Grammy -Nominations Predictions 2026: Kendrick, Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter

Last year at this time fans were pleased that 2025 Gramm looked like a real horse racing, with Super-Diva’s Beyoncé, Billie EarthTaylor Swift and Chappell Roan, all of which were intended to compete in the best categories. But what a difference one year makes: After such a blockbuster-packed slate, it is not surprising that 2026 Grammys will not have that type of competitive heat.

But even though the months between September 2024 and August 2025 may have been light on the type of superstar editions that seem predicted for Grammy -sweep, many other challengers have emerged – and in such circumstances are obvious choices inadequate.

If it is a clear and current front runner you want, there is really only one: Kendrick Lamar. It would be a more exciting development if he had not dominated 2025 Grammys just seven months ago, with five wins, including Song and Record of the Year, for his Smash “Not Like Us.” If he does it again on February 1, 2026, all headlines along these lines will have a serious tone of déjà vu. And it is certainly possible: his latest release cycle, which contains several singles and his “GNX” album (including this year’s probable top song, SZA -duet “Luther”), extends over two periods of access. Grammy voters can be tempted to spread love and give top awards to someone else this time, just to mix it – except that he is so far ahead, it is difficult to judge who the closest dark horse can be.

Grammy followers love redemption stories, so although it can be considered a little yawning for Lamar to dominate over categories once again, there is still a “he is delayed” story in the game. He has never won the album of the year, despite having received four of his previous albums nominated (and he raised a year’s album as a presented star in the “Black Panther” sound track and a Beyoncé disc). In any case, a Lamar triumph will still come as good news to most Grammy veterans-they undoubtedly have a lot to catch up on hip-hop, and a Lamar sweep would help fill that bucket.

Apart from Lamar, Sabrina carpenter Giled a strong album just during August 30 the eligibility thread, “Mans Best Friend”, to join her “Manchild” single when he put some warmth in these breeds. Otherwise, POP’s largest luminaires were mostly outside the bike. Swift and Bey released nothing during the permission period. Eilish will be eligible for “Wildflower”, a late -breaking single from a previously qualified album. Roan released two non-albums singles (or at least non-album-now), “The Giver” and “The Subway”; Either could have been a challenger, but it is the latter that is sent into top categories to avoid voting.

But there are some strong challengers from superstar artists who have not always been academic pets in recent years. Lady Gaga is mainly among them, with the extremely well -examined “devastation” which will probably go places like “Chromatica” (which was released at the height of the pandemic) did not. Can similar strong kudos for her American tour push her into a surprise victory in a top division time? It is a justifying story that would really make millions of viewers happy. When it comes to some of the other possible nominations, it will be fascinating to see what kind of love that Justin Bieber’s low-key “swag” -Ara gets from voters, whether Latin music is allowed back in the big house with big noms and if Alex Warren can pick up some Grammy gold to go together with his multiplinum, ”

Once again, Amount Predicts the likely nominees in Grammy’s top four categories throughout the genre. Excluding any bands there will be eight artists or tracks nominated in each of these four divisions (against five for all categories of Ballot). In both cases, we doubled more than our possible turn by supplementing the eight elections with another 10 opportunities to cover a wide range of results. Keep in mind that Grammys are the least predictable for all the major entertainment prices, with usually at least one or two choices in each main category that no one saw coming. Set up your calendars when the nominations are announced on November 7 to see how we went.

This year’s album

Eight leading challengers, listed alphabetically:

Ten more that could come in:

This award is very Lamars to lose: all his former big albums have been nominated without a profit; “GNX” was universally seen as very fun and a step forward again, after 2022’s dense and polarizing “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers”; And there is nothing obviously in line to beat him. As I said, the Carpenter and Gaga albums both enjoyed united by one critical fame and huge populist profiles. The problem is, will they interrupt each other and attract the same pop -timistic voters?

Most everything else is possible for a nom but not so much a profit. Batiste and Coldplay enter this category every time. Bad Bunny is hard to figure out, as he went on his last album, after entering the category the time before. Carlle has been a new Grammy pillars, and it is difficult to imagine a well -reviewed partnership with Elton that pulls her down, even if it was not a commercial crusher. Bieber, however, is a bigger question mark, with its detour from either pop or hip-hop to a Vibe-is sound that possibly expands its bona Fides. Laufey is the coolest of our album choices here; The recording community loves her and after graduation to sold out arenas she seems delayed for a large, wet kiss outside the traditional pop-coal category (plus, she is likely to get votes from the still significant older Grammy voters).

And for those who do not hold points at home, the frequently stumbled Morgan Wallen’s camp announced that he does not send music from his latest blockbuster, “I’m the problem”, which was the biggest album of the year, although the former foreign Weeknd and Drake are back in Grammy Fold.

This year’s record and vocals

Eight leading challengers, listed alphabetically:

Ten more that could come in:

We will dispense the formality of offering separate choices for this year’s song (honor songwriter) and this year’s record (recognize producers), as they mostly overlap, although you can count on some interesting differences in the vote. “Luther” feels like a fleeting favorite, between it being Lamar’s year (again) and strength-in-numbers of having SZA part of it. But it wouldn’t be crazy if Eilish caught one like a make-good to miss with the even hugs “Birds of a feather” last time (not to abolish the 1.5 billion Spotify streams “Wildflower” has taken up on their own).

The real Wild cards here are Warren’s “Ordinary” and “KPOP Demon Hunters” state track “Golden” -the two real “Songs of the Summer” in a year that many said did not have one. None of them feel exactly like Grammy grazing in them. If voters were previously turned off “dazzling light” or “shape on you” from nominations, it is quite possible that they will consider these two singles that are not cool enough for a top site. Or will there be fractions that give the people what they want?

Some of the artists will have made tough decisions about which songs to submit. It is understood that the Roan submits the broad appealing “subway” across the country pastiche “The Giver”, as the safer effort. On a similar note, Gaga who goes with “Abracadabra” already has a magical command embedded in the title.

Best new artist

Eight leading challengers, listed alphabetically:

Ten more that could come in:

With Lamar who is not eligible for a new artist (duh), we finally have one of the four top genre categories where there is nothing that even remotely near a front runner … which does not say that our predictions for the nominees do not amount to anything like an all-bet-off-off-slip.

Speaking of bands, Langley and Moroney are bound to most nominations at the upcoming CMA Awards, which speaks to how strongly the Nashville community thinks about them (and probably many voters who just dabs in listening to the genre). Country almost never gets a nomination here … Can music line finally land two in a Swoop, or three if another newly appointed headliner, Zach Top, can also squeeze in? But if you want an action that is shown over genre bases without any vote that destroys the fun, Maria’s can only go on to the leading candidate’s position-with Warren, clearly the biggest outbreak of the year in strictly commercial terms, which comes as a potential bet against poiler.