Compton-born rapper Kendrick Lamar, who was among the top winners at the Grammy Awards in February, will likely be among the top nominees announced Friday for the 2026 ceremony, with Lady Gaga and Sabrina Carpenter also among the names expected to be in the mix for the top prizes.
Lamar took home Record of the Year and Song of the Year honors at the 2025 Grammys for his biting diss track, “Not Like Us,” But the coveted Album of the Year prize has thus far eluded the rapper. That drought, however, could come to an end with his latest release, “GNX,” which is expected to lead the list of nominations in the category for the 2026 show.
Sabrina Carpenter’s “Man’s Best Friend” and Lady Gaga’s “Mayhem” are also strong contenders in the category, along with Bad Bunny’s “Debà Tirar Más Fotos” and the Elton John/Brandi Carlile collaboration “Who Believes in Angels?”
Lamar is also likely to land in the Record and Song of the Year categories for the single “Luther,” which also features SZA. The Song of the Year honor is presented to the songwriter, while the Record of the Year goes to the artists.
Carpenter is also likely to land in both categories for “Manchild,” as is Billie Eilish for “Wildflower.” Chappell Roan could also score the dual nominations for “The Subway.”
For those wondering, Taylor Swift will not be collecting more Grammy nominations Friday. Her latest album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” was released outside of the Grammy eligibility period, meaning it will have to wait another year.
The nominations — in all 95 categories — will be announced in a live-streamed event led by Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. Also expected to take part in the announcement are artists and guests including Angélique Kidjo, Brandi Carlile, CeCe Winans, Chappell Roan, David Foster, Doechii, Dr. Chelsey Green, Gayle King, Jon Batiste, KAROL G, Little Big Town, Lizzo, Masaki Koike, Mumford & Sons, Nicole Scherzinger, Sabrina Carpenter and Sam Smith.
The announcement will stream live at live.grammy.com and the Grammys YouTube channel.
The 68th annual Grammy Awards will be presented Feb. 1 at the Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles.