Quick, someone hand Kendrick Lamar a Grammy nomination right now.
On Friday, Nov. 7, the Recording Academy announced the nominees for the 2026 Grammys, and the big winner (so far) is, of course, Kendrick, who still has a GNX glow to him. The rapper, who nearly swept the awards last year with one song, “Not Like Us”, leads the pack with nine Grammy nominations, including three of the four major categories: Record of the Year and Song of the Year (both for “Luther” with SZA), and Album of the Year (for GNX). Amazingly, Kendrick now has 66 career nominations.
Of course, Dot isn’t the only big winner. Lady Gaga scored seven nominations, while Bad Bunny and Leon Thomas upstart each landed six (more on that later). It’s also a huge year for rap: for the first time ever, three rap albums—GNX, Clipse's Let God Sort Em Out, and Tyler, the Creator's Chromakopia—are up for Album of the Year. (Also, more on that later.)
The Grammys will take place on Feb 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. That gives us plenty of time to marinate on what these nominations and trends might mean. In the meantime, here are some immediate takeaways from the 2026 Grammy nominations.
Wait...so hip-hop isn’t cooked after all?
For the last couple of weeks, the dominant narrative around hip-hop was of concern. For the first time in 35 years, there were no rap songs in the Top 40. What a difference a couple of weeks makes. Rap music is now one of the big winners of the 2026 Grammy nominations. Not only did Kendrick Lamar receive the most nominations, but Clipse—who released one of the albums of the year—earned an Album of the Year nod alongside Tyler, the Creator. It’s worth noting that last year, no rap albums were nominated in that category.
In one sense, this is good news for a genre that’s had a rough year commercially. But it also highlights how the Grammys tend to favor rap that’s more indebted to the sounds of the last 30 years—lyrically driven and often deeply personal—rather than reflecting some of the newer stylistic shifts shaping the genre today. That said, who would have thought that when Clipse were dropping We Got It 4 Cheap tapes in the 2000s, they’d one day be up for Album of the Year? —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
Playboi Carti was the biggest snub
With all of the rap love, it should be noted that Playboi Carti, who has only been nominated as a featured artist, was snubbed from all nominations for the 2025 Grammys. Given the hype and success around MUSIC, and the fact that his team actively submitted him for consideration, this is somewhat disappointing.
Carti serves as a litmus test for whether Rage can reach a new level of critical acclaim. However, it seems the Recording Academy is not ready to have that conversation. I'm sure Carti will one day get his own grammy nominations Let's just not make it 2036. —Antonio Johri
Speaking of snubs, what the hell happened with The Weeknd
Last year, The Weeknd made his triumphant return to the Grammys, just a couple of years after publicly declaring that he was done with the academy.
It was a surprising moment—one that you might expect would generate some goodwill from the academy. Yet, once again, The Weeknd was snubbed, failing to receive a single nomination.
One of the songs he performed at the Grammys was “Timeless,” his collaboration with Playboi Carti. Looking back, it’s laughable—because that’s exactly the track that should have been nominated. “Timeless” is a genuinely popular and forward-thinking pop song, but it was completely overlooked. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
The Leon Thomas glow up
It’s crazy to think that Leon Thomas III—who started his career with a starring role on the Nickelodeon show Victorious—has the third-most nominations this year. Leon is one of the breakout nominees, with his album Mutt earning a Best Album of the Year nod. Will the album win? That’s tough, especially with such a stacked lineup. But he’s received enough nominations across diverse categories—ranging from Traditional R&B Performance to Best R&B Song—that he’s likely to take home at least one trophy. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
Tyler, the Creator—the legend in two categories
Tyler, the Creator doesn’t like boxes. A multiple-time Rap Album of the Year winner, he has often spoken out against having his music strictly categorized as “urban.”
Following the releases of Chromakopia in October 2024 and the dance-influenced Don’t Tap the Glass, Tyler became just the second rapper—after Kanye West—to receive nominations for two albums in the same year.
Interestingly, the Recording Academy placed Chromakopia in the Best Rap Album category while categorizing Don’t Tap the Glass as Best Alternative Music.
At a time when most artists struggle to release a single album and secure even one nomination, having two separate projects recognized in two vastly different categories in the same year is nothing short of monumental. —Antonio Johri
Kendrick Lamar is looking unstoppable
Can anyone stop the Kendrick train? One advantage of being the most decorated artist of your generation is that organizations and academies grow accustomed to handing you trophies. That’s why Kendrick is—and should be—a heavy favorite to win most of the night’s biggest awards. If I were a better person, I might even wager that he takes home record, song, and album of the year.
The only real competition might come from Bad Bunny, who had a truly transcendent year and is gearing up to perform at the Super Bowl. There’s also a slim chance for Lady Gaga, whose throwback pop sound on Mayhem could resonate with voters who love shit like that.
But for now, the smart money is on Kendrick. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
Plaqueboymax on his way to EGOT status?
Kai Cenat and IShowSpeed have been touring the world, bringing major celebrities onto livestreams and drawing huge audiences.
But in music, it’s hard to find a streamer more impactful than Plaqueboymax, who blew up thanks in part to his In the Booth series. Now, he might finally be getting the awards to match his influence. Plaqueboymax just received his first Grammy nomination—for Best Dance/Electronic Recording for “Victory Lap,” his collaboration with Fred again.. and Skepta.
Imagine writing that sentence even a year ago? —Antonio Johri