The Recording Academy has announced the nominees for the 2026 Grammy Awards, setting the stage for music’s biggest night.
This year’s list, unveiled on Friday, features Nigerian Afrobeats stars Davido, Burna Boy, and Ayra Starr, among those nominated in the Best African Music Performance category.
Other nominees in the category include Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin and South African singer Tyla.
Best African Music Performance (2026) list includes Love by Burna Boy, With You by Davido featuring Omah Lay, Hope & Love by Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin, Gimme Dat by Ayra Starr featuring Wizkid and PUSH 2 START by South African star, Tyla.
This year’s category does not feature previous contenders such as Asake, Yemi Alade, Lojay, and last year’s winner, Tems.
In 2025, the Best African Music Performance nominations included Yemi Alade’s “Tomorrow”, Asake’s “MMS” with Wizkid, Chris Brown’s “Sensational” featuring Davido and Lojay, Burna Boy’s “Higher,” and Tems’ “Love Me Jeje.”
The category, introduced in 2024, saw South African singer Tyla emerge as its first-ever winner.
Singer Tyla poses in the press room with the Grammy for “Best African Music Performance” for “Water” during the 66th Annual Grammy Awards at the http://Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 4, 2024. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP)
Beyond his African Music recognition, Burna Boy also earned a spot in the Best Global Music Album category.
He is the only Nigerian artiste nominated in that category this year.
The nominees for Best Global Music Album (2026) include Sounds Of Kumbha by Siddhant Bhatia, No Sign of Weakness by Burna Boy, Éclairer le Monde (Light the World) by Youssou N’Dour, Mind Explosion (50th Anniversary Tour Live) by Shakti, Chapter III: We Return To Light by Anoushka Shankar featuring Alam Khan and Sarathy Korwar, and Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo by Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethânia.
Last year, Nigerian stars Rema and Tems were nominated in the same category for their albums HEIS and Born in the Wild, respectively.
Expanded Categories For 2026
The 2026 Grammys will introduce two new categories, Best Traditional Country Album and Best Album Cover, broadening the Academy’s recognition of diverse music artistry.
According to the Recording Academy, the move reflects “a commitment to honouring the evolving ways music is created and experienced.”
The nominees were announced during a livestream featuring artists including Chappell Roan, Doechii, KAROL G, Mumford & Sons, Sabrina Carpenter, and Sam Smith.
Kendrick Lamar, winner of the Record of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, Best Music Video, and Song of the Year Awards for “Not Like Us” poses in the press room during the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Recording Academy/AFP
Rapper Kendrick Lamar leads the nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards, music’s highest honours, with nine, the Recording Academy announced Friday, fresh off winning five Golden Grammys at the last gala.
Lady Gaga ranked second among performers with seven nods for her “Mayhem” album, followed by a trio of artists tied at six, Bad Bunny, pop princess Sabrina Carpenter and R&B singer-songwriter Leon Thomas.
Winners will be decided by the Recording Academy’s voting members, comprising artists, songwriters, producers, and engineers.
The 68th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, airing live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
Full List Of Nominees
Song of the year
Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Doechii – Anxiety
Rosé & Bruno Mars – APT
Bad Bunny – DtMF
Hunter/x – Golden
Kendrick Lamar feat. SZA – Luther
Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
Billie Eilish – Wildflower
Record of the year
Bad Bunny – DtMF
Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
Doechii – Anxiety
Billie Eilish – Wildflower
Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Kendrick Lamar feat. SZA – Luther
Chappell Roan – The Subway
Rosé & Bruno Mars – APT
Album of the year
Bad Bunny – Debí Tirar Más Fotos
Justin Bieber – Swag
Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend
Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out
Lady Gaga – Mayhem
Kendrick Lamar – GNX
Leon Thomas – Mutt
Tyler, the Creator – Chromakopia
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
Edgar Barrera
Jessie Jo Dillon
Tobias Jesso Jr.
Laura Veltz
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 Rock Album
Private Music — Deftones
I Quit — Haim
From Zero — Linkin Park
Never Enough — Turnstile
Idols — Yungblud
Best Metal Performance
“Night Terror” — Dream Theatre
“Lachryma” — Ghost
“Emergence” — Sleep Token
“Soft Spine” — Spiritbox
“Birds” — Turnstile
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 R&B Album
Beloved — Givēon
Why Not More? — Coco Jones
The Crown — Ledisi
Escape Room — Teyana Taylor
Mutt — Leon Thomas
Best African Music Performance
Love – Burna Boy
With You – Davido Featuring Omah Lay
Hope & Love – Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin
Gimme Dat – Ayra Starr Featuring Wizkid
PUSH 2 START – Tyla
Best Musical Theatre Album
Buena Vista Social Club
Death Becomes Her
Gypsy
Just In Time
Maybe Happy Ending
Best Traditional Country Album
Dollar A Day – Charley Crockett
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 Global Music Album
Sounds Of Kumbha – Siddhant Bhatia
No Sign of Weakness – Burna Boy
Eclairer le monde – Light the World – Youssou N’Dour
Mind Explosion – Shakti
Chapter III: We Return To Light – Anoushka Shankar Featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar
Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo – Caetano Veloso And Maria Bethânia
Best Global Music Performance
EoO – Bad Bunny
Cantando en el Camino – Ciro Hurtado
JERUSALEMA – Angélique Kidjo
Inmigrante Y Que? – Yeisy Rojas
Shrini’s Dream – Shakti
Daybreak – Anoushka Shankar Featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar
Best Country Solo Performance
Nose On The Grindstone – Tyler Childers
Good News – Shaboozey
Bad As I Used To Be – Chris Stapleton
I Never Lie – Zach Top
Somewhere Over Laredo – Lainey Wilson
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 Gospel Performance/Song
Do It Again – Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin, songwriter
Church – Tasha Cobbs Leonard, John Legend; Anthony S. Brown, Brunes Charles, Annatoria Chitapa, Kenneth Leonard, Jr., Tasha Cobbs Leonard & Jonas Myrin, songwriters
Still Live – Jonathan McReynolds & Jamal Roberts; Britney Delagraentiss, Jonathan McReynolds, David Lamar Outing III, Orlando Joel Palmer & Terrell Demetrius Wilson, songwriters
Amen – Pastor Mike Jr.; Adia Andrews, Michael McClure Jr., David Lamar Outing II & Terrell Anthony Pettus, songwriters
Come Jesus Come – Cece Winans Featuring Shirley Caesar
Best Gospel Album
Sunny Days – Yolanda Adams
Tasha – Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Live Breathe Fight – Tamela Mann
Only On The Road Live – Tye Tribbett
Heart Of Mine – Darrel Walls, PJ Morton
Best Reggae Album
Treasure Self Love – Lila Iké
Heart & Soul – Vybz Kartel
BLXXD & FYAH – Keznamdi
From Within – Mortimer
No Place Like Home – Jesse Royal
Best Children’s Music Album
Ageless – 100 Years Young, Joanie Leeds & Joya
Buddy’s Magic Tree House – Mega Ran
Harmony – FYÜTCH & Aura V
Herstory – Flor Bromley
The Music Of Tori And The Muses – Tori Amos
Best Comedy Album
Drop Dead Years – Bill Burr
PostMortem – Sarah Silverman
Single Lady, Ali Wong
What Had Happened Was – Jamie Foxx
Your Friend – Nate Bargatze, Nate Bargatze
Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording
Elvis, Rocky & Me – The Carol Connors Story, Kathy Garver
Into The Uncut Grass, Trevor Noah
Lovely One: A Memoir, Ketanji Brown Jackson
Meditations: The Reflections Of His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Dalai Lama
You Know It’s True: The Real Story Of Milli Vanilli, Fab Morvan
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
A Complete Unknown, Timothée Chalamet
F1® The Album, (Various Artists)
KPop Demon Hunters, (Various Artists)
Sinners, (Various Artists)
Wicked, (Various Artists)
Best Music Video
Young Lion, Sade, Sophie Muller, video director – Sade & Aaron Taylor Dean, video producers
Manchild – Sabrina Carpenter, Vania Heymann & Gal Muggia, video directors; Aiden Magarian, Nathan Scherrer & Natan Schottenfels, video producers
So Be It – Clipse, Hannan Hussain, video director; Daniel Order, video producer
Anxiety, Doechii, James Mackel, video director; Pablo Feldman, Jolene Mendes & Sophia Sabella, video producers
Love, OK Go, Aaron Duffy, Miguel Espada & Damian Kulash Jr., video directors; Petra Ahmann, video producer
Best Music Film
Devo, Devo, Chris Smith, video director; Danny Gabai, Anita Greenspan, Chris Holmes & Chris Smith, video producers
Live At The Royal Albert Hall, RAYE, Paul Dugdale, video director; Stefan Demetriou & Amy James, video producers
Relentless, Diane Warren, Bess Kargman, video director; Peggy Drexler, Michele Farinola & Kat Nguyen, video producers
Music By John Williams, John Williams, Laurent Bouzereau, video director; Sara Bernstein, Laurent Bouzereau, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Meredith Kaulfers, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Steven Spielberg & Justin Wilkes, video producers
Piece By Piece, Pharrell Williams, Morgan Neville, video director; Morgan Neville, Caitrin Rogers, Mimi Valdes & Pharrell Williams, video producers
Best Album Cover
CHROMAKOPIA, Shaun Llewellyn & Luis “Panch” Perez, art directors (Tyler, The Creator)
The Crux, William Wesley II, art director (Djo)
Debí Tirar Más Fotos, Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, art director (Bad Bunny)
Glory, Cody Critcheloe & Andrew J.S., art directors (Perfume Genius)
