Grammy Nominations 2026: Kendrick Lamar Leads With Nine as Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter and Leon Thomas Land Among Top Nominees

Grammy Nominations 2026

The Grammy nominations for 2026 have been announced, revealing the leading contenders and notable nominees across all 95 categories.

Kendrick Lamar Leads with Nine Nominations

Kendrick Lamar, known for popularizing the phrase “they not like us,” tops the list with nine nominations. After a strong showing at last year’s ceremony, he is positioned to achieve even greater success this year.

Lady Gaga and Notable Nominees

Lady Gaga follows closely with seven nominations, surpassing her previous record of six in 2010. She shares the second-most nominations with producers Jack Antonoff and Cirkut, who also received seven nods.

Breakout Artists and Diversity in Nominations

This year’s standout rising artist is Leon Thomas, who earned six nominations, matching the counts of Sabrina Carpenter, Serban Ghenea, and Bad Bunny.

Bad Bunny’s six nominations are encouraging for advocates of Latin music, as it continues to gain recognition in major Grammy categories rather than being limited to the Latin Grammys.

“Kendrick Lamar, the man who put the phrase ‘they not like us’ into the lexicon, will now have to admit: They like him, they really like him.”

“It was also a big morning for little monsters, with Lady Gaga’s fan base eager to cheer on her seven nominations, topping her previous record of six, which she scored back in 2010.”

“The six nominations for the impending Super Bowl halftime showman is good news for anyone who was worried that Latin music might be shut out of the big categories.”

Author's summary: Kendrick Lamar leads the 2026 Grammy nominations with nine, while Lady Gaga, Leon Thomas, and Bad Bunny highlight the diverse and competitive field this year.

Variety — 2025-11-07