Landmark Year
The 2026 GRAMMY nominations arrive with breadth and heat, setting the tone for the 2026 GRAMMY nominations conversation. Kendrick Lamar leads with nine nods, while Cirkut, Jack Antonoff, and Lady Gaga follow at seven. Bad Bunny, Leon Thomas, Sabrina Carpenter, and Serban Ghenea each earn six, underscoring a year where pop precision and auteur rap share the spotlight.
Ceremony Details
The awards cover music released between August 31, 2024, and August 30, 2025. Final voting runs from December 12, 2025, to January 5, 2026. The main telecast returns to Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, February 1, 2026, airing on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. The Premiere Ceremony streams earlier from the Peacock Theater. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. frames this slate as a celebration of artists advancing the culture.
Big Four Pulse
Record of the Year pits Bad Bunny’s “DtMF” against Billie Eilish’s “WILDFLOWER,” Gaga’s “Abracadabra,” and Lamar with SZA on “luther.” Album of the Year spans Tyler, The Creator’s CHROMAKOPIA, Lamar’s GNX, and Bad Bunny’s DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. Song of the Year centers craft, from Antonoff’s stewardship on “Manchild” to the multi-writer power of “APT.” Best New Artist balances UK soul riser Olivia Dean with alt-pop group The Marias and breakout Leon Thomas.
Dance Floor Focus
Electronic music stakes a visible claim this year. Best Dance/Electronic Recording threads Disclosure with Anderson.Paak on “No Cap,” Fred again.. with Skepta and PlaqueBoyMax, and Skrillex’s punishing “VOLTAGE.” KAYTRANADA’s “SPACE INVADER” and Tame Impala’s “End Of Summer” broaden the palette, mixing club muscle with psychedelic gloss. In albums, Fred again’s Ten Days meets RÜFÜS DU SOL’s Inhale / Exhale, PinkPantheress’s Fancy That, FKA twigs’ EUSEXUA, and a provocatively titled Skrillex set signaling restless invention.
Pop’s Precision
Best Dance Pop Recording reflects streaming-era agility. Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” squares off with Selena Gomez and benny blanco’s “Bluest Flame,” Tate McRae’s cinematic “Just Keep Watching,” Zara Larsson’s “Midnight Sun,” and PinkPantheress’s “Illegal.” These singles distill hook economy and rhythmic lift, the current formula for playlist staying power.
Remix Renaissance
Remix culture receives a timely spotlight. Gesaffelstein’s “Abracadabra” rework for Gaga is joined by KAYTRANADA’s flip of Mariah Carey, Ron Trent’s reimagining of Soul II Soul, Chris Lake’s energizing of The Chemical Brothers, and David Guetta’s reshaping of HUNTR/X /X’s “Golden.” The category honors the producer as auteur, a trend aligned with festival lineups and TikTok edits.
Midyear Outlook
The 2026 GRAMMY nominations reflect a dance-forward moment where producers share marquee space with vocal stars. Cross-genre collaborations dominate, and the Big Four categories reward narrative ambition and sonic risk. Expect tight races between Lamar’s GNX momentum and Gaga’s pop maximalism, while electronic fields could hinge on Fred again..’s festival ubiquity versus Skrillex’s legacy push. However it lands, this ballot mirrors how global audiences actually listen now.
Final Word
As ballots open, the 2026 GRAMMY nominations capture a scene in evolution, converging club culture and chart craft with purpose.
