KPop Demon Hunters, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter Take Over the 2026 Grammy Nominations

Grammy season just got real. The 2026 nominations are out, and it is a stacked, slightly chaotic mix of pop heavy-hitters, rap giants, rock weirdos (complimentary), and yes, a very loud showing for an animated Netflix/Sony movie about demon-fighting K-pop idols. That last part is not a typo.

Headlines first: Kendrick Lamar leads everyone with nine nods, including the big three (Record, Song, and Album of the Year). Lady Gaga racked up seven for her album 'Mayhem'. And Netflix and Sony's 'KPop Demon Hunters' snagged four nominations off its breakout track 'Golden' and the soundtrack: Song of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Song Written for Visual Media, and Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. For a movie soundtrack to carve out that much space amid the usual suspects? Kind of wild, kind of great.

If you track the rock/alt lanes: Deftones landed a Best Rock Album nomination for 'private music', which is the one I personally had on repeat all year. Sleep Token pulled two nods too, for Best Metal Performance ('Emergence') and Best Rock Song ('Caramel'). No notes there.

Below is the whole slate in one place. Quick refresher if you care about how the sausage is made: Record of the Year honors the performance/production; Song of the Year is strictly the songwriting. You will also see detailed credits in categories like Best R&B Song and Best Dance/Electronic Recording. That is by design, not me overdoing it.

The nominees

• Record of the Year: 'DTMF' - Bad Bunny; 'Manchild' - Sabrina Carpenter; 'Anxiety' - Doechii; 'Wild Flower' - Billie Eilish; 'Abracadabra' - Lady Gaga; 'Luther' - Kendrick Lamar with SZA; 'The Subway' - Chappell Roan; 'Apt' - Rosé and Bruno Mars
• Album of the Year: 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos' - Bad Bunny; 'Swag' - Justin Bieber; 'Man's Best Friend' - Sabrina Carpenter; 'Let God Sort Em Out' - Clipse, Pusha T and Malice; 'Mayhem' - Lady Gaga; 'GNX' - Kendrick Lamar; 'Mutt' - Leon Thomas; 'Chromakopia' - Tyler, The Creator
• Song of the Year: 'Abracadabra' - Lady Gaga; songwriters: Lady Gaga, Henry Walter, Andrew Watt; 'Anxiety' - Doechii; songwriter: Jaylah Hickmon; 'Apt' - Rosé and Bruno Mars; songwriters: Amy Allen, Christopher Brody Brown, Roget Chahayed, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Chae Young Park, Theron Thomas, Henry Walter; 'DTMF' - Bad Bunny; songwriters: Marco Daniel Borrero, Scott Dittrich, Benjamin Falik, Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, Hugo Rene Sención Sanabria, Tyler Thomas Spry, Roberto Jose Rosado Torres; 'Golden' [from KPop Demon Hunters] - Huntr/x: Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami; songwriters: Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick; 'Luther' - Kendrick Lamar with SZA; songwriters: Jack Antonof, Roswita Larisha Bacha, Matthew Bernard, Scott Bridgeway, Sam Dew, Ink, Kendrick Lamar, Solana Rowe, Mark Anthony Spears, Kamasi Washington; 'Manchild' - Sabrina Carpenter; songwriters: Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff, Sabrina Carpenter; 'Wildflower' - Billie Eilish; songwriters: Billie Eilish O'Connell, Finneas O'Connell
• Best New Artist: Olivia Dean; Katseye; The Marias; Addison Rae; Sombr; Leon Thomas; Alex Warren; Lola Young
• Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical: Amy Allen; Jessie Jo Dillon; Edgar Barrera; Tobias Jesso Jr.
• Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Dan Auerbach; Cirkut; Dijon; Blake Mills; Sounwave
• Best Pop Vocal Album: 'Swag' - Justin Bieber; 'Man's Best Friend' - Sabrina Carpenter; 'Something Beautiful' - Miley Cyrus; 'Mayhem' - Lady Gaga; 'I've Tried Everything But Therapy [Part 2]' - Teddy Swims
• Best Pop Solo Performance: 'Daisies' - Justin Bieber; 'Manchild' - Sabrina Carpenter; 'Disease' - Lady Gaga; 'The Subway' - Chappell Roan; 'Messy' - Lola Young
• Best Traditional Country Album: 'Dollar A Day' - Charley Crockket; 'American Romance' - Lukas Nelson; 'Oh What a Beautiful World' - Willie Nelson; 'Hard Headed Woman' - Margo Price; 'Ain't In It for My Health' - Zach Top
• Best Contemporary Country Album: 'Patterns' - Kelsea Ballerini; 'Snipe Hunter' - Tyler Childers; 'Evangeline vs. The Machine' - Eric Church; 'Beautifully Broken' - Jelly Roll; 'Postcards from Texas' - Miranda Lambert
• Best Música Urbana Album: 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos' - Bad Bunny; 'Mixteip' - J Balvin; 'Ferxxo Vol X: Sagrado' - Feid; 'Naiki' - Nicki Nicole; 'EUB Deluxe' - Trueno; 'Sinfónico (En Vivo)' - Yandel
• Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: 'Defying Gravity' - Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande; 'Golden [From "KPop Demon Hunters"]' - HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI; 'Gabriela' - KATSEYE; 'APT.' - ROSÉ, Bruno Mars; '30 For 30' - SZA with Kendrick Lamar
• Best Dance Pop Recording: 'Bluest Flame' - Selena Gomez & benny blanco; 'Abracadabra' - Lady Gaga; 'Midnight Sun' - Zara Larsson; 'Just Keep Watching (From "F1 The Movie")' - Tate McRae; 'Illegal' - PinkPantheress
• Best Rock Song: 'As Alive As You Need Me To Be' - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, songwriters (Nine Inch Nails); 'Caramel' - Vessel1 & Vessel2, songwriters (Sleep Token); 'Glum' - Daniel James & Hayley Williams, songwriters (Hayley Williams); 'NEVER ENOUGH' - Daniel Fang, Franz Lyons, Pat McCrory, Meg Mills & Brendan Yates, songwriters (Turnstile); 'Zombie' - Dominic Harrison & Matt Schwartz, songwriters (YUNGBLUD)
• Best Alternative Music Album: 'SABLE, fABLE' - Bon Iver; 'Songs Of A Lost World' - The Cure; 'DON'T TAP THE GLASS' - Tyler, The Creator; 'moisturizer' - Wet Leg; 'Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party' - Hayley Williams
• Best R&B Performance: 'YUKON' - Justin Bieber; 'It Depends' - Chris Brown featuring Bryson Tiller; 'Folded' - Kehlani; 'MUTT (Live From NPR's Tiny Desk)' - Leon Thomas; 'Heart Of A Woman' - Summer Walker
• Best Rap Album: 'Let God Sort Em Out' - Clipse, Pusha T & Malice; 'GLORIOUS' - GloRilla; 'God Does Like Ugly' - JID; 'GNX' - Kendrick Lamar; 'CHROMAKOPIA' - Tyler, The Creator
• Best Country Solo Performance: 'Nose On The Grindstone' - Tyler Childers; 'Good News' - Shaboozey; 'Bad As I Used To Be [From "F1 The Movie"]' - Chris Stapleton; 'I Never Lie' - Zach Top; 'Somewhere Over Laredo' - Lainey Wilson
• Best Americana Album: 'BIG MONEY' - Jon Batiste; 'Bloom' - Larkin Poe; 'Last Leaf On The Tree' - Willie Nelson; 'So Long Little Miss Sunshine' - Molly Tuttle; 'Middle' - Jesse Welles
• Best Latin Pop Album: 'Cosa Nuestra' - Rauw Alejandro; 'BOGOTÁ (DELUXE)' - Andrés Cepeda; 'Tropicoqueta' - KAROL G; 'Cancionera' - Natalia Lafourcade; '¿Y ahora qué?' - Alejandro Sanz
• Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Includes Film And Television): 'How To Train Your Dragon' - John Powell, composer; 'Severance: Season 2' - Theodore Shapiro, composer; 'Sinners' - Ludwig Göransson, composer; 'Wicked' - John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, composers; 'The Wild Robot' - Kris Bowers, composer
• Best Dance/Electronic Recording: 'No Cap' - Disclosure & Anderson .Paak; credits: Disclosure, producer; Guy Lawrence, mixer; 'Victory Lap' - Fred again.., Skepta, & PlaqueBoyMax; credits: Blake Cascoe, Berwyn Du Bois, Fred again.., Darcy Lewis, Dan Mayo & PlaqueBoyMax, producers; Tom Norris, mixer; 'SPACE INVADER' - KAYTRANADA; credits: KAYTRANADA, producer and mixer; 'VOLTAGE' - Skrillex; credits: John Feldmann & Skrillex, producers; Luca Pretolesi, Skrillex & Virtual Riot, mixers; 'End Of Summer' - Tame Impala; credits: Kevin Parker, producer and mixer
• Best Dance/Electronic Album: 'EUSEXUA' - FKA twigs; 'Ten Days' - Fred again..; 'Fancy That' - PinkPantheress; 'Inhale / Exhale' - RÜFÜS DU SOL; 'F- U SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!!
• Best Remixed Recording: 'Abracadabra (Gesaffelstein Remix)' - Gesaffelstein, remixer (Lady Gaga, Gesaffelstein); 'Don't Forget About Us' - FKAYTRANADA, remixer (Mariah Carey & KAYTRANADA); 'A Dreams A Dream - Ron Trent Remix' - Ron Trent, remixer (Soul II Soul); 'Galvanize' - Chris Lake, remixer (The Chemical Brothers & Chris Lake); 'Golden - David Guetta REM/X' - David Guetta, remixer (HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI)
• Best Rock Performance: 'U Should Not Be Doing That' - Amyl and The Sniffers; 'The Emptiness Machine' - Linkin Park; 'NEVER ENOUGH' - Turnstile; 'Mirtazapine' - Hayley Williams; 'Changes (Live From Villa Park) Back To The Beginning' - YUNGBLUD featuring Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman, II
• Best Metal Performance: 'Night Terror' - Dream Theater; 'Lachryma' - Ghost; 'Emergence' - Sleep Token; 'Soft Spine' - Spiritbox; 'BIRDS' - Turnstile
• Best Rock Album: 'private music' - Deftones; 'I quit' - HAIM; 'From Zero' - Linkin Park; 'NEVER ENOUGH' - Turnstile; 'Idols' - YUNGBLUD
• Best Alternative Music Performance: 'Everything Is Peaceful Love' - Bon Iver; 'Alone' - The Cure; 'SEEIN' STARS' - Turnstile; 'mangetout' - Wet Leg; 'Parachute' - Hayley Williams
• Best Traditional R&B Performance: 'Here We Are' - Durand Bernarr; 'UPTOWN' - Lalah Hathaway; 'LOVE YOU TOO' - Ledisi; 'Crybaby' - SZA; 'VIBES DON'T LIE' - Leon Thomas
• Best R&B Song: 'Folded' - Darius Dixson, Andre Harris, Donovan Knight, Don Mills, Kehlani Parrish, Khris Riddick-Tynes & Dawit Kamal Wilson, songwriters (Kehlani); 'Heart Of A Woman' - David Bishop & Summer Walker, songwriters (Summer Walker); 'It Depends' - Nico Baran, Chris Brown, Ant Clemons, Ephrem Lopez Jr., Ryan Press, Bryson Tiller, Elliott Trent & Dewain Whitmore Jr., songwriters (Chris Brown featuring Bryson Tiller); 'Overqualified' - James John Abrahart Jr & Durand Bernarr, songwriters (Durand Bernarr); 'YES IT IS' - Jariuce Banks, Lazaro Andres Camejo, Mike Hector, Peter Lee Johnson, Rodney Jones Jr., Ali Prawl & Leon Thomas, songwriters (Leon Thomas)
• Best Progressive R&B Album: 'BLOOM' - Durand Bernarr; 'Adjust Brightness' - Bilal; 'LOVE ON DIGITAL' - Destin Conrad; 'Access All Areas' - FLO; 'Come As You Are' - Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon
• Best R&B Album: 'BELOVED' - GIVĒON; 'Why Not More?' - Coco Jones; 'The Crown' - Ledisi; 'Escape Room' - Teyana Taylor; 'MUTT' - Leon Thomas
• Best Rap Performance: 'Outside' - Cardi B; 'Chains & Whips' - Clipse, Pusha T & Malice featuring Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams; 'Anxiety' - Doechii; 'tv off' - Kendrick Lamar featuring Lefty Gunplay; 'Darling, I' - Tyler, The Creator featuring Teezo Touchdown
• Best Melodic Rap Performance: 'Proud Of Me' - Fridayy featuring Meek Mill; 'Wholeheartedly' - JID featuring Ty Dolla $ign & 6Lack; 'luther' - Kendrick Lamar with SZA; 'WeMaj' - Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon featuring Rapsody; 'SOMEBODY LOVES ME' - PARTYNEXTDOOR & Drake
• Best Rap Song: 'Anxiety' - Jaylah Hickmon, songwriter (Doechii); 'The Birds Don't Sing' - Gene Elliott Thornton Jr., Terrence Thornton, Pharrell Williams & Stevie Wonder, songwriters (Clipse, Pusha T & Malice featuring John Legend & Voices Of Fire); 'Sticky' - Aaron Bolton, Dwayne Carter, Jr., Dudley Alexander Duverne, Tyler Okonma, Janae Wherry, Gloria Woods & Rex Zamor, songwriters (Tyler, The Creator featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne); 'TGIF' - Lucas Alegria, Dillon Brophy, Yakki Davis, Jess Jackson, Ronnie Jackson, Mario Mims, Jorge M. Taveras & Gloria Woods, songwriters (GloRilla); 'tv off' - Jack Antonoff, Larry Jayy, Kendrick Lamar, Dijon McFarlane, Sean Momberger, Mark Anthony Spears & Kamasi Washington, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar featuring Lefty Gunplay)
• Best Spoken Word Poetry Album: 'A Hurricane in Heels: healed people don't act like that (partially recorded live @City Winery & other places)' - Queen Sheba; 'Black Shaman' - Marc Marcel; 'Pages' - Omari Hardwick & Anthony Hamilton; 'Saul Williams Meets Carlos Niño & Friends At Treepeople' - Saul Williams, Carlos Niño & Friends; 'Words For Days Vol. 1' - Mad Skillz
• Best Jazz Performance: 'Noble Rise' - Lakecia Benjamin featuring Immanuel Wilkins & Mark Whitfield; 'Windows - Live' - Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade; 'Peace Of Mind / Dreams Come True' - Samara Joy; 'Four' - Michael Mayo; 'All Stars Lead To You - Live' - Nicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach, Tom Scott, Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold & Rachel Eckroth
• Best Jazz Vocal Album: 'Elemental' - Dee Dee Bridgewater & Bill Charlap; 'We Insist 2025!' - Terri Lyne Carrington & Christie Dashiell; 'Portrait' - Samara Joy; 'Fly' - Michael Mayo; 'Live at Vic's Las Vegas' - Nicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach, Tom Scott, Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold & Rachel Eckroth
• Best Jazz Instrumental Album: 'Trilogy 3 (Live)' - Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade; 'Southern Nights' - Sullivan Fortner featuring Peter Washington & Marcus Gilmore; 'Belonging' - Branford Marsalis Quartet; 'Spirit Fall' - John Patitucci featuring Chris Potter & Brian Blade; 'Fasten Up' - Yellowjackets
• Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: 'Orchestrator Emulator' - The 8-Bit Big Band; 'Without Further Ado, Vol 1' - Christian McBride Big Band; 'Lumen' - Danilo Pérez & Bohuslän Big Band; 'Basie Rocks!' - Deborah Silver & The Count Basie Orchestra; 'Lights on a Satellite' - Sun Ra Arkestra; 'Some Days Are Better: The Lost Scores' - Kenny Wheeler Legacy featuring The Royal Academy of Music Jazz Orchestra & Frost Jazz Orchestra
• Best Latin Jazz Album: 'La Fleur de Cayenne' - Paquito D'Rivera & Madrid-New York Connection Band; 'The Original Influencers: Dizzy, Chano & Chico' - Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra featuring Pedrito Martinez, Daymé Arocena, Jon Faddis, Donald Harrison & Melvis Santa; 'Mundoagua – Celebrating Carla Bley' - Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra; 'A Tribute to Benny Moré and Nat King Cole' - Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Yainer Horta & Joey Calveiro; 'Vanguardia Subterránea: Live at The Village Vanguard' - Miguel Zenón Quartet
• Best Alternative Jazz Album: 'honey from a winter stone' - Ambrose Akinmusire; 'Keys To The City Volume One' - Robert Glasper; 'Ride into the Sun' - Brad Mehldau; 'LIVE-ACTION' - Nate Smith; 'Blues Blood' - Immanuel Wilkins
• Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: 'Wintersongs' - Laila Biali; 'The Gift Of Love' - Jennifer Hudson; 'Who Believes In Angels?' - Elton John & Brandi Carlile; 'Harlequin' - Lady Gaga; 'A Matter Of Time' - Laufey; 'The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume 2' - Barbra Streisand
• Best Contemporary Instrumental Album: 'Brightside' - ARKAI; 'Ones & Twos' - Gerald Clayton; 'BEATrio' - Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda, Antonio Sánchez; 'Just Us' - Bob James & Dave Koz; 'Shayan' - Charu Suri
• Best Musical Theater Album: 'Buena Vista Social Club' - Marco Paguia, Dean Sharenow & David Yazbek, producers (Original Broadway Cast); 'Death Becomes Her' - Taurean Everett, Megan Hilty, Josh Lamon, Christopher Sieber, Jennifer Simard & Michelle Williams, principal vocalists; Noel Carey, Sean Patrick Flahaven, Julia Mattison & Scott M. Riesett, producers; Noel Carey & Julia Mattison, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast); 'Gypsy' - Danny Burstein, Kevin Csolak, Audra McDonald, Jordan Tyson & Joy Woods, principal vocalists; David Caddick, Andy Einhorn, David Lai & George C. Wolfe, producers (Jule Styne, composer; Stephen Sondheim, lyricist) (2024 Broadway Cast); 'Just In Time' - Emily Bergl, Jonathan Groff, Erika Henningsen, Gracie Lawrence & Michele Pawk, principal vocalists; Derik Lee, Andrew Resnick & Bill Sherman, producers (Bobby Darin, composer & lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast); 'Maybe Happy Ending' - Marcus Choi, Darren Criss, Dez Duron & Helen J Shen, principal vocalists; Deborah Abramson, Will Aronson, Ian Kagey & Hue Park, producers; Hue Park, lyricist; Will Aronson, composer & lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)
• Best Country Duo/Group Performance: 'A Song To Sing' - Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton; 'Trailblazer' - Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson; 'Love Me Like You Used To Do' - Margo Price & Tyler Childers; 'Amen' - Shaboozey & Jelly Roll; 'Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame' - George Strait, Chris Stapleton
• Best Country Song: 'Bitin' List' - Tyler Childers, songwriter (Tyler Childers); 'Good News' - Michael Ross Pollack, Sam Elliot Roman & Jacob Torrey, songwriters (Shaboozey); 'I Never Lie' - Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols & Zach Top, songwriters (Zach Top); 'Somewhere Over Laredo' - Andy Albert, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson & Lainey Wilson, songwriters (Lainey Wilson); 'A Song To Sing' - Jenee Fleenor, Jesse Frasure, Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton)
• Best American Roots Performance: 'LONELY AVENUE' - Jon Batiste featuring Randy Newman; 'Ancient Light' - I'm With Her; 'Crimson And Clay' - Jason Isbell; 'Richmond On The James' - Alison Krauss & Union Station; 'Beautiful Strangers' - Mavis Staples
• Best Americana Performance: 'Boom' - Sierra Hull; 'Poison In My Well' - Maggie Rose & Grace Potter; 'Godspeed' - Mavis Staples; 'That's Gonna Leave A Mark' - Molly Tuttle; 'Horses' - Jesse Welles
• Best American Roots Song: 'Ancient Light' - Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O'Donovan & Sara Watkins, songwriters (I'm With Her); 'BIG MONEY' - Jon Batiste, Mike Elizondo & Steve McEwan, songwriters (Jon Batiste); 'Foxes In The Snow' - Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell); 'Middle' - Jesse Welles, songwriter (Jesse Welles); 'Spitfire' - Sierra Hull, songwriter (Sierra Hull)
• Best Bluegrass Album: 'Carter & Cleveland' - Michael Cleveland & Jason Carter; 'A Tip Toe High Wire' - Sierra Hull; 'Arcadia' - Alison Krauss & Union Station; 'Outrun' - The Steeldrivers; 'Highway Prayers' - Billy Strings
• Best Traditional Blues Album: 'Ain't Done With The Blues' - Buddy Guy; 'Room On The Porch' - Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo'; 'One Hour Mama: The Blues Of Victoria Spivey' - Maria Muldaur; 'Look Out Highway' - Charlie Musselwhite; 'Young Fashioned Ways' - Kenny Wayne Shepherd & Bobby Rush
• Best Contemporary Blues Album: 'Breakthrough' - Joe Bonamassa; 'Paper Doll' - Samantha Fish; 'A Tribute To LJK' - Eric Gales; 'Preacher Kids' - Robert Randolph; 'Family' - Southern Avenue
• Best Folk Album: 'What Did The Blackbird Say To The Crow' - Rhiannon Giddens & Justin Robinson; 'Crown Of Roses' - Patty Griffin; 'Wild And Clear And Blue' - I'm With Her; 'Foxes In The Snow' - Jason Isbell; 'Under The Powerlines April 24 – September 24' - Jesse Welles
• Best Regional Roots Music Album: 'Live At Vaughan's' - Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet; 'For Fat Man' - Preservation Brass & Preservation Hall Jazz Band; 'Church Of New Orleans' - Kyle Roussel; 'Second Line Sunday' - Trombone Shorty And New Breed Brass Band; 'A Tribute To The King Of Zydeco' - Various Artists

That is a lot of music. The big-picture read: Kendrick is the pace car, Gaga is right behind him, and the 'KPop Demon Hunters' team just crashed the party in a way studio marketers dream about. Deftones and Sleep Token both showing up across Rock/Metal is the cherry on top. Bring on the ceremony.