Quick Read
- The 2026 Grammy Awards are currently underway in Los Angeles.
- Darren Criss is hosting the Premiere Ceremony; Trevor Noah will host the main telecast for his final time.
- Kendrick Lamar leads all nominations with nine nods, including Album Of the Year for GNX.
- New categories, including Best Album Cover, have been introduced.
- Early winners include Tyler, the Creator, Robert Randolph, Buddy Guy, Kendrick Lamar, Leon Thomas, The Cure, and Lady Gaga.
LOS ANGELES (Azat TV) – The 2026 Grammy Awards are currently underway in Los Angeles, with the annual Premiere Ceremony already announcing a diverse array of winners across many categories. Hosted by Darren Criss at the Peacock Theater, this initial phase of the awards show reveals the recipients for the majority of the 96 Grammy categories before the main telecast, which is set to be hosted by Trevor Noah for his sixth and final time.
Rap superstar Kendrick Lamar leads this year’s nominations with an impressive nine nods, including the coveted Album Of the Year for his 2025 album, GNX. Close behind with seven nominations each are Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff, and Mayhem producer Cirkut. The highly anticipated Album of the Year race features a mix of established and rising artists, including Bad Bunny, Clipse, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, R&B sensation Leon Thomas, Sabrina Carpenter, and Tyler, the Creator. Many of these nominees have received past nominations, though none in this specific category.
Premiere Ceremony Sets the Stage for 2026 Grammy Awards
The day began with the Premiere Ceremony, a crucial segment where the Recording Academy honors achievements across a wide spectrum of musical genres and technical categories. Darren Criss presided over the early announcements, setting an energetic tone for the evening. The main telecast, scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, will feature Trevor Noah at the helm, marking a significant moment as he concludes his tenure as the Grammys’ host.
This year’s awards also introduce new categories, such as Best Album Cover, reflecting the evolving landscape of music production and artistic presentation. Additionally, the Best Country Album category has been expanded and split into two distinct awards: Best Contemporary Country Album and Best Traditional Country Album, allowing for greater recognition of the genre’s diverse sub-styles.
Early Grammy Victories Across Diverse Genres
Among the first wave of winners, several artists have already claimed their Grammys. In the packaging and presentation categories, Miles Davis’s Miles ’55: The Prestige Recordings took home Best Album Notes, while Tyler, the Creator secured Best Album Cover for Chromakopia. Bruce Springsteen’s Tracks II: The Lost Albums won Best Recording Package, highlighting the importance of physical album artistry.
Genre-specific awards saw Robert Randolph’s Preacher Kids win Best Contemporary Blues Album and Buddy Guy’s Ain’t Done With the Blues honored as Best Traditional Blues Album. Mavis Staples earned Best American Roots Performance for “Beautiful Strangers.” In the country music sphere, Zach Top’s Ain’t in It for My Health was named Best Traditional Country Album, Tyler Childers won Best Country Song for “Bitin’ List,” Chris Stapleton received Best Country Solo Performance for “Bad as I Used to Be,” and Shaboozey & Jelly Roll won Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Amen.”
Metal fans celebrated Turnstile’s victory for Best Metal Performance with “Birds,” while Skillz took Best Spoken Word Poetry Album for Words for Days, Vol. 1. Rap categories saw Kendrick Lamar’s “TV Off” [ft. Lefty Gunplay] win Best Rap Song, and Kendrick Lamar & SZA’s “Luther” recognized for Best Melodic Rap Performance. Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T & Malice’s “Chains & Whips” won Best Rap Performance.
R&B talent was also recognized, with Leon Thomas’s Mutt winning Best R&B Album and “Vibes Don’t Lie” earning him Best Traditional R&B Performance. Kehlani’s “Folded” secured both Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance. Durand Bernarr’s Bloom won Best Progressive R&B Album. Cirkut was named Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, and Amy Allen received Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical.
Alternative, Pop, and Latin Music Triumphs
In the alternative rock categories, The Cure had a strong showing, winning Best Alternative Music Album for Songs of a Lost World and Best Alternative Music Performance for “Alone.” Turnstile’s Never Enough won Best Rock Album, while Nine Inch Nails’ “As Alive as You Need Me to Be” was awarded Best Rock Song. Yungblud, Nuno Bettencourt & Frank Bello Featuring Adam Wakeman & II took Best Rock Performance for “Changes (Live From Villa Park / Back to the Beginning).”
Pop and Dance categories saw Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” win Best Dance Pop Recording, and the remix by Gesaffelstein also won Best Remixed Recording. FKA twigs’ Eusexua was recognized as Best Dance/Electronic Album, and Tame Impala’s “End of Summer” won Best Dance/Electronic Recording. Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande’s “Defying Gravity” secured Best Pop/Duo Group Performance. Natalia Lafourcade’s Cancionera won Best Latin Pop Album, Carín León’s Palabra de To’s (Seca) won Best Música Mexicana Album, and Gloria Estefan’s Raíces took home Best Tropical Latin Album.
The ceremony’s performer lineup includes Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, and Clipse, with Best New Artist nominees like Addison Rae and KATSEYE performing in a medley. Tributes are also planned, with Lauryn Hill honoring D’Angelo and Roberta Flack, and an In Memoriam segment featuring Reba McEntire, Brandy Clark, and Lukas Nelson.
The early announcements from the 2026 Grammy Awards highlight a clear trend towards recognizing both established titans and burgeoning talents across a wide array of musical styles, reinforcing the Academy’s commitment to reflecting the contemporary soundscape while honoring traditional forms.