Kendrick Lamar leads 2026 GRAMMY nominations with nine nods
Key Points
- Kendrick secures nine nominations this year. He finishes ahead of every rival.
- The haul spans rap and general fields. It signals broad peer support.
- Final winners arrive at the main show. Voting rounds run before then.
Kendrick Lamar (Kendrick Lamar Duckworth) leads this year’s GRAMMY race with nine nods. He tops the full field across rap and the big four slots.
Image credit: Instagram / @kendricklamar
This latest surge follows a huge year of music and buzz. For added context, see our recap on SZA on Kendrick–Drake beef.
How the nine nominations stack up
The tally cuts across key lanes in rap and pop fields. It includes album, record, song, and key rap slots this year.
Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song sit in the mix. So do Best Rap Performance and Best Melodic Rap Performance.
Kendrick also lands in the main show’s headline races. Those are Album, Record, and Song of the Year.
He now stands on 66 career nods and 22 wins, per reports. That long run helps explain the fresh wave of peer faith.
The Recording Academy will confirm final winners at the main event. Voters now move through the last round before the big night.
Reactions and what comes next
Fans hail the nine-pack as proof of craft and range. Peers share short posts that nod to the strong year.
Industry watchers say the spread shows grip beyond rap lanes. It shows his songs connect with broad ears and age groups.
Past legal noise around rival bars also shaped this year’s talk. For background, read our note on Drake appeals UMG ruling.
The show night draws closer with hype and tight odds. Expect close calls in the main races and the rap field.
If the pattern holds, Kendrick will split wins across lanes. The haul may still lead the board by the final count.
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