The 2026 Grammy nominations are out, and Nigerian artists are once again making their presence felt on the world stage. Burna Boy, Davido, and Wizkid are among the standout nominees, representing Africa in the Best African Music Performance and Best Global Music Album categories.
The 68th Grammy Awards, set for February 1 at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, will honor music released between August 31, 2024, and August 30, 2025.
Kendrick Lamar leads the pack with nine nominations, while Lady Gaga earns seven, including her fifth Album of the Year nod for Mayhem. Sabrina Carpenter also scores her second consecutive Album of the Year nomination for Man’s Best Friend. Rising talents like KATSEYE, Olivia Dean, Addison Rae, Leon Thomas, and Sombr are all in the running for Best New Artist, highlighting the emerging stars making waves this year.
African artists have a strong showing, with Burna Boy receiving two nominations: “Love” for Best African Music Performance and No Sign of Weakness for Best Global Music Album. Davido, Omah Lay, Ayra Starr, and Wizkid also secured nominations, demonstrating Nigeria’s continued dominance in African music categories.
With new categories such as Best Traditional Country Album and Best Album Cover, the 2026 Grammys promise to celebrate a wide variety of music styles while placing Africa’s finest artists firmly in the spotlight.
Full List of 2026 Grammy Nominees
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.
Record of the Year: Bad Bunny – “DtMF”, Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”, Doechii – “Anxiety”, Billie Eilish – “Wildflower”, Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”, Kendrick Lamar with SZA – “Luther”, Chappell Roan – “The Subway”, Rosé and Bruno Mars – “APT.”
Song of the Year: Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”, Doechii – “Anxiety”, Rosé and Bruno Mars – “APT.”, Bad Bunny – “DtMF”, Huntr/x (Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami) – “Golden”, Kendrick Lamar with SZA – “Luther”, Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”, Billie Eilish – “Wildflower”.
Best African Music Performance: Burna Boy – “Love”, Davido featuring Omah Lay – “With You”, Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin – “Hope & Love”, Ayra Starr featuring Wizkid – “Gimme Dat”, Tyla – “Push 2 Start”.
Best Global Music Album: Siddhant Bhatia – Sounds Of Kumbha, Burna Boy – No Sign of Weakness, Youssou N’Dour – Eclairer le monde – Light the World, Shakti – Mind Explosion (50th Anniversary Tour Live), Anoushka Shankar featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar – Chapter III: We Return To Light, Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethânia – Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo.
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 Solo Performance: Justin Bieber – “Daisies”, Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”, Lady Gaga – “Disease”, Chappell Roan – “The Subway”, Lola Young – “Messy”.Best Pop Vocal Album: Justin Bieber – Swag, Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend, Miley Cyrus – Something Beautiful, Lady Gaga – Mayhem, Teddy Swims – I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2).
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande – “Defying Gravity”, Huntr/x (Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami) – “Golden”, KATSEYE – “Gabriela”, Rosé and Bruno Mars – “APT.”, SZA with Kendrick Lamar – “30 for 30”.
Best Dance Pop Recording: Selena Gomez & benny blanco – “Bluest Flame”, Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”, Zara Larsson – “Midnight Sun”, Tate McRae – “Just Keep Watching”, PinkPantheress – “Illegal”.Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Laila Biali – Wintersongs, Jennifer Hudson – The Gift Of Love, Elton John & Brandi Carlile – Who Believes In Angels?, Lady Gaga – Harlequin, Laufey – A Matter Of Time, Barbra Streisand – The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume 2.
Best Dance Electronic Album: FKA twigs – Eusexua, Fred again.. – Ten Days, PinkPantheress – Fancy That, Rüfüs Du Sol – Inhale / Exhale, Skrillex – Fuck U Skrillex You Think Ur Andy Warhol But Ur Not!! <3.
Best Dance/Electronic Recording: Disclosure & Anderson .Paak – “No Cap”, Fred again.., Skepta, & PlaqueBoyMax – “Victory Lap”, Kaytranada – “Space Invader”, Skrillex – “Voltage”, Tame Impala – “End of Summer”.
