Grammy awards 2026: Kendrick Lamar leads nominations with nine nods

<p>Rapper receives nominations in all top categories while Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter and Leon Thomas are also major nominees</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/nov/07/grammys-2026-nominations-major-categories">• Grammys 2026: the nominations in all the major categories</a></p><p>The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/grammys">Grammys</a>’ love continues for <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/kendrick-lamar">Kendrick Lamar</a>. The rapper, who <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/feb/02/grammy-winners-beyonce-kendrick-lamar">took home the most trophies</a> at the 2025 music awards with five, leads the nominees for the 2026 awards.</p><p>Lamar is up for nine awards, including album of the year (for his most recent, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/nov/25/kendrick-lamar-gnx-review-drake">GNX</a>), best rap album, record of the year and song of the year. He faces competition for the night’s top award – album of the year – from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/bad-bunny">Bad Bunny</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/jul/11/justin-bieber-swag-review-surprise-album">Justin Bieber</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/aug/29/sabrina-carpenter-mans-best-friend-review">Sabrina Carpenter</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/mar/06/lady-gaga-mayhem-review-abracadabra">Lady Gaga</a>, Leon Thomas, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/oct/28/tyler-the-creator-chromakopia-album-review">Tyler, the Creator</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/jul/10/clipse-let-god-sort-em-out-review">Clipse, Pusha T &amp; Malice</a>.</p> <a href=&qu