2026 Grammy Predictions: Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, and the List of Contenders

The eligibility window for the 2026 Grammy Awards runs from September 1, 2024 to August 30, 2025. Any songs released after that date won’t be eligible until the 2027 Grammys.

So the eligibility period has expired, and we can now analyze the songs and albums that will be in contention.

The Recording Academy has just announced its complete list of 2026 Grammy nominees. Now that the nominations have been finalized, we’ll be revising this article with our updated predictions in the coming days.

Updated 2026 Predictions By Category

Here’s a look at our educated predictions in many major Grammy categories. The * represents our predicted winner.

Album of the Year

• Debí Tirar Más Fotos, Bad Bunny*
• Let God Sort Em Out, Clipse, Pusha T & Malice
• Swag, Justin Bieber
• GNX, Kendrick Lamar
• Mayhem, Lady Gaga
• Mutt, Leon Thomas
• Man’s Best Friend, Sabrina Carpenter
• Chromakopia, Tyler, the Creator

At various points in the past year, both Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga looked like the favorites. But now, given his high-profile Super Bowl performance, and the fact that all members of the Latin Grammy Academy can now vote for the traditional Grammy Awards, Bad Bunny is the likely winner.

We predict Debí Tirar Más Fotos will become the first Latin pop album to take home AOY. Want a deeper dive into each of these nominees? Read our more detailed Album of the Year analysis.

Record of the Year

• DtMF, Bad Bunny
• Manchild, Sabrina Carpenter
• Anxiety, Doechii
• Wildflower, Billie Eilish
• Abracadabra, Lady Gaga
• Luther, Kendrick Lamar & SZA*
• The Subway, Chappell Roan
• APT., Rosé & Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars almost never loses at the Grammys. But Lady Gaga had an incredible comeback year. But Bad Bunny is the superstar of the moment in popular music. But Kendrick Lamar won last year, and he could easily won again.

This is a very evenly-matched group, but we think “Luther” ultimately prevails. Read our more detailed Record of the Year analysis.

Song of the Year (awarded to songwriters)

• “Abracadabra, Henry Walter, Lady Gaga & Andrew Watt
• “Anxiety,” Jaylah Hickmon
• “APT.,” Amy Allen, Christopher Brody Brown, Rogét Chahayed, Henry Walter, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Chae Young Park & Theron Thomas
• “DtMF,” Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Scott Dittrich, Benjamin Falik, Roberto José Rosado Torres, Marco Daniel Borrero, Hugo René Sención Sanabria & Tyler Thomas Spry
• “Golden,” EJAE & Mark Sonnenblick
• “Luther,” Jack Antonoff, Roshwita Larisha Bacha, Matthew Bernard, Ink, Scott Bridgeway, Sam Dew, Kendrick Lamar, Mark Anthony Spears, Solána Rowe & Kamasi Washington*
• “Manchild,” Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff & Sabrina Carpenter
• “Wildflower,” Billie Eilish & Finneas O’Connell

The Song of the Year nominees are almost exactly the same as the Record of the Year contenders. The only difference is the presence of K-Pop smash “Golden.”

A lot of observers are picking “Golden,” but its absence from the ROY field is a bad sign. Song of the Year will likely go to whichever song wins Record of the Year — either “Luther” or “DtMF.” We’ll give the edge to “Luther.”

Best New Artist

• Olivia Dean
• Katseye
• The Marias
• Addison Rae
• Sombr
• Leon Thomas*
• Alex Warren
• Lola Young

Sombr probably deserves this one on merit, though Addison Rae, the Marias, Leon Thomas, and Alex Warren have strong cases to make.

Our call? Leon Thomas has been around for years as a songwriter and hitmaker, and that advantage will lead to him winning the award. Read our more detailed Best New Artist analysis.

Best Pop Solo Performance

• Daisies, Justin Bieber
• Manchild, Sabrina Carpenter*
• Disease, Lady Gaga
• The Subway, Chappell Roan
• Messy, Lola Young 

This one feels like Sabrina Carpenter all the way, since Lady Gaga and Chappell Roan aren’t nominated for their biggest hits. Sabrina takes it. Read our more detailed Best Pop Solo Performance analysis.

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

• Defying Gravity, Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande
• Golden, Huntr/x (EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami)
• Gabriela, Katseye
• APT., Rosé & Bruno Mars*
• 30 for 30, SZA With Kendrick Lamar

Who would’ve thought that three K-Pop songs would be battling for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance? “APT.” and “Golden” were both huge hits, and “Gabriela” was a breakout hit for Katseye.

The Bruno Mars and Rosé track probably has the best shot of these three to win, since Grammy voters love Mars, and some voters will likely be reluctant to reward a “cartoon” act like KPop Demon Hunters.

That said, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande also have a great chance to win. Erivo is especially beloved, as she already has a Grammy, an Emmy and a Tony.

Best Pop Vocal Album

• Swag, Justin Bieber
• Man’s Best Friend, Sabrina Carpenter
• Something Beautiful, Miley Cyrus
• Mayhem, Lady Gaga*
• I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 2), Teddy Swims

Sabrina Carpenter is very much a contender here. The Recording Academy loves Sabrina. The Academy also hasn’t embraced Lady Gaga as much as you might think in the past. They seem to view her as a little too quirky or weird for their taste.

That said, we expect Gaga to edge out Carpenter to take this one. Read our more detailed Best Pop Vocal Album analysis.

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

• Wintersongs, Laila Biali
• Who Believes in Angels?, Elton John & Brandi Carlile*
• The Gift of Love, Jennifer Hudson
• Harlequin, Lady Gaga
• A Matter of Time, Laufey
• The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume 2, Barbra Streisand

Elton and Brandi had the most high-profile record in this group and deserve to win, as Who Believes in Angels? was a terrific album.

But they could be beaten by Laufey, who’s already won Best Traditional Pop Album previously. We give Elton & Brandi the slight edge. Read our more detailed Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album analysis.

Best Dance / Electronic Album

• Eusexua, FKA Twigs
• Ten Days, Fred Again..
• Fancy That, PinkPantheress
• Inhale / Exhale, Rüfüs Du Sol
• F*ck U Skrillex You Think Ur Andy Warhol but Ur Not!! <3, Skrillex*

Skrillex has won Best Dance / Electronic Album three times. But he didn’t win the last time he was nominated (2024), so it seems the Recording Academy is finally moving on from him. Then again, his latest effort is viewed as more of a return to the dubstep style that made him popular, so voters could reward that.

If voters opt not to give Skrillex another gramophone, Rufus du Sol are possible winners. This is their third nod in the category.

FKA Twigs and PinkPantheress are newcomers to the category, coming from the worlds of R&B and hip hop. Both made great albums, but being nominated against each other may prevent either from being able to capture enough votes to win.

Our pick: Skrillex edges Rufus du Sol and FKA Twigs to take the award.

Best Dance Pop Recording

• Abracadabra, Lady Gaga*
• Bluest Flame, Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco
• Midnight Sun, Zara Larsson
• Just Keep Watching, Tate McRae
• Illegal, PinkPantheress

It’s nice to see emerging and underappreciated acts like Tate McRae, PinkPantheress, and Zara Larsson in this category.

But Best Dance Pop Recording will almost certainly go to Lady Gaga. “Abracadabra” was the biggest pop hit and should win this award.

Best Rock Album

• Private Music, Deftones*
• I Quit, Haim
• From Zero, Linkin Park
• Never Enough, Turnstile
• Idols, Yungblud

Best Rock Album is an interesting field because it includes three relative newcomers who have been earning major buzz, and two popular veteran acts. Does the Academy reward the newbies or the old guard?

Turnstile earned a whopping 5 nominations this year, which immediately makes them a contender here. Yungblud has also picked up a lot of attention after his collab album with Aerosmith. And Haim have scored several Grammy noms.

But look at the list of recent winners in this category: Rolling Stones, Ozzy Osbourne, Paramore, Foo Fighters, the Strokes. All of these were acts who had been around for at least 15 years. Based on that logic, Linkin Park or the Deftones are the likely winners.

We think Linkin Park deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And they may just win this Grammy as well. Our prediction, though, is that Deftones, former Grammy winners, take the award.

Best Rock Song (awarded to songwriters)

• Glum, Hayley Williams & Daniel James (Hayley Williams)*
• As Alive as You Need Me to Be, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (Nine Inch Nails)
• Caramel, Vessel1 & Vessel2 (Sleep Token)
• Never Enough, Daniel Fang, Franz Lyons, Pat McCrory, Meg Mills &
Brendan Yates (Turnstile)
• Zombie, Dominic Harrison & Matt Schwartz (Yungblud)

Sleep Token have an outside shot to win Best Rock Song — it would be wild to see the anonymous, mask-wearing group win a Grammy. And there are good reasons to think that Yungblud or Turnstile will win.

But when it comes to the Grammys, sticking with past Grammy favorites is usually the way to go. Hayley Williams has already won three Grammys with Paramore, and she’s nominated for four more this year. The Academy loves Hayley Williams, and will likely reward her in this category.

Best Alternative Music Album

• SABLE, fABLE, Bon Iver
• Songs of a Lost World, The Cure*
• Don’t Tap the Glass, Tyler, the Creator
• Moisturizer, Wet Leg
• Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, Hayley Williams

In recent years, women usually win this award. Both Wet Leg and Hayley Williams are Academy favorites. But the Cure are legends, and they’ve never won a Grammy.

It’s going to be a very close call between the three. We think the Cure may just pull this one out. Read our more detailed Best Alternative Music Album analysis.

Best R&B Performance

• Yukon, Justin Bieber
• It Depends, Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller
• Folded, Kehlani
• Mutt (Live from NPR’s Tiny Desk), Leon Thomas*
• Heart of a Woman, Summer Walker

Having been released in August 2024, “Mutt” by Leon Thomas was already eligible at last year’s Grammys. So he has pulled out the oldest trick in the Grammy book by submitting a live version of the track this year.

And that trick will likely work. “Mutt” was the biggest pop hit among this group, and should comfortably earn enough votes for Thomas to take the award.

Best R&B Album

• Beloved, Giveon
• Why Not More?, Coco Jones
• The Crown, Ledisi
• Escape Room, Teyana Taylor
• Mutt, Leon Thomas*

Coco Jones had a great year, and she has a good shot at winning. But conventional wisdom says that since Leon Thomas has 6 total nominations, including Best New Artist, he’s the leading contender here.

Male solo artists often win this category, so we’re leaning towards Thomas, though we’d love to see Jones take the trophy.

Best Rap Performance

• Outside, Cardi B
• Chains & Whips, Clipse & Kendrick Lamar
• Anxiety, Doechii
• TV Off, Kendrick Lamar Featuring Lefty Gunplay*
• Darling, I, Tyler, the Creator Featuring Teezo Touchdown

Clipse and Kendrick Lamar released the best rap albums of the past year, so with them teaming together, how can they lose Best Rap Performance?

The only way that “Chains & Whips” doesn’t win is if it suffers from poor name recognition, since it wasn’t a Top 40 hit. Lamar’s “TV Off” was the biggest hit in the group, and would be a deserving winner.

If the Kendrick songs split the vote, watch out for Doechii’s “Anxiety.” It was a huge pop hit, and Doechii is a favorite among Grammy voters. For now, we’ll predict “TV Off” to take the award.

Best Melodic Rap Performance

• Proud of Me, Fridayy & Meek Mill
• Wholeheartedly, JID, Ty Dolla $ign & 6lack
• Luther, Kendrick Lamar & SZA*
• WeMaj, Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon Featuring Rapsody
• Somebody Loves Me, PartyNextDoor & Drake

There’s no need to debate Best Melodic Rap Performance for too long. This one should belong to Kendrick & SZA, hands down.

Best Rap Song (awarded to songwriters)

• “Anxiety,” Jaylah Hickmon
• “The Birds Don’t Sing,” Gene Elliott Thornton Jr., Terrence Thornton, Pharrell Williams & Stevie Wonder*
• “Sticky,” Aaron Bolton, Dudley Alexander Duverne, Gloria Woods, Dwayne Carter, Jr., Janae Wherry, Tyler Okonma & Rex Zamor
• “TGIF,” Lucas Alegria, Dillon Brophy, Yakki Davis, Gloria Woods, Jess Jackson, Ronnie Jackson, Mario Mims & Jorge M. Taveras
• “TV Off,” Jack Antonoff, Larry Jayy, Kendrick Lamar, Dijon McFarlane, Sean Momberger, Mark Anthony Spears & Kamasi Washington

The most powerful rap song of 2025 was “The Birds Don’t Sing” by Clipse, the duo comprised of brothers Pusha T and Malice. They lost both of their parents in the span of just a few months, then poured their emotions, regrets, and reflections into the track. John Legend and the gospel choir Voices of Fire elevated the chorus with their guest vocals.

It feels very wrong to be picking against Kendrick Lamar at the Grammys. He’s won 9 of the last 18 Grammys for which he’s been nominated as lead artist. But his album is more than 15 months old, and voters may feel they’ve already rewarded him enough with his sweep last year for “Not Like Us.” Plus, “TV Off” didn’t have the same cultural impact as “Not Like Us,” or even “Luther.”

Having Pharrell and Stevie Wonder as co-writers can’t hurt Clipse’s chances, either. All that considered, we think Clipse’s brilliant remembrance of their parents will win the Best Rap Song Grammy.

Best Rap Album

• Let God Sort Em Out, Clipse
• Glorious, Glorilla
• God Does Like Ugly, JID
• GNX, Kendick Lamar*
• Chromakopia, Tyler, the Creator

For the first time in history, three rap albums are up for Album of the Year, and they’re all in this category as well. Though Clipse and Tyler released great albums, Kendrick Lamar is still the favorite.

It wouldn’t be shocking if Clipse won, given the massive amount of critical acclaimed their album has received. But Kendrick rarely loses at the Grammys. GNX will win Best Rap Album.

Best Americana Performance

• Boom, Sierra Hull
• Poison in My Well, Maggie Rose & Grace Potter
• Godspeed, Mavis Staples*
• That’s Gonna Leave a Mark, Molly Tuttle
• Horses, Jesse Welles

Mavis Staples is a legend. She first performed on the Grammys way back in 1974, when the Staple Singers sang “I’ll Take you There.” Now 86, she is still making music that resonates.

She’s only won three Grammys in her career, but one of them came a few years back for Best American Roots Performance. Her soulful cover of Frank Ocean’s “Godspeed” could earn her another Grammy.

Sierra Hull and Molly Tuttle are very popular within the Americana genre, but we think Staples takes this one.

Best Country Solo Performance

• Nose on the Grindstone, Tyler Childers
• Good News, Shaboozey
• Bad as I Used to Be (From F1® the Movie), Chris Stapleton
• I Never Lie, Zach Top
• Somewhere Over Laredo, Lainey Wilson*

Best Country Solo Performance is a tough call this year. About the only thing we know for sure is it’s unlikely that Shaboozey wins.

Normally, we’d look to the other Country categories to see who’s getting the most nominations. Chris Stapleton and Tyler Childers are up for 4 Grammys this year, while Lainey Wilson, Zach Top, and Shaboozey are up for 3. It’s nearly even. So that doesn’t give us any clues.

Stapleton has won a whopping 11 Grammys from 26 nominations. But “Bad as I Used to Be” wasn’t a hit. Will voters stick with him, or move to someone else? As a rock-edged country singer, Childers is similar to Stapleton. Childers could steal some of Stapleton’s votes and keep either from winning.

Wilson won Best Country Album a year ago and is the reigning Entertainer of the Year. And Top is a newcomer who is winning huge praise for his ’90s throwback country sound.

Who emerges from this group? Childers is the trendy pick, but we’ll go with the biggest hit from this group: “Somewhere Over Laredo.”

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

• Honky Tonk Hall of Fame, George Strait Featuring Chris Stapleton
• Love Me Like You Used to Do, Margo Price Featuring Tyler Childers
• A Song to Sing, Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton*
• Trailblazer, Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert & Lainey Wilson
• Amen, Shaboozey & Jelly Roll

Having won 14 career Grammys between them, Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton should be the favorites to win Best Country Duo/Group Performance.

Or maybe not? The twist is that both are nominated twice in this category. In addition to their duet “A Song to Sing,” Stapleton is a featured artist on George Strait’s “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame,” while Lambert is nominated with Lainey Wilson and Reba McEntire on “Trailblazer.”

The “Trailblazer” trio has the star power to potentially upset “A Song to Sing.” Still, we predict that “A Song to Sing” will take this award, since it’s on the charts and on the radio right now, while voters are filling out their ballots.

Best Contemporary Country Album

• Patterns, Kelsea Ballerini
• Snipe Hunter, Tyler Childers*
• Evangeline vs. the Machine, Eric Church
• Beautifully Broken, Jelly Roll
• Postcards From Texas, Miranda Lambert

Chris Stapleton wins this award a lot, but he’s not nominated this year, and neither is reigning Entertainer of the Year Lainey Wilson. Miranda Lambert has won twice before, but she is starting to feel a little like old news.

Jelly Roll, Eric Church, and Tyler Childers all made terrific albums, but do any of them have enough Academy support to win? It’s a tough call. This is one of the few Grammy categories where all five nominees stand a chance.

We’ll go out on a bit of a limb here and predict that this is the category where Tyler Childers will win his Grammy.

Best Traditional Country Album

• Dollar a Day, Charley Crockett
• American Romance, Lukas Nelson
• Hard Headed Woman, Margo Price
• Oh What a Beautiful World, Willie Nelson*
• Ain’t in It for My Health, Zach Top

Newcomer Zach Top has taken country music by storm with his retro ’90s style that recalls Alan Jackson and Clint Black. Will that be enough for him to win Best Traditional Country Album?

Top is up against some big names, including Margo Price, whose Hard Headed Woman was well-received. But ultimately, Willie Nelson is one of the most celebrated artists in Grammy history. He’s won 5 of his last 9 Grammy nominations, so the odds favor him in this category.

Best Musica Urbana Album

• Debí Tirar Más Fotos, Bad Bunny*
• Mixteip, J Balvin
• Ferxxo Vol X: Sagrado, Feid
• Naiki, Nicki Nicole
• EUB Deluxe, Trueno
• Sinfónico (En Vivo), Yandel

This is the easiest slam-dunk prediction of the entire 2026 Grammys. Bad Bunny will win Best Music Urbana Album for the third time in the category’s five-year existence.

None of the other nominees have ever won this award before, though J Balvin has now been nominated three times and Feid twice.

Best Comedy Album

• Your Friend, Nate Bargatze, Nate Bargatze
• Drop Dead Years, Bill Burr*
• What Had Happened Was…, Jamie Foxx
• PostMortem, Sarah Silverman
• Single Lady, Ali Wong

Best Comedy Album is one of our favorite categories every year at the Grammys.

Nate Bargatze is the biggest standup in America right now. But that label hasn’t always translated to Grammy success. The Recording Academy tends to reward edgier standups, like Dave Chappelle and Louis C.K., over mainstream jokesters like Jerry Seinfeld and Jim Gaffigan.

The edgiest act nominated this year may be Bill Burr. He seems like the favorite. But he was one of the standups who earned scorn for performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival.

Burr still may win. As noted with the recent wins of Chappelle and C.K., Grammy voters have shown they’re not influenced by cancel culture.

Ali Wong has a real chance. Sarah Silverman might as well, since she’s been nominated four times in this category, more than any of the other nominees. But Wong seems to be a more central figure in pop culture at the moment, so she probably has an edge over Silverman.

This one comes down to Bargatze vs. Wong vs. Burr. We think that, based on recent history, the voters who rewarded Chappelle six times in this category are most likely to send their votes to Burr.

Best Compilation Soundtrack

• A Complete Unknown (Timothee Chalamet)
• F1 the Album (various artists)
• KPop Demon Hunters (various artists)*
• Sinners (Ludwig Göransson & various artists)
• Wicked (Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande & various artists)

Timothee Chalamet was impressive portraying Bob Dylan on the A Complete Unknown soundtrack. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo will likely get a lot of support for Wicked.

But KPop Demon Hunters was the soundtrack event of the year, and its #1 single “Golden” is nominated in multiple other categories. We expect it to capture this award.

Songwriter of the Year

• Amy Allen*
• Edgar Barrera
• Jessie Jo Dillon
• Tobias Jesso Jr.
• Laura Veltz

All five nominees for Songwriter of the Year have been nominated before. Jesso won in 2023, and Allen won last year. Both figure to be the leading contenders this time around.

As the reigning winner, Allen should be the favorite to win for a second straight year. She co-wrote “APT.” and Sabrina Carpenter hits “Tears” and “Manchild.” Read our more detailed Songwriter of the Year analysis.

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical

• Blake Mills
• Cirkut*
• Dan Auerbach
• Dijon
• Sounwave

With three-time Producer of the Year winner Jack Antonoff out of the picture, the door is open for a new name to emerge.

The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach is the only former winner here. He’s been nominated five times and won in 2013. It’s odd that he keeps getting recognized here. He did produce several albums last year, but none from well-known artists.

Blake Mills has been nominated twice before. He worked on great albums by Lucy Dacus, Perfume Genius, and Japanese Breakfast. And Sounwave has a shot, since he worked on Kendrick Lamar’s GNX.

But our pick is Cirkut, who helmed most of Lady Gaga’s Mayhem. Cirkut also produced “APT.” by Rose and Bruno Mars, plus singles by Ed Sheeran and the Weeknd.

Best Song Written for Visual Media

• “As Alive as You Need Me to Be” [From “Tron: Ares”] — Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
• “Golden” [From “KPop Demon Hunters”] — EJAE & Mark Sonnenblick*
• “I Lied to You” [From “Sinners”] — Ludwig Göransson & Raphael Saadiq
• “Never Too Late” [From “Elton John: Never Too Late”] — Brandi Carlile, Elton John, Bernie Taupin & Andrew Watt
• “Pale, Pale Moon” [From “Sinners”] — Ludwig Göransson & Brittany Howard
• “Sinners” [From “Sinners”] — Leonard Denisenko, Rodarius Green, Travis Harrington, Tarkan Kozluklu, Kyris Mingo & Darius Povilinus

This category rewards songs written for movie soundtracks. The favorite is the #1 smash pop hit, “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters.

Grammy voters may not want to reward a cartoon band like HUNTR/X with a Grammy. But this category allows them to reward the songwriters, which voters would likely be ok with.

Since there’s nothing from Wicked here, “Golden” is almost certain to win. Elton John and Brandi Carlile have an outside shot, and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross made a great rock song, but “Golden” will earn its Grammy here.

List of Our Predicted 2006 Grammy Winners

Album of the Year: Debí Tirar Más Fotos, Bad Bunny

Record of the Year: Luther, Kendrick Lamar & SZA

Song of the Year: Luther, Jack Antonoff, Roshwita Larisha Bacha, Matthew Bernard, Ink, Scott Bridgeway, Sam Dew, Kendrick Lamar, Mark Anthony Spears, Solána Rowe & Kamasi Washington (songwriters)

Best New Artist: Leon Thomas

Best Pop Solo Performance: Manchild, Sabrina Carpenter

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: APT., Rosé & Bruno Mars

Best Pop Vocal Album: Mayhem, Lady Gaga

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Who Believes in Angels?, Elton John & Brandi Carlile

Best Dance/Electronic Album: F*ck U Skrillex You Think Ur Andy Warhol but Ur Not!! <3, Skrillex

Best Dance Pop Recording: Abracadabra, Lady Gaga

Best Rock Album: Private Music, Deftones

Best Rock Song: Glum, Hayley Williams & Daniel James (songwriters)

Best Alternative Music Album: Songs of a Lost World, The Cure

Best R&B Performance: Mutt (Live from NPR’s Tiny Desk), Leon Thomas

Best R&B Album: Mutt, Leon Thomas

Best Rap Performance: TV Off, Kendrick Lamar Featuring Lefty Gunplay

Best Melodic Rap Performance: Luther, Kendrick Lamar & SZA

Best Rap Song: “The Birds Don’t Sing,” Gene Elliott Thornton Jr., Terrence Thornton, Pharrell Williams & Stevie Wonder

Best Rap Album: GNX, Kendrick Lamar

Best Americana Performance: Godspeed, Mavis Staples

Best Country Solo Performance: Somewhere Over Laredo, Lainey Wilson

Best Country Duo/Group Performance: A Song to Sing, Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton

Best Contemporary Country Album: Snipe Hunter, Tyler Childers

Best Traditional Country Album: Oh What a Beautiful World, Willie Nelson

Best Musica Urbana Album: Debí Tirar Más Fotos, Bad Bunny

Best Comedy Album: Drop Dead Years, Bill Burr

Best Compilation Soundtrack: KPop Demon Hunters

Songwriter of the Year: Amy Allen

Producer of the Year: Cirkut

Best Song Written for Visual Media: Golden [From “KPop Demon Hunters”], EJAE & Mark Sonnenblick (songwriters)

Early Predictions (Our Previous Analysis)

Note: The rest of this article features analysis that was written before the 2026 Grammy nominees were announced. We were speculating on which artists would get nominated.

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar made history by becoming just the second artist to win Record of the Year for a rap song, as “Not Like Us” claimed the 2025 prize. The 2025 Emmy nominee won a total of five awards, bringing him to 22 for his career.

His surprise-release album GNX came out after the cutoff for the ’25 awards, so it will be eligible in ’26. That record features his latest hit single, “Squabble Up,” and has earned rave critical reviews.

GNX is a lock to earn a Best Rap Album nod next year, and a likely Album of the Year nominee as well. “Luther” with SZA could appear in Melodic Rap Performance, and possibly even Record of the Year, given its status as a #1 hit song.

Lady Gaga

Mother Monster has now won 14 Grammys after capturing another for her Bruno Mars collab “Die With a Smile.” In 2025, she released Mayhem, which takes her back to her dance floor roots.

That record is very likely to earn Gaga at least a couple noms, in either the Dance or Pop categories. “Abracadabra” would be a strong contender for Best Dance Pop Recording.

Certainly, “Abracadabra” seems like a lock to get nominated for Best Music Video. Now that there are eight slots in the Album of the Year category, it’s possible Gaga could show up there as well. She and Lamar figure to be the top contenders for AOY.

The Weeknd

The Weeknd famously stopped submitting his music for Grammy consideration after they inexplicably snubbed his smash hit “Blinding Lights” a few years back.

But his surprise performance at the 2025 ceremony showed that he has apparently forgiven the Recording Academy. Either that, or he just wanted to use their platform to take advantage of the free air time.

In any event, he does have four Grammys to his name, and his latest effort Hurry Up Tomorrow could be considered for Best Progressive R&B Album — if he chooses to submit it. He could also show up in some of the Collaboration categories for his duets with Lana Del Rey, Future, Playboy Carti, and Anitta.

UPDATE: The Weeknd chose to submit Hurry Up Tomorrow for Best Pop Vocal Album rather than Best Progressive R&B Album. He doesn’t have a strong track record in the Pop field at the Grammys, but the competition is weak in that category this year, so he could get nominated.

Sabrina Carpenter

Last year’s Best Pop Vocal Album winner, Sabrina Carpenter has a new record, Man’s Best Friend, which arrived on August 29 — just one day before the end of the official Grammy year!

That timing was likely no coincidence. Given the lack of big albums this year, the new record from Carpenter will almost certainly earn multiple Grammy nods, including Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album.

Carpenter is also eligible for the deluxe edition of Short n’ Sweet, including “Busy Woman” and a new version of “Please Please Please” with Dolly Parton. She submitted the latter to Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Rosé & Bruno Mars

Since 2016, Bruno Mars has been nominated for 15 Grammys — and he’s won 14 of them. That’s an unbelievable success rate. The Recording Academy just can’t get enough of him.

The insanely catchy “APT.” will be eligible in 2026 and should earn a Best Pop Duo/Group nomination. It deserves a Record of the Year nom as well. However, some voters may view the song as old news by the time voting season arrives. The song will be 16 months old by the time the 2026 Grammys air, after all.

Rosé could become the first K-Pop artist ever to win a Grammy. BTS were nominated and performed on the show, but never won. Then again, Rosé’s fellow Blackpink member Lisa could beat her to that honor. Lisa released a collab with Raye and Doja Cat, and her solo album reached #7.

Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny dominated the charts in early 2025 with Debi Tirar Mas Fotos. It earned lots of love at the Latin Grammy Awards. It will certainly be nominated for Best Musica Urbana Album.

The question is whether Bad Bunny will be nominated for any other awards. In the past, he was up for Record and Album of the Year, as well as Best Pop Solo Performance. Does his name still have the same cachet it did a few years back, or have voters moved on?

Our prediction is that, given his high-profile status as the next Super Bowl performer, and the fact that all voters for the Latin Grammys are now eligible to vote for the traditional Grammys, Bad Bunny is a lock for an Album of the Year nod (and he just might win.)

Jelly Roll

In 2025, Jelly Roll earned a Best Country Solo Performance nom for “I Am Not Okay.” The rest of his album Beautifully Broken will be eligible in 2026. He’s been dominating every other music award show. Will the Grammys be next?

Expect the record to earn consideration for Best Country Album, and some of its tracks to contend for Best Country Solo Performance or Best Country Song — perhaps the hit single “Liar,” or the album track “Winning Streak,” a moving, confessional tale about his time in rehab.

Doechii

Fresh off her Best Rap Album win, Doechii released a few singles this year, with the Gotye-sampling “Anxiety” becoming the biggest pop hit of the bunch. That could potentially earn a Record or Song of the Year nomination.

Ariana Grande

Ariana’s history at the Grammys is a mixed bag for sure. She’s been nominated 18 times, but has won just two gramophones.

That said, the Wicked soundtrack will be eligible in 2026, and is very likely to score a nom for Best Musical Theater Album. Grande and Cynthia Erivo performed on enough songs on the soundtrack that they should be credited as nominees, along with the producers. “Defying Gravity” is a contender for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Benson Boone

Benson Boone was one of the star’s of last year’s Grammys, where he did his backflips and sang “Beautiful Things” as part of the Best New Artist medley.

In 2025, he’s shown he’s not a one-hit wonder with the success of “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else.” He gained new fans by performing at Coachella. And he’s the type of young, talented, on-the-rise performer the Grammys typically embrace.

His new album American Heart just arrived, and it has a good shot at an Album of the Year nom. “Mystical Magical” was submitted to the Pop categories and could earn a nod.

Elton John and Brandi Carlile

These two Grammy favorites teamed up for a collaborative album, Who Believes in Angels? It immediately jumped into the mix as a possible Album of the Year contender, since name recognition is one of the biggest nominating factors these days. It’s been getting great reviews as well.

“Never Too Late,” a previously-released single from the Elton John documentary of the same name, should be up for Best Song Written for Visual Media.

Coldplay

At this point, few Grammy watchers want to see Coldplay back in the major categories, but they usually show up there, having amassed 39 career nominations.

Their album Moon Music and single “All My Love” will be eligible in 2026. Considering that singer Chris Martin performed “All My Love” on the 2025 show as part of the In Memoriam segment, it’s got a shot at some nominations, probably Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, and possibly even Song of the Year.

Linkin Park

Linkin Park won two Grammys during their heyday with Chester Bennington, making them Rock & Roll Hall of Fame contenders. They’ve made a comeback in the past year, re-establishing their prime spot on alternative rock radio.

Their latest album From Zero is the first with new vocalist Emily Armstrong, and there’s a chance it could be recognized in categories like Best Rock Album. Or the single “The Emptiness Machine” could appear in Best Rock Performance (it was submitted there, rather than Best Alternative Music Performance.)

Chappell Roan

Chappell Roan didn’t release another album this year, but she did issue a fun country song, “The Giver.” It’s hard to envision that song earning a nomination in the Country field, but who knows? Roan is so hot right now that anything is possible. She submitted it for Best Country Song and Country Solo Performance.

Roan’s other single, “The Subway,” might appear in Best Pop Solo Performance, given that she’s still such a favorite among critics and industry colleagues.

Raye

British crooner Raye gave a stellar performance of “Oscar Winning Tears” at the 2025 Grammys, where she was nominated for Songwriter of the Year. Though that song was first released on her album way back in February 2023, it could still be eligible for the Song of the Year category at the 2026 Grammys.

That category has a stipulation that “A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year.” The song was a smash in Britain, but not well-known in the U.S. until late 2024. If it’s deemed eligible, “Oscar Winning Tears” should get a Song of the Year nod.

UPDATE: Raye did not submit “Oscar Winning Tears” for Song of the Year, instead submitting “Suzanne” and “Born Again,” neither of which has a chance.

Miley Cyrus

Miley had her big Grammy breakthrough a couple years back when “Flowers” won Record of the Year, and she’s back with Something Beautiful and “End of the World.”

She could be back in some of the Pop categories at the 2026 Grammys, although the album hasn’t been particularly commercially successful, so there are no guarantees.

Miley’s best shot could be for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, where she submitted “Walk of Fame,” a collab with Grammy favorite Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes.

Addison Rae

Pop singer Addison Rae moved up the charts with the slow-burning “Diet Pepsi.” That song can’t be nominated at the 2026 Grammys, since it was eligible in 2025.

But Rae will likely earn consideration for Best New Artist, given that she released a couple other singles as well.

Justin Bieber

Bieber only has two career Grammys, both in odd genres (one in Country with Dan & Shay, and one in Electronic with Diplo and Skrillex.) But Bieber’s Justice album earned eight nominations.

Could his surprise summer album Swag possibly break through? Perhaps with the Pop Vocal Album category wide open, Bieber could sneak in this time. Or maybe even another Album of the Year nod.

Morgan Wallen

The Recording Academy was slow to embrace Morgan Wallen after his series of controversial incidents a few years back. But they’ve been steadily giving him more attention. In 2025, he earned his first two nods for “I Had Some Help,” his smash hit with Post Malone.

Wallen chose not to submit his work for consideration for the 2026 Grammys, even though “I’m the Problem” seemingly had a good shot at getting nominated. Still, Wallen could earn a nod or two, if his collaborators (like Tate McRae) submit their songs.

UPDATE: Tate McRae did not submit her Wallen collab “What I Want” for Grammy consideration, so Wallen will likely be shut out.

Tyler, the Creator

Former Rap Album of the Year Grammy winner Tyler the Creator released Chromakopia in October, and it will surely be in the running for that category again, while single “Sticky” could be up for Best Rap Song (it was not submitted for Best Rap Performance or Melodic Rap Performance.)

However, Tyler surprise-released a second album, Don’t Tap the Glass, in July, so his team will have to be sure to submit only one of them for Grammy consideration, or they could cancel each other out.

UPDATE: Tyler submitted Chromakopia for Album of the Year and in the Rap categories. Don’t Tap the Glass was submitted to Alternative Music Album.

Other Artists Who Will Be Contenders

Gracie Abrams scored a breakout hit with “That’s So True,” a worthy potential nominee for Best Pop Solo Performance. It could even be in the running for Record or Song of the Year, since it stayed on the charts for quite a while.

Lorde could get some attention for her new album, especially since most of the young pop divas didn’t release new music this year. It didn’t produce any major hits, but could be a contender for Best Alternative Music Album.

In previous years, we mentioned Tate McRae as a Grammy dark horse, but she never got nominated. She’s had multiple hits this year, and given the dearth of A-list pop releases, she should certainly get at least one nod this time around.

Rihanna’s “Friend of Mine,” from the Smurfs soundtrack, didn’t exactly light up the charts. But listeners are always desperate for RiRi content. Expect voters to give her a Best Song Written for Visual Media nomination.

Three-time nominee GloRilla dropped her first official album recently, and could be a contender in the Rap field.

Emerging country singer Megan Moroney could be in the running for Best New Artist, after she was surprisingly passed over for a nomination in 2025.

In the country field, 2025 ACM winners Lainey Wilson and newcomer Ella Langley both figure to get some love. Langley is a likely Best New Artist nominee.

The mask-wearing metal-ish band Sleep Token had a breakthrough year. They submitted themselves for consideration in Best New Artist, Best Metal Performance (“Emergence”), and several Rock categories for “Caramel” and Even in Arcadia.

Andrew Watt, who produced both the Lady Gaga and Elton John/Brandi Carlile records, has a great chance to earn another win for Producer of the Year.

Rufus du Sol and Jamie xx will be eligible in the Dance categories for their latest albums, released in late 2024.

Americana star Sierra Ferrell, who won four Grammys in 2025 but was overlooked in the major categories, could find her way into the Best New Artist field as well.

And bluegrass legend Alison Krauss, owner of a whopping 27 Grammy Awards, has issued a new release with Union Station, and could be a contender in the American Roots categories.

Our Original Major Category Predictions

These are the artists who we thought would get nominated for Record and Album of the Year. We were correct on many of these, but there were some surprises as well.

RECORD OF THE YEAR: Predicted Nominees
Anxiety, Doechii
Who Believes in Angels, Elton John & Brandi Carlile
Wildflower, Billie Eilish
Abracadabra, Lady Gaga
Golden, HUNTR/X
Luther, Kendrick Lamar & SZA
Apt., Rosé & Bruno Mars
Ordinary, Alex Warren
Other contenders: Manchild, Sabrina Carpenter; That’s So True, Gracie Abrams; Daisies, Justin Bieber

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Predicted Nominees
Debi Tirar Mas Fotos, Bad Bunny
SWAG, Justin Bieber
Sable Fable, Bon Iver
Man’s Best Friend, Sabrina Carpenter
Who Believes in Angels?, Elton John & Brandi Carlile
Mayhem, Lady Gaga
GNX, Kendrick Lamar
Hurry Up Tomorrow, The Weeknd
Other contenders: Moon Music, Coldplay; Beautifully Broken, Jelly Roll; Chromakopia, Tyler the Creator; K-Pop Demon Hunters Soundtrack; Big Money, Jon Batiste; American Heart, Benson Boone; Virgin, Lorde

BEST NEW ARTIST: Predicted Nominees
Ella Langley
The Marias
Mk.gee
PinkPantheress
Addison Rae
Sombr
Zach Top
Alex Warren
Other contenders: MJ Lenderman; Sierra Ferrell, Sexyy Red, FLO, Myles Smith, Red Clay Strays, Gigi Perez, Lola Young, Jessie Murph, Ravyn Lenae, Leon Thomas, Katseye; BigXThaPlug; Djo; Megan Moroney; Renee Rapp; Sleep Token

Artists Who Did Not Release New Music in Time

One other note: No list of Grammy predictions would be complete without four-time Album of the Year winner Taylor Swift. Her latest album The Life of a Showgirl wasn’t eligible, because it came out after the deadline. And she chose not to release a single before August 30, so she will be absent from the ’26 Grammys.

Likewise, Harry Styles and Olivia Rodrigo are working on new projects that could’ve earned the attention of Academy voters, but they didn’t release them this year.

What are your 2026 Grammy predictions?

Last Updated on February 24, 2026