Gaga, Bad Bunny and rising global voices close in, turning 2026 nominations into a snapshot of pop’s changing order
LOS ANGELES:
Kendrick Lamar heads into the 2026 Grammy Awards as the undisputed frontrunner, earning nine nominations in a year that reflects both the changing face of the music industry and the enduring power of artistic reinvention.
The Recording Academy announced the list on Friday night, confirming Lamar’s dominance as he continues to redefine what a hip-hop artist can achieve at music’s biggest night. He is followed by seven nominations landed by Lady Gaga.
Fresh from winning five golden gramophones earlier this year, the 38-year-old rapper’s album ‘GNX’ is set to compete for the coveted album, record, and song of the year honours at the 68th Grammys, to be held in Los Angeles on February 1.
His main competition comes from Lady Gaga, who scored seven nominations for her theatrical and hard-edged pop return ‘Mayhem’, and Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny, who landed six nods, cementing his position as the global face of Latin music.
Lamar’s performance caps a remarkable run. Earlier this year, his explosive ‘Not Like Us’ — a viral track aimed at fellow rapper Drake — swept five Grammys and dominated the cultural conversation. A week later, he electrified millions as the Super Bowl halftime headliner, delivering a career-defining set that fused political firepower with artistic precision.
Curiously, ‘Not Like Us’ did not even feature on ‘GNX’, the record that now leads the nominations. That album, steeped in social reflection and lyrical dexterity, could finally earn Lamar his first album of the year trophy — a prize that has long eluded him despite near-universal critical acclaim.
“I think he’ll do it,” said Billboard awards editor Paul Grein, adding that Lamar could become the first solo male rap artist ever to win the category. “But you can never discount Lady Gaga, who is loved by everyone.”
Gaga’s resurgence has been no less dramatic. At 39, she has reinvented herself once again, trading in cinematic jazz stylings for the pulsing, theatrical energy of ‘Mayhem’. The album’s blend of dark pop and grandiose production has positioned her as a leading contender across the top categories, including album, record, and song of the year.
Her single ‘Abracadabra’ is also up for record of the year, competing alongside Lamar’s ‘Luther’, Bad Bunny’s ‘DtMF’, and the cross-genre hit ‘APT.’ by Rose and Bruno Mars.
Bad Bunny, meanwhile, continues to expand his global reach. The 31-year-old hit-maker, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is nominated in all three major categories — record, song, and album of the year — a first for a Latin artist in the same year.
His latest album ‘Debi Tirar Mas Fotos’ (I Should Have Taken More Photos) has also earned him nominations at next week’s Latin Grammys, while he prepares to headline the next Super Bowl halftime show. This year alone, he completed a sold-out three-month residency in Puerto Rico and even hosted the season premiere of ‘Saturday Night Live’.
In a year that highlights music’s globalisation, two K-pop titles broke through into the song of the year field: ‘Golden’ from Netflix’s animated phenomenon ‘KPop Demon Hunters’, and ‘APT.’ by Rose and Bruno Mars.
‘Golden’, one of the most streamed songs in the world, picked up three nominations, marking another milestone for the expanding influence of Korean pop in the mainstream. “Never did I imagine this level of success,” said Rei Ami, one of the voices behind the fictional K-pop group HUNTR/X featured in the film. “It’s really hard for all of us to process still.”
Other major contenders include R&B singer-songwriter Leon Thomas, who earned six nominations including best new artist and album of the year for ‘Mutt’. He will compete against British rising star Olivia Dean, TikTok dancer-turned-singer Addison Rae, girl group Katseye, Alex Warren, The Marias, Sombr, and Lola Young in a crowded best new artist category. Thomas already has one Grammy to his name for producing a track by SZA two years ago.
Three rap albums — Lamar’s ‘GNX’, Tyler, the Creator’s ‘Chromakopia’, and ‘Let God Sort ‘Em Out’ by hip-hop duo Clipse (Pusha T and Malice) — will also vie for the album of the year trophy, alongside pop juggernauts Gaga, Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, and Justin Bieber, who returns with ‘Swag’, his first studio album in four years. Producers Jack Antonoff and Cirkut earned seven nominations apiece.
Meanwhile, the Recording Academy announced two new categories — best album cover and best traditional country album — while renaming the existing country album category as best contemporary country album.
The inclusion of artists such as Bad Bunny, Rose, and Rei Ami alongside American heavyweights like Lamar and Gaga underscores a rebalancing of global influence within the Grammys’ top tiers.
Still, one glaring absence stands out — Taylor Swift. Her record-breaking album ‘The Life of a Showgirl’, which dominated charts and conversation since its release in October, was ruled ineligible because it missed the submission cutoff of August 30.
The pop titan, who has already won album of the year a record four times, will have to wait until 2027 to add to her tally. With 95 categories, dozens of fresh faces, and a more globally attuned voter base, the 2026 Grammys may turn out to be more than a contest — it could be a snapshot of an industry rewriting its own rules.