Kendrick Lamar is not just leading the nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards he’s on a historic chase. With nine nods this year, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year, Lamar edges closer to breaking the record for the most Grammy wins by a rapper, currently held by legends Jay‑Z and Kanye West.
His latest album, GNX, has been nominated for Album of the Year and Best Rap Album, reinforcing his reputation as one of hip-hop’s most innovative voices. The album’s critically acclaimed production and lyrical mastery make it a strong contender in this year’s top categories.
Lamar’s collaboration with SZA, “Luther”, also received nods for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Melodic Rap Performance, while “30 For 30” is in the running for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. These nominations highlight his ability to blend rap with R&B and pop, appealing to a broad audience while maintaining his artistic edge.
In rap-specific categories, Lamar picked up two Best Rap Performance nominations for “Chains and Whips” (with Clipse) and “TV Off” (featuring Lefty Gunplay). “TV Off” is additionally up for Best Rap Song, showcasing his ongoing dominance as a songwriter and performer.
With 22 Grammy wins already to his name, Lamar is closing in on the record held by Jay‑Z (25 Grammys) and Kanye West (24 Grammys). Each nomination this year brings him one step closer to potentially rewriting rap history. While he still trails the overall record for most Grammys—Beyoncé leads all artists with 32. Lamar’s pursuit highlights his consistent excellence and the growing recognition of hip-hop on the global stage.
Here are the full nominee lists for some categories at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards (2026) in which Kendrick Lamar is nominated:
Album of the Year
Nominees:
Debí Tirar Más Fotos – Bad Bunny
Swag – Justin Bieber
Man’s Best Friend – Sabrina Carpenter
Let God Sort ’Em Out – Clipse (with Pusha T & Malice)
Mayhem – Lady Gaga
GNX – Kendrick Lamar
Mutt – Leon Thomas
Chromakopia – Tyler, the Creator
– Song of the Year:
“Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga (songwriters: Henry Walter & Andrew Watt)
“Anxiety” – Doechii (songwriter: Jaylah Hickmon)
“APT.” – ROSÉ & Bruno Mars (songwriters: Amy Allen, Christopher Brody Brown, Rogét Chahayed, Henry Walter, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Chae Young Park, Theron Thomas)
“DtMF” – Bad Bunny (songwriters: Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Scott Dittrich, Benjamin Falik, etc.)
“Golden” – HUNTR/X (songwriters: EJAE & Mark Sonnenblick)
“luther” – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (songwriters include Kendrick Lamar, Jack Antonoff, etc.)
“Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter (songwriters: Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff & Sabrina Carpenter)
“WILDFLOWER” – Billie Eilish (songwriter: Finneas O’Connell & Billie Eilish)
Best Rap Album
Nominees:
Let God Sort ’Em Out – Clipse (Pusha T & Malice)
Glorious – GloRilla
God Does Like Ugly – JID
GNX – Kendrick Lamar
Chromakopia – Tyler, the Creator
– Best Rap Performance
Nominees:
Outside – Cardi B
Chains & Whips – Clipse featuring Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams
Anxiety – Doechii
TV Off – Kendrick Lamar featuring Lefty Gunplay
Darlin, I – Tyler, the Creator featuring Teezo Touchdown
Best Rap Performance
Nominees:
“Outside” — Cardi B
“Chains & Whips” — Clipse (with Pusha T & Malice) featuring Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams
“Anxiety” — Doechii
“TV Off” — Kendrick Lamar featuring Lefty Gunplay
“Darlin, I” — Tyler, the Creator featuring Teezo Touchdown
Best Rap Song
Nominees:
“Anxiety” — songwriter: Jaylah Hickmon (Doechii)
“The Birds Don’t Sing” — songwriters: Gene Elliott Thornton Jr., Terrence Thornton, Pharrell Williams & Stevie Wonder (Clipse, Pusha T & Malice featuring John Legend & Voices of Fire)
“Sticky” — songwriters: Aaron Bolton, Dudley Alexander Duverne, Gloria Woods, Dwayne Carter Jr., Janae Wherry, Tyler Okonma & Rex Zamor (Tyler, the Creator featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne)
“TGIF” — songwriters: Lucas Alegria, Dillon Brophy, Yakki Davis, Gloria Woods, Jess Jackson, Ronnie Jackson, Mario Mims & Jorge M. Taveras (GloRilla)
“TV Off” — songwriters: Jack Antonoff, Larry Jayy, Kendrick Lamar, Dijon McFarlane, Sean Momberger, Mark Anthony Spears & Kamasi Washington (Kendrick Lamar featuring Lefty Gunplay)
