With February approaching, tThe Grammy Awards, music’s biggest night, is back to celebrate the contributions of this year’s biggest stars. The 2026 Grammy Awards will take place on Feb. 1 in Los Angeles, California. Many different artists varying from pop to R&B have been selected for numerous different categories.
Returning nominees such as Kendrick Lamar are leading with nine nominations in 2026, and have presence in major categories such as Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Lamar won numerous awards with “Not Like Us” in 2025, and his victorious streak continues to transpire as his single “Luther” has been nominated for both categories. Lamar has also been voted for Best Rap Performance twice, for his performances of “Chains and Whips” as a feature for rapper Clipse, and once for his own track “TV off.”. Rapper Doechii’s single “Anxiety” has earned five nominations. It originally debuted in 2019 but was re-recorded and re-released, which paved the way for it to become viral on social media, with its success paving the way for it to be nominated for this year’s Grammys.
The nominees for the 2026 Grammy for Record of the Year include hits that you may have heard on social media. Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild”, Doechii’s “Anxiety”, Billie Eilish’s “Wildflower”, Chappel Roan’s “The Subway”, and many more are nominated for this prestigious achievement.
The Song of the Year award nominees include “DtMF” by Bad Bunny, “Anxiety” by Doechii, “Abradabra” by Lady Gaga, “APT.” by Rosé and Bruno Mars, “Golden” from the movie KPop Demon Hunters, “Luther” by Kendick Lamar and SZA, “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter, and “Wildflower” by Billie Eilish.
While many songs in this category overlap, there is a difference between these two awards. Record of the Year honors the song from a technical standpoint, judging production, engineering and/or vocals; however, Song of the Year awards the writing of a song, and awards the composers and lyricists.
This year’s nominees for Album of the Year are DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS by Bad Bunny, SWAG by Justin Bieber, Man’s Best Friend by Sabrina Carpenter, Let God Sort Em Out by Clipse, Pusha T and Malice, MAYHEM by Lady Gaga, GNX by Kendrick Lamar, MUTT by Leon Thomas, and CHROMAKOPIA by Tyler, the Creator. From R&B to hip-hop to pop, these nominations display a variety of genres and styles, all of which have their own unique qualities. While there is no clear “frontrunner” in this category, Bad Bunny could make history with the first Spanish-language album to win Album of the Year if he takes this award home. With his two Album of the Year nominations, Bad Bunny is the only artist ever to have an all-Spanish album nominated for this prestigious award.
The 2026 Grammy’s Best New Artist category includes Olivia Dean, KATSEYE, The Marias, Addison Rae, sombr, Leon Thomas, Alex Warren, and Lola Young. A new face at the Grammys, audience members may know Leon Thomas from playing André Harris in the Nickelodeon sitcom “Victorious”, a show about students at an arts high school that shaped many childhoods. From being an actor in this show from ages 16-19, to being a leading contender for this year’s Grammy nominations, Thomas has shown his rising talent and drive after working behind the scenes as a songwriter and producer. Former TikTok stars Addison Rae and Alex Warren are becoming well-known artists, and their nomination for this award only emphasizes their commitment and dedication to their music careers outside of social media.
Artists like Olivia Dean and The Marias have been working in the music industry for many years, only to get recognition with their big hits this year. Other artists such as sombr and Lola Young have only just begun releasing music, finding much success very early in their careers. One aspect of the Best New Artist nominations that confused fans was that there was not a single hip-hop or rap artist. This seems unusual for the Grammys, as they usually try to nominate all genres to give all artists an equal opportunity.
Overall, the Grammy Awards is a night that celebrates all aspects of music, from writing and production to instrumentals and vocals. No matter which artists take home their respective awards, audience members can be satisfied with the celebration of the dedication and talent that goes into the music industry every year.