The Recording Academy has released the major nominations for the 68th Grammy Awards, setting the stage for music’s biggest night scheduled to hold on Sunday in Los Angeles. Rap icon Kendrick Lamar leads the pack with nine nominations, reinforcing his dominance across rap and mainstream categories ahead of the ceremony.
Close behind Lamar is pop superstar Lady Gaga, who secured seven nods, while three other acts — Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter and Leon Thomas — earned six nominations each, highlighting a highly competitive and genre-diverse year in global music.
In the prestigious Album of the Year category, the nominees reflect a wide range of styles and sounds. Bad Bunny’s “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos” will compete against projects from Justin Bieber (“Swag”), Sabrina Carpenter (“Man’s Best Friend”), Clipse (“Let God Sort Em Out”), Lady Gaga (“Mayhem”), Kendrick Lamar (“GNX”), Leon Thomas (“Mutt”) and Tyler, The Creator (“Chromakopia”).
The Record of the Year race — which recognises overall performance and production — includes Bad Bunny’s “DtMF,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild,” Doechii’s “Anxiety,” Billie Eilish’s “Wildflower,” Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra,” Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “luther,” Chappell Roan’s “The Subway,” and “APT.” by Rose and Bruno Mars.
For Song of the Year, which honours songwriting, nominees span pop, rap and film soundtracks, with multiple entries from Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter and Billie Eilish, underscoring the importance of strong lyrical and compositional work in this year’s selection.
The Best New Artist category features a mix of emerging global and pop acts, including Olivia Dean, KATSEYE, The Marías, Addison Rae, sombr, Leon Thomas, Alex Warren and Lola Young.
In pop-focused categories, Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, Chappell Roan and Lola Young are competing for Best Pop Solo Performance, while major collaborations dominate the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance list, including performances by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, Rose and Bruno Mars, and SZA alongside Kendrick Lamar.
Hip-hop remains a major highlight, with Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, The Creator, Clipse, GloRilla and JID contesting Best Rap Album, while standout tracks from Cardi B, Doechii and Lamar feature prominently in Best Rap Performance.
The Academy also spotlighted excellence in visuals and global sounds. Nominees for Best Music Video include works by Sabrina Carpenter, Clipse, Doechii, OK Go and Sade. African and global music received strong representation, with artists such as Burna Boy, Davido, Ayra Starr, Wizkid, Tyla, Youssou N’Dour and Anoushka Shankar earning nominations across Best African Music Performance and Best Global Music Album categories.
With Kendrick Lamar leading the nominations tally, followed by Lady Gaga and a strong showing from Latin, pop, African and alternative acts, the 2026 Grammy Awards are shaping up to be one of the most diverse and competitive ceremonies in recent years.
