2026 Grammys: Everything You Need to Know About Music's Biggest Night
The 2026 Grammy Awards are set to mark a significant return to normalcy following the 2025 ceremony, which was altered to focus on Los Angeles-area wildfire relief efforts. This year's event promises to be a spectacular celebration of music, with Recording Academy CEO and President Harvey Mason jr. hinting at "history-making moments" and "a new crop of talent coming through the system." Here is your comprehensive guide to the 2026 Grammys, covering all essential details from the date and time to nominees, performers, and how to watch the ceremony live.
When and Where to Watch the 2026 Grammys
The main show will air live from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on CBS, starting at 8 p.m. Eastern Time in the United States. For viewers in India, the ceremony will be streamed live on JioHotstar beginning at 6:30 a.m. on February 2. Additionally, Paramount+ premium plan subscribers can stream the telecast live, while essential subscribers will have on-demand access the following day. The Grammys can also be viewed through live TV streaming services that include CBS in their lineup, such as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and FuboTV.
Ahead of the main telecast, the premiere ceremony will take place at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time from the Peacock Theater. This event can be streamed on the Recording Academy's YouTube channel and on live.GRAMMY.com. For those interested in the red carpet festivities, The Associated Press will stream a four-hour red carpet show featuring interviews and fashion footage, available on YouTube and APNews.com.
Host and Presenters for the 2026 Grammys
Trevor Noah will host the Grammys for his sixth and final time, as confirmed by executive producer Ben Winston, who praised Noah as "the most phenomenal host of the show." Noah, a four-time Grammy nominee himself, is up for an award this year in the audio book, narration, and storytelling recording category for Into The Uncut Grass. His departure marks the end of an era, with Mason jr. noting, "Every person at some point in their career, they decide they want to do something else."
The list of presenters includes Doechii and Harry Styles as the first confirmed names, along with Carole King, Chappell Roan, Charli xcx, Jeff Goldblum, Karol G, Lainey Wilson, Marcello Hernández, Nikki Glaser, Q-Tip, Queen Latifah, and Teyana Taylor.
Performers and Special Segments
The 2026 Grammys will feature a special segment where all eight best new artist nominees—Leon Thomas, Olivia Dean, global girl group Katseye, The Marías, Addison Rae, sombr, Alex Warren, and Lola Young—will perform together before competing for one of the night's biggest prizes. Other confirmed performers include Bruno Mars, Rosé, Tyler, the Creator, Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, Clipse, and Pharrell Williams.
For the in memoriam segment, Reba McEntire, Brandy Clark, and Lukas Nelson will take the stage, while Ms. Lauryn Hill will pay tribute to D'Angelo and Roberta Flack. Additionally, Post Malone, Andrew Watt, Chad Smith, Duff McKagan, and Slash will honor Ozzy Osbourne.
Nominees and Key Contenders
Kendrick Lamar leads the nominations with nine total, including record, song, and album of the year. This marks the third time he has received simultaneous nominations in these major categories. He is also nominated in pop duo/group performance, melodic rap performance, rap song, and rap album, with two nominations in the rap performance category.
Following Lamar, Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff, and Canadian record producer/songwriter Cirkut each have seven nominations. Thomas, Bad Bunny, Serban Ghenea, and Sabrina Carpenter boast six nominations each, while Andrew Watt, Clipse, Doechii, Sounwave, SZA, Turnstile, and Tyler, the Creator have five each. This year also sees a number of first-time nominees, including Tate McRae, Zara Larsson, PinkPantheress, JID, and surprisingly, Timothée Chalamet.
With such a diverse and talented lineup, the 2026 Grammys are poised to deliver an unforgettable night of music, celebration, and recognition for artists across genres. Whether you're tuning in from the US or India, make sure to catch all the action as it unfolds.
