Record of the Year
Bad Bunny – DTMF
Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
Doechii – Anxiety
Billie Eilish – Wildflower
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – Luther
Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Chappell Roan – The Subway
Rosé & Bruno Mars – APT.
The Grammys can feel familiar: Sabrina Carpenter, Kendrick Lamar, Chappell Roan, and Billie Eilish were all nominated in this category last year, joined by Lady Gaga (45 total nominations), Bruno Mars (36), and Bad Bunny (16). But the favoritism is justified in this strong field.
Record of the Year winners tend to combine huge commercial success with the nebulous sense of having defined the year in pop. Despite their popularity, none of the songs by Carpenter, Eilish, Gaga, or Roan truly dominated the zeitgeist. Manchild was huge, but still no Espresso.
After delivering the best live performance of last year’s ceremony, Doechii achieved her true commercial breakthrough with Anxiety and is up for five awards this year. However, for all its virality, it heavily samples the 2013 winner in this category, Gotye and Kimbra’s Somebody That I Used to Know, and thus sits somewhat in its shadow.
APT. has a big chance as a globe-dominating, multi-billion-stream hit that sent nursery schools, cocktail bars, and wedding dance floors into equal pandemonium thanks to its multiple earworms (even if it’s essentially the Ting Tings’ That’s Not My Name with a Hollywood budget).
But Luther spent 13 weeks at US No. 1, making it one of the most commercially successful R&B and hip-hop songs ever. With a typically poignant SZA chorus melody, it demonstrates the artistic chemistry between two all-time American greats.
Will win: Kendrick Lamar & SZA
Should win: Kendrick Lamar & SZA
—
Album of the Year
Bad Bunny – Debí Tirar Más Fotos
Justin Bieber – Swag
Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend
Clipse – Let God Sort ‘Em Out
Lady Gaga – Mayhem
Kendrick Lamar – GNX
Leon Thomas – Mutt
Tyler, the Creator – Chromakopia
Free from the bloodless Grammy-bait that has pockmarked this category in recent years—where musicianship often seems prized over songwriting rigor (e.g., Jacob Collier or Jon Batiste)—there isn’t a truly weak album here. The least compelling are Tyler, the Creator’s Chromakopia, overshadowed by his much nimbler Don’t Tap the Glass last year, and Justin Bieber’s Swag, which contains some of his best songs (the minimalist marvel Yukon deserves to win Best R&B Performance) but also features cringeworthy skits and lyrics. Rap devotees will split votes between the equally strong Kendrick and Clipse, and again, Gaga’s and Carpenter’s albums didn’t feel as culture-defining as their earlier work.
Instead, the year has been defined by Bad Bunny and his outrageously accomplished sixth album. Weaving between reggaeton, salsa, plena, and myriad other Latin styles, it is a torrent of pure musicality. While DTMF may not be big enough on its own to win in song categories, he could triumph here.
The closest this category has to Grammy catnip is rising funk and soul star Leon Thomas, who could create an upset. His success is built on classic songcraft and old-school touring, and his self-deprecating songs about being ruled by desire will appeal to Recording Academy members who remember Curtis Mayfield and James Brown as much as those who love neo-soul and hip-hop.
Will win: Bad Bunny
Should win: Bad Bunny
—
Song of the Year
Bad Bunny – DTMF
Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
Doechii – Anxiety
Billie Eilish – Wildflower
Huntr/x – Golden
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – Luther
Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Rosé & Bruno Mars – APT.
Given that casual observers often wonder about the difference between Record and Song of the Year…The definition of “Song of the Year” is vague—even the Grammys themselves describe it merely as “a songwriter(s) award.” Given that, it feels especially redundant that this year’s list of nominees largely replicates the Record of the Year category, with only one swap: the fictional band Golden from KPop Demon Hunters replaces Chappell Roan.
As a fantastically executed pop-cultural phenomenon, Golden has a good chance despite its hackneyed lyrics. Either Golden or APT. would be the first bilingual winner in this category—and Bad Bunny’s Spanish-language DTMF would be the first entirely non-English winner. His lyrics about friends who have emigrated from Puerto Rico are affecting and richly musical, but the song could easily lose to APT., which is absolute fluff bolstered by solid construction. Plus, Bruno Mars has won this award before for knowingly silly songs like That’s What I Like and Leave the Door Open.
But don’t discount Kendrick Lamar and SZA, nor Billie Eilish, who has been nominated in this category in six of the last seven years, winning twice. Wildflower was released in May 2024, but the Grammys justify their Eilish obsession (nine wins, 34 nominations) by claiming the song “came to prominence” during the eligibility period—as if it weren’t already prominent on her hit album Hit Me Hard and Soft. Regardless, it’s masterful songwriting, full of the unease that comes with falling for someone who broke the heart of someone you care about.
Will win: Huntr/x
Should win: Bad Bunny
### Best New Artist
Olivia Dean
Katseye
The Marías
Addison Rae
Sombr
Leon Thomas
Alex Warren
Lola Young
This is the first year since 2018 without a British artist in the Record, Album, or Song of the Year categories, but two appear in this “big four” category: Olivia Dean and Lola Young, both of whom explore affairs of the heart as deftly as anyone in pop. The timing is perfect for Dean, who is enjoying a huge surge in popularity—enough to edge out Leon Thomas (who will likely win at least one R&B category). Her album The Art of Loving is expected to feature heavily in the 2027 nominations.
Also in the running are the “global girl group” Katseye and Addison Rae, who may not be a commercial juggernaut but is a favorite among pop critics and could have fans in the Academy. Sombr might have an outside chance: his well-crafted tales of miserable yearning, delivered with pop’s sharpest cheekbones, have rightly generated hundreds of millions of streams, though he was surprisingly shut out of the pop categories.
Will win: Olivia Dean
Should win: Olivia Dean
### Best Pop Solo Performance
Justin Bieber – Daisies
Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
Lady Gaga – Disease
Chappell Roan – The Subway
Lola Young – Messy
Sabrina Carpenter deservedly won this category last year for Espresso. While Manchild isn’t in the same songwriting league, Carpenter has an unmatched ability to sell a song. Her grip on pop could secure another win—though the same could be said for Chappell Roan, whose vocals on The Subway (half Elizabeth Fraser, half Broadway belle) pack serious power.
Justin Bieber tends to leave the Grammys empty-handed, even in pop categories—only two wins from 23 nominations before this year—and Daisies isn’t distinctive enough in this field. Lady Gaga is in magnificently hammy form on Disease, though most listeners don’t consider it A-grade Gaga material.
The best performance, and the biggest streaming hit, is Lola Young’s Messy. It achieves the near-impossible feat of capturing the emotionally disorienting rhythm of a domestic argument while still being a perfect pop song—but she remains a relative outsider in this company.
Will win: Chappell Roan
Should win: Lola Young
### Best Rock Performance
Amyl and the Sniffers – U Should Not Be Doing That
Linkin Park – The Emptiness Machine
Turnstile – Never Enough
Hayley Williams – Mirtazapine
Yungblud – Changes (Live from Villa Park, Back to the Beginning)
This is th…This category boasts its strongest lineup since 2021, when all the nominees were women or female-fronted acts. In terms of pure performance, there is a clear standout: Yungblud’s rendition of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Changes,” performed at Black Sabbath’s final concert with backing from members of Anthrax and Sleep Token, and featuring a splendid guitar solo by Nuno Bettencourt. It is a masterclass in rock singing—both pure and corrupted at once.
His strongest competition comes from Linkin Park, who overcame the death of frontman Chester Bennington to release one of the most successful rock singles in years. “The Emptiness Machine” is exhilaratingly precise, peeling back the layers of a rotten relationship. It’s also a terrific performance, especially by new vocalist Emily Armstrong, who directs the song’s loathing both inward and outward simultaneously.
Will win: Linkin Park
Should win: Yungblud
—
### Best Rap Performance
– Cardi B – “Outside”
– Clipse – “Chains & Whips” (ft. Kendrick Lamar and Pharrell Williams)
– Doechii – “Anxiety”
– Kendrick Lamar – “TV Off” (ft. Lefty Gunplay)
– Tyler, the Creator – “Darling, I” (ft. Teezo Touchdown)
Kendrick Lamar has won in seven of the last eleven years in this category, and with two nominations here, he could well win again—though “TV Off” may pale next to last year’s awards-sweeping Drake diss track “Not Like Us,” excellent as it is. As usual, Cardi B delivers pure entertainment and mic mastery on “Outside,” but her long-delayed second album stalled her momentum; this just doesn’t feel like her year.
Tyler, the Creator’s track feels somewhat stuck in his ’80s-funk comfort zone. Doechii lost out in 2025 with “Nissan Altima”—arguably the most technically astounding track in this field for years—but “Anxiety” is a bigger hit and a more rounded song. Yet Clipse will probably triumph. Not only is Lamar involved, but the story of the returning prodigal sons is irresistible. “Chains & Whips” has it all: a tangy hook and verses filled with Clipse’s trademark amused malevolence, as if they’re circling a foe dangling upside down.
Will win: Clipse
Should win: Clipse
—
### Best Country Solo Performance
– Tyler Childers – “Nose on the Grindstone”
– Shaboozey – “Good News”
– Chris Stapleton – “Bad As I Used to Be”
– Zach Top – “I Never Lie”
– Lainey Wilson – “Somewhere Over Laredo”
This is another category where Grammy voters have clear favorites: Chris Stapleton has won five of the six times he’s been nominated in the flagship country category, including the last two years, making him the obvious choice. However, while “Bad As I Used to Be” has an engaging tune, Stapleton is more at home singing about his flaws and foibles and lacks the necessary danger for outlaw country like this.
Shaboozey couldn’t beat him last year despite having one of country’s biggest-ever hits with “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” so the pale stomp-clap of its follow-up, “Good News,” won’t be enough in the rematch. Tyler Childers’ “Nose on the Grindstone” is excellent—his album Snipe Hunter will surely win Best Contemporary Country Album—but it may be too moody and pared-back for a win in a category where traditionalism reigns.
Lainey Wilson’s sumptuous, pun-filled ballad has a good chance, but Zach Top could clinch this. “I Never Lie” was a big hit, and besides being old-school down to the pedal steel, his performance—wryly affecting not to be bothered by his ex’s new man—is pure charm.
Will win: Zach Top
Should win: Zach Top
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the 2026 Grammys framed around the idea of a golden night for top contenders
General Beginner Questions
Q What does a golden night mean at the Grammys
A It means having an incredibly successful night winning multiple major awards often seen as a careerdefining sweep
Q When and where are the 2026 Grammys
A The exact date and venue havent been announced yet Typically the ceremony is held in late January or early February in Los Angeles
Q Who is eligible for the 2026 Grammys
A Music released between October 1 2024 and September 15 2025 is eligible for nomination The official nominee list will be announced in late 2025
Q What are the Big Four Grammy awards
A They are the most prestigious categories Album of the Year Record of the Year Song of the Year and Best New Artist
Predictions Frontrunners
Q Who is predicted to win big at the 2026 Grammys
A Its very early but strong contenders often emerge from critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums released in the eligibility period Artists like Beyoncé Taylor Swift or a breakout act from 2025 could be frontrunners
Q Could a legacy artist win Album of the Year
A Absolutely Voters often reward veteran artists for exceptional latecareer work A major comeback album from a respected icon could be a top prediction
Q What kind of album usually wins Album of the Year
A Theres no single formula but winners often combine critical praise commercial success cultural impact and technical excellence Concept albums or those with a strong thematic narrative often have an edge
Q Is there usually a frontrunner for Best New Artist
A Yes typically an artist who had a dominant breakout year within the eligibility period with a
