<\/p>\n
The competition is fierce. Kendrick Lamar’s<\/a> dominance continues at the 2026 Grammy Awards,<\/a> where he leads the nominations with nine. He’s followed closely by Lady Gaga,<\/a> Jack Antonoff and Canadian record producer\/songwriter Cirkut, who boast seven each. Then it’s Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Bunny, Leon Thomas and Serban Ghenea with six. <\/p>\n But who will win? Who will make history at the 68th Grammy Awards on Feb. 1? <\/p>\n The Associated Press\u2019 Maria Sherman<\/a> and Jonathan Landrum Jr.<\/a> break down the close races for Grammy glory.<\/p>\n Album of the year<\/p>\n \u201cDeb\u00ed Tirar M\u00e1s Fotos,\u201d Bad Bunny; \u201cSwag,\u201d Justin Bieber; \u201cMan\u2019s Best Friend,\u201d Sabrina Carpenter; \u201cLet God Sort Em Out,\u201d Clipse, Pusha T and Malice; \u201cMayhem,\u201d Lady Gaga; \u201cGNX,\u201d Kendrick Lamar; \u201cMutt,\u201d Leon Thomas; \u201cChromakopia,\u201d Tyler, the Creator.<\/p>\n SHERMAN: Starting off with the big guns. Last year\u2019s \u201cCowboy Carter\u201d victory<\/a> was long overdue for Beyonc\u00e9. That, and an evolving Recording Academy electorate, is enough to inspire hope that winners may soon be in sync with the current cultural zeitgeist. But change is slow, and it is most likely Lady Gaga will be awarded. \u201cMayhem\u201d is a great album, but her victory will be more about narrative \u2014 recognizing a game-changing artist with her return-to-form record \u2014 instead of who should really win this year. That’s Bad Bunny\u2019s \u201cDeb\u00ed Tirar M\u00e1s Fotos.\u201d<\/a> (Let\u2019s not forget all Latin Recording Academy members were invited to join<\/a> the Recording Academy in 2025, but it is not clear how many can actually vote.) The world would love to see a Spanish-language album win for the very first time \u2014 Bad Bunny was once again the most streamed artist, globally, on Spotify last year.<\/a><\/p>\n There’s also \u201cGNX,\u201d which deserves the victory, as well. But the 2025 ceremony felt like Kendrick Lamar’s victory lap,<\/a> and even with three rap albums nominated in the top spot, it’s not clear whether voters will give him the recognition he deserves.<\/p>\n LANDRUM: I understand the appeal of a breakthrough narrative here, especially with such a globally representative field. But this category tends to land with the project that moved most cleanly across multiple spaces without explanation. \u201cGNX\u201d stayed active<\/a> across music, sports and everyday culture throughout the year. Let\u2019s not forget that songs \u201cluther\u201d and \u201cSquabble Up\u201d sustained long-term engagement; \u201cTV Off\u201d entered everyday language with the \u201cMustard\u201d catchphrase; and \u201cDodger Blue\u201d extended the project into sports culture during the Los Angeles Dodgers\u2019 championship run. Much respect to the other nominees here, but Lamar delivered a tightly structured album that circulated naturally. That kind of sustained presence usually carries more weight than momentum built around a single lane.<\/p>\n Record of the year<\/p>\n \u201cDtMF,\u201d Bad Bunny; \u201cManchild,\u201d Sabrina Carpenter; \u201cAnxiety,\u201d Doechii; \u201cWildflower,\u201d Billie Eilish; \u201cAbracadabra,\u201d Lady Gaga; \u201cluther,\u201d Kendrick Lamar with SZA; \u201cThe Subway,\u201d Chappell Roan; \u201cAPT.,\u201d Ros\u00e9 and Bruno Mars.<\/p>\n LANDRUM: If one song feels both inescapable and effortless, it\u2019s \u201cAPT.\u201d I look at what songs listeners \u2014 especially younger ones including my soon-to-be 6-year-old \u2014 still keep in rotation.<\/a> The song easily translates across age groups, platforms and borders. Bruno Mars brought a proven sense of structure that voters respond to, while Ros\u00e9\u2019s presence reflects the academy\u2019s growing comfort with global pop influence. If this wins, which I believe will happen, Ros\u00e9 would become the first K-pop artist to take the record of the year milestone. I think it\u2019s time to make history.<\/p>\n SHERMAN: For all of the reasons you’ve listed above \u2014 as well as its total ubiquity and cultural meshing \u2014 \u201cAPT.\u201d is the most likely candidate. But because record of the year is meant to highlight performance and production (as opposed to song of the year, which focuses on songwriting and composition), \u201cluther\u201d should win. <\/p>\n Song of the year (songwriter\u2019s award)<\/p>\n \u201cAbracadabra,\u201d Henry Walter, Lady Gaga and Andrew Watt; \u201cAnxiety,\u201d Jaylah Hickmon; \u201cAPT.,\u201d Amy Allen, Christopher Brody Brown, Rog\u00e9t Chahayed, Henry Walter, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Chae Young Park and Theron Thomas; \u201cDtMF,\u201d Benito Antonio Mart\u00ednez Ocasio, Scott Dittrich, Benjamin Falik, Hugo Ren\u00e9 Senci\u00f3n and Tyler Thomas Spry; \u201cGolden,\u201d EJAI and Mark Sonnenblick; \u201cluther,\u201d Jack Antonoff, Roshwita Larisha Bacha, Matthew Bernard, Ink, Scott Bridgeway, Sam Dew, Kendrick Lamar, Mark Anthony Spears, Sol\u00e1na Rowe and Kamasi Washington; \u201cManchild,\u201d Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff and Sabrina Carpenter; \u201cWildflower,\u201d Billie Eilish O\u2019Connell and Finneas O\u2019Connell.<\/p>\n SHERMAN: There\u2019s no \u201cNot Like Us\u201d this year, but there is a lot of competition. Billie Eilish<\/a> and Bruno Mars are back \u2014 two established favorites of Grammy voters \u2014 it would be a third win for both in this category, the most of any artist. And it wouldn\u2019t be wise to count out the gargantuan \u201cGolden,\u201d though it may be awarded elsewhere. Signs point to Lady Gaga for this one. She has been nominated in this category four times with no victories. \u201cAbracadabra\u201d<\/a> could take it home \u2014 and it will feel more justified than an album of the year win for many.<\/p>\n LANDRUM: I agree. The competition is strong here. But this category often comes down to precision. And \u201cAbracadabra\u201d is tightly constructed and intentional, shaped by Lady Gaga\u2019s renewed focus on lyric construction and melodic intent. That was something we spoke about<\/a> ahead of her album. You hear that discipline in the writing itself with every line pulling its weight.<\/p>\n Best new artist<\/p>\n Olivia Dean; Katseye; The Marias; Addison Rae; sombr; Leon Thomas; Alex Warren; Lola Young.<\/p>\n LANDRUM: This category increasingly rewards artists who arrive with a fully formed identity. Leon Thomas separated himself by presenting a cohesive body of work rather than a moment driven by visibility alone. \u201cMutt\u201d reflects songwriting discipline,<\/a> genre fluency and a clear point of view shaped by years of experience. That foundation tends to resonate when voters are thinking long term.<\/p>\n SHERMAN: Points have been made! Thomas is an exemplar candidate. But there are other factors. If streaming was the ultimate metric, this would go to \u201cOrdinary\u201d singer Alex Warren.<\/a> But it rarely is. In this category, Olivia Dean’s name<\/a> has been uttered the most.<\/p>\n Best pop duo\/group performance<\/p>\n \u201cDefying Gravity,\u201d Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande; \u201cGolden,\u201d HUNTR\/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI; \u201cGabriela,\u201d Katseye; \u201cAPT.,\u201d Ros\u00e9 and Bruno Mars, \u201c30 for 30,\u201d SZA with Kendrick Lamar.<\/p>\n SHERMAN: Three of these nominees could be considered K-pop, or at the very least, K-pop-adjacent: \u201cGolden,\u201d \u201cAPT.,\u201d and \u201cGabriela.\u201d If any of them win, it will mark the first time any K-pop act has won<\/a> any Grammy \u2014 and who wouldn\u2019t want to see that? \u201cGolden\u201d feels most likely. If the Lamar and SZA song here was \u201cLuther\u201d instead of \u201c30 for 30,\u201d this would be a different conversation.<\/p>\n LANDRUM: For me, this is a toss-up between \u201cGolden\u201d and \u201cAPT.\u201d But I\u2019m going to give a slight nod to \u201cAPT.\u201d What sets the song apart is balance. It also features a voter favorite: Bruno Mars.<\/a> The collaboration with him and Ros\u00e9 feels settled, with neither artist competing for space. Mars understands how to shape performances that voters consistently recognize, and Ros\u00e9 fits seamlessly into that structure. In this category, cohesion often matters more than ambition.<\/p>\n Best rap album<\/p>\n \u201cLet God Sort Em Out,\u201d Clipse, Pusha T and Malice; \u201cGlorious,\u201d GloRilla; \u201cGod Does Like Ugly,\u201d JID, \u201cGNX,\u201d Kendrick Lamar, \u201cChromakopia,\u201d Tyler, the Creator.<\/p>\n LANDRUM: If I believe \u201cGNX\u201d deserves album of the year, then this category shouldn\u2019t even be a debate. Same logic would apply to Tyler, the Creator:<\/a> You shouldn\u2019t crown the album at the top and ignore it in its home genre. \u201cGNX\u201d is cohesive, quotable and culturally dominant without chasing the algorithm. That\u2019s rap at its highest level.<\/p>\n SHERMAN: It’s a no contest pick. \u201cGNX\u201d is more than an album, but a paragon \u2014 and should be awarded as such.<\/p>\n Best contemporary country album<\/p>\n \u201cPatterns,\u201d Kelsea Ballerini; \u201cSnipe Hunter,\u201d Tyler Childers; \u201cEvangeline vs the Machine,\u201d Eric Church; \u201cBeautifully Broken,\u201d Jelly Roll; \u201cPostcards from Texas,\u201d Miranda Lambert.<\/p>\n SHERMAN: This year, the Grammys renamed country album<\/a> to contemporary country album and added a traditional country album category, a distinction that exists in other genres. But the news arrived right after \u201cCowboy Carter\u201d won best country album, inspiring backlash online. In this inaugural edition, \u201ccontemporary\u201d seems to mean \u201ccountry that includes elements of other genres and\/or left-of-center narratives.\u201d In the case of the former, Eric Church\u2019s inventive country-rock may sway voters over Kelsea Ballerini\u2019s pop affectations, Jelly Roll\u2019s hip-hop-informed phrasing or Tyler Childers\u2019 eclecticism.<\/a><\/p>\n LANDRUM: Like Jelly Roll said in an interview with Maria,<\/a> it\u2019s his time. And I sure do believe him. This album fits the newly defined category almost too perfectly: emotional, honest, genre-fluid production and storytelling that connects beyond traditional country audiences. He expanded this genre, and I believe voters love a moment that feels both timely and redemptive. This checks both boxes.<\/p>\n Best R&B Album<\/p>\n \u201cBeloved,\u201d Giveon; \u201cWhy Not More?,\u201d Coco Jones; \u201cThe Crown,\u201d Ledisi; \u201cEscape Room,\u201d Teyana Taylor; \u201cMutt,\u201d Leon Thomas.<\/p>\n LANDRUM: There\u2019s only one album in this category that\u2019s also up for album of the year, and that matters. \u201cMutt\u201d distinguished itself<\/a> through restraint, allowing songwriting and performance to lead rather than production excess. This should be a lock \u2026 which is exactly why I\u2019m bracing for voters to surprise me.<\/p>\n SHERMAN: \u201cMutt\u201d is a clear standout here. As Ty Dolla $ign told AP<\/a> in October, \u201cThere\u2019s definitely going to be a comeback in R&B<\/a> very soon.\u201d And who did he name as its leader? \u201cWe\u2019re talking Leon specifically.\u201d<\/p>\n Best dance\/electronic album<\/p>\n \u201cEUSEXUA,\u201d FKA twigs; \u201cTen Days,\u201d Fred again \u2026; \u201cFancy That,\u201d PinkPantheress; \u201cInhale\/Exhale,\u201d R\u00fcf\u00fcs du Sol; \u201cF— U Skrillex You Think Ur Andy Warhol but UR Not! 3,\u201d Skrillex<\/p>\n SHERMAN: There are a lot of heavyweights in this category: Fred again \u2026, R\u00fcf\u00fcs du Sol, PinkPantheress<\/a> and more. FKA twigs\u2019 \u201cEUSEXUA\u201d<\/a> made a big splash in 2025. But all signs point to Skrillex, one of the most Grammy-awarded dance\/electronic artists, with nine career wins.<\/p>\n LANDRUM: This field is rich with compelling artistic statements. What gives Skrillex\u2019s \u201cF— U Skrillex You Think Ur Andy Warhol but UR Not! 3″ an edge is direction. It pushes sound forward while maintaining structure. That balance between experimentation and clarity has historically resonated with voters in this category.<\/p>\n Best Latin pop album<\/p>\n \u201cCosa Nuestra,\u201d Rauw Alejandro; \u201cBogot\u00e1 (Deluxe),\u201d Andr\u00e9s Cepeda; \u201cTropicoqueta,\u201d Karol G; \u201cCancionera,\u201d Natalia Lafourcade; \u201c\u00bfY ahora qu\u00e9?,\u201d Alejandro Sanz.<\/p>\n SHERMAN: This trophy is likely headed to Natalia Lafourcade<\/a> or Alejandro Sanz, who took home record of the year at the 2025 Latin Grammys<\/a> a few months ago. Even though this is a pop category, I sense voters will go traditional. The Latin categories at the Grammys often reflect the top winners at the Latin Grammys, too.<\/p>\n LANDRUM: There\u2019s a strong case for tradition in this field, but \u201cTropicoqueta\u201d reflects forward movement. Karol G operates with clear creative authority here, balancing accessibility with cultural specificity. When voters meet the moment rather than default to familiarity, this type of project tends to stand out.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n