Los Angeles is gearing up for a Grammy night that could rewrite music history. When the 68th Grammy Awards roll out on Sunday, three global superstars, including Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga,
will walk in chasing Album of the Year for the first time. All three chart-topping artists are nominated for the ceremony’s most prestigious prize.
Kendrick Lamar enters the night as the most nominated artist, with nine nods. The Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper is competing for Album, Record and Song of the Year after winning five Grammys last year. His nominated album GNX, led by the SZA collaboration Luther, continues his run as one of hip-hop’s most respected voices. At 38, Lamar already owns 22 Grammys, but the top album prize is yet to feature in his trophy cabinet.
Lady Gaga and Bad Bunny are right alongside him in all three major categories. Gaga, now 39, has seven nominations and 14 Grammys to her name. Her album, Mayhem, marks a return to high-energy pop with a dramatic edge that longtime fans instantly recognise. A win for Album of the Year would complete her “hat trick” of top awards. She previously won Record and Song of the Year for Shallow from A Star Is Born, which also earned her an Oscar.
Bad Bunny In Nominations
Bad Bunny may be Lamar’s biggest obstacle. The Puerto Rican superstar is nominated for six awards and is currently touring in support of Debi Tirar Mas Fotos. Musicologist Lauron Kehrer told AFP that Debi Tirar Mas Fotos was “a very exciting album,” adding, “It touched on so much in terms of thematic material and musical material,” highlighting its use of traditional Puerto Rican rhythms and references to decolonisation. At just 31, Bad Bunny is set to headline the Super Bowl halftime show a week after the Grammys.
Nominees For Song Of The Year
Among the nominees are Sabrina Carpenter, Leon Thomas, Tyler, the Creator, Clipse, and Justin Bieber, who is returning with his first studio album in four years. Song of the Year is equally crowded, with Carpenter’s Manchild and Golden from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters among the frontrunners. Many insiders believe the energetic K-pop hit could take the prize.
Nominees include Alex Warren, Katseye, Olivia Dean, Addison Rae, The Marías, sombr, Lola Young and Leon Thomas, who already won a Grammy two years ago as a producer.
Hosted once again by Trevor Noah, the 2026 Grammy Awards will take place at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 1.
