The 68th Annual Grammy Awards nominations for 2026 have been announced, spotlighting a diverse roster of artists, albums, and songs set to compete at the ceremony scheduled for Sunday, February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Eligible recordings were released between August 31, 2024, and August 30, 2025.
This year also introduces two new categories: Best Traditional Country Album and Best Album Cover.
Leading the nominations is Kendrick Lamar with nine nods, followed by Lady Gaga, who earned seven nominations, making her the most-nominated female artist of the year. Gaga also received her fifth Album of the Year nomination for MAYHEM. Sabrina Carpenter joins the Album of the Year race for the second consecutive year with Man’s Best Friend.
The Best New Artist category features emerging talents such as KATSEYE, Olivia Dean, Addison Rae, Leon Thomas, and Sombr.
African Artists Make Their Mark
African musicians made a strong showing across the Global and African categories, with five Nigerians and nine African acts in total receiving nominations.
Burna Boy leads the continent with two nods: Best African Music Performance for “Love” and Best Global Music Album for No Sign of Weakness. Other Nigerian artists nominated include Davido, Omah Lay, Ayra Starr, and Wizkid, while notable African stars like Angélique Kidjo (Benin), Eddy Kenzo (Uganda), Tyla (South Africa), and Youssou N’Dour (Senegal) also earned recognition.
In the Best African Music Performance category, Nigeria dominated with Burna Boy’s “Love,” Davido featuring Omah Lay’s “With You,” and Ayra Starr featuring Wizkid’s “Gimme Dat.” Other contenders included Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin’s “Hope & Love” and Tyla’s “Push 2 Start.”
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For Best Global Music Album, Burna Boy faces competition from Senegalese legend Youssou N’Dour (Eclairer le Monde – Light the World), Beninese icon Angélique Kidjo (Jerusalema), and Indian sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar (Chapter III: We Return to Light).
Major Categories and Highlights
• Album of the Year: Kendrick Lamar (GNX), Lady Gaga (Mayhem), Sabrina Carpenter (Man’s Best Friend), Justin Bieber (Swag), among others.
• Record of the Year: Includes hits from Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar with SZA, and Billie Eilish.
• Song of the Year: Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra,” Doechii’s “Anxiety,” Rosé & Bruno Mars’ “APT.,” Kendrick Lamar with SZA’s “Luther,” and others.
Other notable categories spotlighted this year include Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Dance/Electronic Album, Best Rock Album, Best R&B Album, Best Rap Album, and Latin and Global music awards, ensuring a broad representation of genres.
The full list of nominees spans emerging stars, global icons, and African talent, reflecting a year of rich and diverse musical achievements ahead of the 2026 Grammys.