Sounwave has been Kendrick’s main producer for years, helping create some of his other popular albums, including DAMN. and “To Pimp A Butterfly”. His newly produced album, GNX, is no different, successfully capturing Kendrick’s unique style that listeners love. Based on the success of GNX and his reputation, Sounwave should be the one to take the Grammy home.

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:

This year’s Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category has many song collaborations, many of which are well-recognized and excellent tracks. These songs are “Defying Gravity” by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, “Golden [From “KPop Demon Hunters”]” by HUNTR/X, “Gabriela” by KATSEYE, “APT.” by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars, and “30 For 30” by SZA and Kendrick Lamar.  “APT.” ROSÉ and Bruno Mars have a solid chance of winning this award, with ROSÉ breaking multiple records as a solo K-pop artist, such as being the longest charting song by a solo K-pop artist on Billboard top 100, spending 41 weeks there. With simple lyrics and a catchy chorus, this song was quickly beloved by listeners. It topped charts in Korea and the US due to its inclusion of a Korean drinking game, also giving it cultural depth, along with being a fun and flirty song. For these reasons, “APT.” should prevail in this category.

Best Rap Song: 

This category for Best Rap Song goes to the song with the best lyricism and writing. The nominees are “Anxiety” by Doechii, “The Birds Don't Sing” by Clipse, Pusha T & Malice Featuring John Legend and Voices Of Fire, “Sticky” by Tyler, The Creator Featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne, TGIF by GloRilla, and “tv off” by Kendrick Lamar. Out of these tracks, “The Birds Don’t Sing” has the best lyricism, as a raw, emotional story of how Clipse (Pusha T and Malice) reacted to their parents’ deaths. This gives the song a somber tone and listeners an emotional response as they grieve the loss of a father figure, expressing their shock and tragic pain. For its skillful storytelling and use of metaphors and rhymes, this song deserves to win this award.

Best Rap album: 

The Best Rap Album of the year is awarded to the best written, performed, and produced album of the genre that has been released. This year’s nominees for this category are “Let God Sort Em Out” by Clipse, Pusha T & Malice, GLORIOUS by GloRilla, “God Does Like Ugly” by JID, “GNX” by Kendrick Lamar, and “CHROMAKOPIA” by Tyler, The Creator. “God Does Like Ugly” is the strongest contender, as the most recent release of the popular rapper JID. Known for his quick flow, clever rhymes, and metaphors, this album delivers exactly what fans wanted. This album uses experimental production techniques combined with JID’s rapping skills, as he goes deeper into struggles with religion, fatherhood, and street life. This album is a work of lyrical genius, as well as a high-risk leap into a new production style, which is why it is likely to win this award.

Best Rap Performance:

The Best Rap Performance goes to the song with the best sound, flow, and overall quality. The nominees are “Outside” by Cardi B, “Chains & Whips” by Clipse, Pusha T & Malice Featuring Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams, “Anxiety” by Doechii, “tv off” by Kendrick Lamar Featuring Lefty Gunplay, and “Darling, I” by Tyler, The Creator Featuring Teezo Touchdown. Out of these, the most exceptional is “Chains & Whips” by Clipse, off of the critically-acclaimed album nominated for other categories, “Let God Sort ‘em Out”. This song tackles political, social, and religious topics, with Clipse’s exceptional rapping skills and a sick beat produced by Pharrell Williams. Kendrick Lamar is also featured on this song, giving it a faster and more diverse sound, adding to its sound complexity and meaning. 

Best R&B Album

The Best R&B Album category is especially strong this year, highlighting some of the genre’s most impressive vocalists and storytellers. The nominees include BELOVED by GIVĒON, Why Not More by Coco Jones, The Crown by Ledisi, Escape Room by Teyana Taylor, and MUTT by Leon Thomas. Among these acclaimed projects, Leon Thomas’s MUTT has captured major attention for its innovative productions and vocals. The project quickly took over the internet, fans and critics praising it alike. With its momentum and critical buzz, MUTT is widely seen as the favorite to win.