Grammy nominations announced ahead of 2026 ceremony
The Recording Academy revealed Grammy nominations on Friday morning ahead of the 2026 ceremony, starting months of celebration — and criticism — before the main event. Musicians like Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Doechii announced this year’s nominees during the live broadcast.
Leading the pack is Kendrick Lamar with 9 nominations. Lady Gaga follows closely with seven and becomes the most-nominated female artist for 2026, earning her fifth Album of the Year nod with “MAYHEM.”
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The Grammy trophy isn’t made of metal but of Grammium, a secret zinc alloy plated with 24-karat gold, created specifically for the awards.
Sabrina Carpenter scored her second consecutive Album of the Year nomination with “Man’s Best Friend.”
The Best New Artist category features breakout stars including KATSEYE and Olivia Dean, along with Addison Rae, Leon Thomas and Sombr, among others.
The eligibility window ran from Aug. 31, 2024, through Aug. 30, 2025 — meaning some fan favorites didn’t make the cut. Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl,” released Oct. 3, missed eligibility by just over a month.
Two new categories were added this year: Best Album Cover and Best Traditional Country Album. The latter sparked backlash online, with critics calling the move racially tone-deaf in the wake of Beyoncé’s 2024 album “Cowboy Carter.” That album won Best Country Album at the 2025 Grammys, and some fans accused the Academy of creating a separate category to sidestep future inclusion debates.
The Academy said the new category had been in development long before Beyoncé’s release.
Music’s Biggest Night returns to downtown Los Angeles on Feb. 1, 2026. See the full list of nominees in the Big Six below and the full list of nominees here.
Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical
- Amy Allen
- Edgar Barrera
- Jessie Jo Dillon
- Tobias Jesso Jr.
- Laura Veltz
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
- Dan Auerback
- Cirkut
- Dijon
- Blake Mills
- Sounwave
Best New Artist
- Olivia Dean
- KATSEYE
- The Marias
- Addison Rae
- Sombr
- Leon Thomas
- Alex Warren
- Lola Young
Song of the Year
- Abracadabra – Lady Gaga
- Anxiety – Doechii
- APT. – Bruno Mars and Rosé
- DtMF – Bad Bunny
- Golden – KPop Demon Hunters
- luther – Kendrick Lamar With SZA
- Manchild – Sabrina Carpenter
- WILDFLOWER – Billie Eilish
Record of the Year
- DtMF – Bad Bunny
- Manchild – Sabrina Carpenter
- Anxiety – Doechii
- WILDFLOWER – Billie Eilish
- Abracadabra – Lady Gaga
- luther – Kendrick Lamar With SZA
- The Subway – Chappell Roan
- APT. – ROSÉ, Bruno Mars
Album of the Year
- DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS – Bad Bunny
- SWAG – Justin Bieber
- Man’s Best Friend – Sabrina Carpenter
- Let God Sort Em Out – Clipse
- MAYHEM – Lady Gaga
- GNX – Kendrick Lamar
- MUTT – Leon Thomas
- CHROMAKOPIA – Tyler, the Creator
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
