The 68th annual Grammy Awards officially began at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, marking a significant evening for the global music industry. Esteemed comedian and television host Trevor Noah presided over the main ceremony, steering music's most prestigious night for the sixth and final consecutive time, adding a poignant note to the celebrations.
A Dual Ceremony Format for the Prestigious Event
This year's accolades are being distributed across two distinct ceremonies to honor the vast array of musical talent. The majority of the 95 awards are being presented during a non-televised premiere ceremony, hosted by the talented Darren Cross. This segment allows for recognition across numerous specialized categories. Subsequently, the remaining, highly anticipated major categories are being unveiled during the prime-time main event, expertly hosted by Trevor Noah, ensuring a grand spectacle for viewers worldwide.
Kendrick Lamar Dominates the Nominations List
Leading the pack with an impressive nine nominations is the iconic rapper and songwriter Kendrick Lamar. Demonstrating his continued influence, Lamar had already secured multiple awards before the premiere ceremony even concluded. He is closely followed by pop superstar Lady Gaga and renowned producers Cirkut and Jack Antonoff, each garnering seven nominations. The field remains highly competitive, with artists like Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, Leon Thomas, and recording engineer Serban Ghenea each tied with six nominations, showcasing the depth of talent across genres.
Live Updates on Major Category Winners
As the Grammy winners for 2026 are announced in real-time, here are the highlights from some of the most prominent categories, reflecting the year's best in music.
Record of the Year
The nominees included powerful tracks such as "DtMF" by Bad Bunny, "Manchild" by Sabrina Carpenter, "Anxiety" by Doechii, "Wildflower" by Billie Eilish, "Abracadabra" by Lady Gaga, "Luther" by Kendrick Lamar With SZA, "The Subway" by Chappell Roan, and "Apt." by Rosé and Bruno Mars.
Album of the Year
This coveted category featured works like "Debí Tirar Más Fotos" by Bad Bunny, "Swag" by Justin Bieber, "Man’s Best Friend" by Sabrina Carpenter, "Let God Sort Em Out" by Clipse, Pusha T and Malice, "Mayhem" by Lady Gaga, "GNX" by Kendrick Lamar, "Mutt" by Leon Thomas, and "Chromakopia" by Tyler, the Creator.
Song of the Year
A songwriter's honor, this list comprised "Abracadabra" (Lady Gaga, Henry Walter, Andrew Watt), "Anxiety" (Jaylah Hickmon), "Apt." (Amy Allen, Christopher Brody Brown, et al.), "DtMF" (Marco Daniel Borrero, et al.), "Golden [From 'KPop Demon Hunters']" (Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick), "Luther" (Jack Antonoff, Roshwita Larisha Bacha, et al.), "Manchild" (Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff, Sabrina Carpenter), and "Wildflower" (Billie Eilish O’Connell, Finneas O’Connell).
Notable Winners Across Diverse Genres
The awards celebrated excellence across the musical spectrum. In the pop domain, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Defying Gravity". The dance and electronic categories saw Tame Impala win for "End of Summer" and Lady Gaga triumph with "Abracadabra" in Dance Pop Recording. Rock honors included Yungblud's win for Rock Performance and Turnstile taking home Best Rock Album for "Never Enough".
In the R&B and rap spheres, Kehlani won Best R&B Performance for "Folded", while Leon Thomas secured Best R&B Album for "Mutt". The rap categories were dominated by Kendrick Lamar, who won Melodic Rap Performance for "Luther" with SZA, and Clipse, Pusha T and Malice featuring Kendrick Lamar and Pharrell Williams won Best Rap Performance for "Chains & Whips".
Global and regional music received its due recognition, with Bad Bunny winning Best Global Music Performance for "EoO" and Tyla securing Best African Music Performance for "Push 2 Start". In the country genre, Chris Stapleton won Best Country Solo Performance for "Bad as I Used to Be", and Shaboozey and Jelly Roll took Best Country Duo/Group Performance for "Amen".
Honoring Technical and Production Excellence
The Grammys also highlighted the behind-the-scenes architects of music. Cirkut was named Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, while Amy Allen won Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical. In the classical realm, Elaine Martone earned Producer of the Year, Classical. Awards for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical went to "That Wasn’t a Dream" by Pino Palladino and Blake Mills, showcasing the critical role of audio engineering.
The evening further recognized contributions in visual media, with "Golden [From 'KPop Demon Hunters']" winning Best Song Written for Visual Media, and Ludwig Göransson winning for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media for "Sinners". The award for Best Music Video went to Doechii for "Anxiety", directed by James Mackel.
This 68th edition of the Grammy Awards stands as a testament to the vibrant, evolving landscape of global music, honoring both established icons and emerging voices across an unprecedented range of categories.
