The nominations for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, recognizing achievements for the 2026 cycle, were unveiled on Friday, November 7th, setting the stage for three months of anticipation and debate before the awards ceremony on February 1st. Kendrick Lamar emerged as the most frequently cited artist, leading with an impressive nine nominations for his massively successful album GNX and its singles “Luther” and “TV Off.” Lamar, who was previously a significant winner at the 2025 awards for his track “Not Like Us,” is followed closely by Lady Gaga with seven nominations, and Bad Bunny and Sabrina Carpenter each with six. All four artists are poised to compete in the prestigious Album, Record, and Song of the Year categories.

Billboard staffers assessed the Recording Academy's performance in capturing the best music of the past year, with a general consensus rating of around 8 out of 10. Katie Atkinson noted that there was “far less to debate than in previous years,” with conversations being more “nitpicky” than critical. Eric Renner Brown praised the “respectable slate of nominees,” recognizing a “wide swath of acclaimed mainstream artists” and solid genre categories. Andrew Unterberger echoed this sentiment, finding no “hearty round of guffaws” in the big four categories, suggesting the nominations were perhaps “a bit too predictable,” yet refreshing due to their lack of glaring errors.

Despite the overall positive reception, several significant omissions from the general field or “Big Four” categories were highlighted as surprising. Katie Atkinson and Paul Grein pointed out the unexpected exclusion of Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” from Song or Record of the Year, despite its 10-week run as a Hot 100 No. 1 and Warren's Best New Artist nomination. Ravyn Lenae’s breakthrough single “Love Me Not” and her potential for a Best New Artist nod were also noted by Atkinson and Kyle Denis. Eric Renner Brown expressed surprise at the complete snub of Lorde’s latest album and the omission of Elton John and Brandi Carlile’s collaborative track “Who Believes In Angels?”. Andrew Unterberger found The Weeknd’s absence from the Big Four, or any category, surprising, especially given his recent conciliatory return to the Grammy stage after his 2021 shutout.

Beyond the general categories, several genre-specific fields garnered interest. Katie Atkinson highlighted the “sheer variety” in Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording, which included nominees like five-time Grammy host Trevor Noah, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Fab Morvan, making a notable return after the Milli Vanilli scandal. Eric Renner Brown emphasized the strong year for country, Americana, and folk music, which, despite being “conspicuously overlooked” in the general field, featured new talents and legends alike. Kyle Denis identified Best Dance Pop Recording (featuring Zara Larsson and Pinkpantheress) and Best Progressive R&B Album (with FLO, Durand Bernarr, and Destin Conrad) as highly competitive and diverse categories. Paul Grein noted the compelling nominees for Best Music Film, ranging from new-wave greats Devo to multi-Oscar nominee Diane Warren, while Andrew Unterberger found the rock nominations “wild,” with unexpected inclusions like Amyl and the Sniffers and Tyler, the Creator.

The Recording Academy's recent efforts to update and diversify its membership appear to be bearing fruit, particularly in the Album of the Year category, which features a majority of nominees of color, including three rap albums, a Spanish-language album, and an R&B album. However, staffers noted areas where representation still falls short. Paul Grein and Andrew Unterberger both criticized the perennial underrepresentation of country music in the general field, linking it to the genre’s low alignment (7%) among Grammy voters. Eric Renner Brown also pointed out the disappointing lack of dance/electronic music in the general field, despite its significant mainstream influence and the bona fide star status of artists like Disclosure, Fred Again.., Skrillex, and FKA twigs. Kyle Denis called for better Caribbean representation, citing a complete shutout for crossover hits in a year with strong contenders.

Looking ahead to the awards night, predictions for the biggest winners heavily favor Kendrick Lamar, who enters with nine nominations and significant cultural momentum. Paul Grein predicted a seven-Grammy sweep for Lamar, potentially boosting his career total to 29 awards, surpassing Jay-Z as the most awarded rapper in Grammy history. Eric Renner Brown also sees a strong run for Bad Bunny, particularly in the Album of the Year category for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” given his impactful 2025 and upcoming Super Bowl halftime show. Katie Atkinson and Paul Grein both suggested Leon Thomas is poised for a successful night, with a clear path to win Best New Artist and sweep his five R&B categories, potentially leading to a five-Grammy night. Andrew Unterberger, while acknowledging arguments for Lady Gaga or Bad Bunny, ultimately believes Kendrick Lamar is the artist everyone wants to see win big.