Kendrick Lamar tops Grammy 2026 list with nine nominations, marking another milestone in rap history

Kendrick Lamar is once again front and centre at the Grammys. The rapper has bagged nine nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards, the most for any artist this time. Three among them, including record, song and album of the year, put him in contention for the night’s biggest prizes.

Kendrick Lamar dominates 2026 Grammy nominations with nine nods

This marks the third time Lamar has been nominated across all three top categories in one year. It also makes him and SZA the first duet partners to receive two Record of the Year nominations together.

With 22 Grammy wins and 66 total nominations, Lamar’s latest album GNX keeps his streak alive - it is now his fifth straight record to earn an Album of the Year nod. No other solo artist in Grammy history has managed that.

If GNX wins, it will be his first time taking home the night’s top trophy - and only the third time a rap album has done it, after Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1999) and Outkast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2004).

Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff and Cirkut follow close behind

Behind Lamar are Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff, and Cirkut, each landing seven nominations. Gaga’s Abracadabra era has her competing in the same heavyweight categories - record, song and album of the year - all at once for the first time in her career.

She is also named in several pop fields, including pop solo performance, vocal album, dance pop recording and traditional pop vocal album.

Antonoff, who produced tracks for both Lamar and Sabrina Carpenter, earned double nominations for record, song, and album of the year. Though he missed the Producer of the Year shortlist again, he snagged his first-ever rap nomination with TV Off, a collaboration with Lamar and Lefty Gunplay.

Canadian hitmaker Cirkut scored multiple nods too, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year for Gaga’s Abracadabra and Rosé and Bruno Mars’ APT. He is also in the running for Best Dance Pop Recording.

New faces, snubs and firsts

The Album of the Year race is unusually wide open - none of the nominees has ever won it before. Alongside Lamar are Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos, Justin Bieber’s Swag, and Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend. It is also the first time three rap albums have appeared in this category and only the second time an all-Spanish record made the list.

Bieber landed four nominations overall, including Best R&B Performance for Yukon, which could mark the start of a major comeback ahead of his 2026 Coachella headlining slot.

Among surprises, The Weeknd, who ended his public Grammys boycott last year, walked away empty-handed for Hurry Up Tomorrow.

Also Read: Grammys Awards 2026 nominations: From The Weekend to Lorde, check out shocking snubs this year

The Best New Artist category is stacked with fresh faces: Katseye, Olivia Dean, Leon Thomas, and Alex Warren. Thomas in particular is having a breakout moment with six total nods, including one for album of the year.

K-pop also breaks new ground. Rosé becomes the first K-pop solo artist nominated for Record of the Year, while the Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters grabbed four nominations, including three tied to its viral track Golden.

The 2026 Grammy Awards will air live from Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on February 1, 2026.

Also Read: Bad Bunny makes Grammys history with triple major nominations for Spanish-language album

FAQs

Who received the most Grammy nominations for 2026?

Kendrick Lamar leads with nine nominations.

Which artists follow Lamar in nominations?

Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff, and Cirkut earned seven each.

What album is Kendrick Lamar nominated for?

He’s nominated for GNX, his fifth consecutive album to receive an Album of the Year nod.

Did The Weeknd receive any nominations this year?

No, The Weeknd did not earn any nominations for his album Hurry Up Tomorrow.