It’s been a big year for rap, and accordingly, the Grammy 2026 nominations revealed three rap albums are up to be crowned the best of the year.
The Album of the Year 2026 nominations include Kendrick Lamar’s GNX; Tyler, The Creator’s CHROMAKOPIA; and Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out.
After its surprise drop in November 2024, GNX became the best-selling rap album of this year and became eligible to be certified double platinum, with K.Dot’s explosive Super Bowl halftime show (and the instant virality of the “Mustard” meme) highlighting the major success.
CHROMAKOPIA, arguably Tyler’s most personal album to date, spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and went platinum. Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and became the Complex cover stars’ best-selling album since 2002’s Lord Willin’.
Others up for 2026 Album of the Year include Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos, Lady Gaga’s MAYHEM, and Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend.
Rap last dominated the award show’s category in 2019, when Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy went against Drake’s Scorpion and the soundtrack for Black Panther that included multiple tracks from Lamar. Singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves ended up taking home the Grammy that year for Golden Hour.
K.Dot is also up for the 2026 Record of the Year for “Luther” with SZA, while Doechii is nominated in the category for “Anxiety.” The Best Rap Album nominations again include GNX, CHROMOKOPIA, and Let God Sort Em Out alongside GloRilla’s debut GLORIOUS and JID’s God Does Like Ugly.
See all of the Grammy 2026 categories and nominations here.