The nominations for the 2026 Grammys are officially out! The Recording Academy revealed the nominees on November 7th, with help from stars like Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Sam Smith, Lizzo, KAROL G, Brandi Carlile, Doechii, and the Osbournes – Kelly, Jack, and Sharon.
Presenters at the event included David Foster, Little Big Town, Jon Batiste, Mumford & Sons, and CeCe Winans.
Kendrick Lamar received the most nominations with nine, followed by Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff, and Cirkut, each with seven. Sabrina, Bad Bunny, Leon Thomas, and Serban Ghenea all earned six nominations, while Doechii, SZA, Andrew Watt, Clipse, Sounwave, Turnstile, and Tyler, The Creator each received five.
There are a total of 95 categories this year, and one of the most anticipated awards is Best New Artist. You can find the complete list of nominees online.
Last year, Chappell won the award, but this time around, Leon, Addison Rae, Alex Warren, Sombr, Olivia Dean, KATSEYE, The Marias, and Lola Young are all competing for it. While any Grammy win is significant, there’s discussion about whether the Best New Artist award truly helps launch a career or if it’s actually a hindrance.
We’ll all have to tune in to the award show to see who wins! The 2026 Grammys are happening on February 1st at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. In the meantime, you can read on to find out more about the artists nominated for Best New Artist.
Lola Young, a singer from the U.K., first gained recognition as a finalist on the talent show Got What It Takes? in 2016. She then released her first single, “6 Feet Under,” in 2019.
I’ve been following her career for a while now, and it was so exciting to see ‘Conceited’ break into the UK charts at number 63 back in 2023! But honestly, 2024 was her year. ‘Messy’ absolutely blew up – it hit number one not just in the UK, but all over the world, including here in the States. It was incredible to watch!
Lola described her song as relatable, telling Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show in January 2025 that it’s about real life, not a perfect image. She explained, “It’s okay not to be perfect all the time – some days you just haven’t washed your socks, and that’s normal!”
As a lifestyle expert, I’ve been watching Lola’s career closely, and her third album, released in 2025 and boldly titled I’m Only Fking Myself, really propelled her to international fame. It’s a statement, and clearly resonated with audiences worldwide!
Leon Thomas began his career as a young performer, appearing in popular productions like the Broadway shows The Lion King and The Color Purple, as well as the Nickelodeon series iCarly. He gained wider recognition for his role as Andre Harris on Victorious, where he starred alongside Victoria Justice and Ariana Grande.
I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with some amazing artists over the years. I actually co-produced and co-wrote albums for Ariana Grande back in 2013 – both Yours Truly and Christmas Kisses were really special projects. Beyond that, I’ve worked with talents like Post Malone, Kehlani, and Ty Dolla $ign, which has been incredible. And in 2013, I released my first single, “Hello How Are You,” featuring Wiz Khalifa – a huge moment for me!
Although an earlier song wasn’t a hit, Leon achieved success in 2018 with his single “Favorite.” He then had a major breakthrough in 2024 with “Mutt,” which climbed to No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned double platinum certification by October 2025.
Leon is up for six Grammys in 2026, including Best New Artist. He’s also nominated for Album of the Year and Best R&B Album for his album, Mutt.
Addison Rae, already famous from TikTok and known for her role in the movie He’s All That, is now receiving recognition for her music career. She’s earned her first Grammy nomination, marking a new milestone for the singer.
The award for Best New Artist follows the recent release of her first album, Addison, which features popular songs like “Diet Pepsi,” “Aquamarine,” “High Fashion,” “Headphones On,” and “Fame Is a Gun.”
After almost ten years together, the indie pop band The Marías – featuring lead singer María Zardoya, along with Josh Conway, Jesse Perlman, and Edward James – finally landed a song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The band’s song “No One Noticed,” which peaked at number 22 on the charts, is a deeply emotional and slower-paced track, according to the lead singer. In a February 2025 interview with Billboard, she expressed hope that listeners are still drawn to songs that evoke strong feelings, even if those feelings are sadness, and are willing to listen to them repeatedly.
The group felt a wide range of emotions when they received a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist in 2026.
The band shared on Instagram, celebrating their recent award nomination! They reflected on their journey, saying it took a decade of hard work to finally achieve overnight success, and expressed their pride in the accomplishment.
KATSEYE is a six-member girl group from Los Angeles consisting of Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Manon Bannerman, Daniela Avanzini, Yoonchae Jeong, and Sophia Laforteza. The group was formed during the 2023 YouTube talent competition, The Debut: Dream Academy, and their journey was further chronicled in the 2024 Netflix docuseries, Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE.
In 2025, the group performed a medley of their biggest hits, “Gnarly” and “Gabriella,” during the MTV VMAs pre-show. At the ceremony itself, they won Push Performance of the Year for “Touch.”
“This is incredible!” Lara exclaimed as they accepted the award. “We’re honestly a little overwhelmed – this is all brand new for us. We’ve faced many challenges together, and this moment feels like a truly rewarding culmination of all our hard work. It’s incredibly motivating and inspires us to continue pushing forward.”
Alex Warren received a Best New Artist nomination at the 2026 Grammys, a particularly meaningful moment for him. He started writing music as a teenager following his father’s death from cancer. Later, he faced further hardship when his mother, who struggled with substance use, asked him to leave home at 18, forcing him to live in his car. Tragically, she passed away from liver and kidney failure when he was 21, as he shared with Billboard.
These life events have shaped his music.
The singer shared in October that while their career is fantastic, the losses they’ve experienced – including their parents and childhood – have shaped them into the musician they are today. They feel they have a story worth sharing, hoping it can offer support to others.
Alex released his first full album, You’ll Be Alright Kid, in July 2025, following his 2024 EP You’ll Be Alright, Kid (Chapter 1). It quickly reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, and the song “Ordinary,” which was written about his wife, Kouvr Annon, became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Besides being a musician, Alex is also popular on social media as a founding member of Hype House.
Sombr barely knew what his life had in store. But now, he’s a Grammy nominee.
The singer grew up in New York City and went to LaGuardia High School, the famous arts school featured in the movie Fame. However, he left school after his song “Caroline” became popular in 2022.
He told People magazine that his life transformed overnight after the song went viral. “I was flooded with emails from every record label,” he said.
Sombr first released his EP, In Another Life, in 2023. Then, in 2025, he debuted his album I Barely Know Her, which reached number 10 on the Billboard 200 chart and included his hit songs “Back to Friends” and “Undressed.”
The performer known as Sombr, whose full name is Shane Michael Boose, explained in a preview for his upcoming appearance on Saturday Night Live that his stage name is a creative take on his initials, SMB.
Man, you need to learn more about Olivia Dean.
The British singer recently received two Grammy nominations – one for Best New Artist and another for Songwriter of the Year (non-classical) thanks to her popular song, “Man I Need.” But she’s been gaining recognition for a while now.
I still can’t believe my Olivia went to the same school as Adele, Jessie J, and the incredible Amy Winehouse – The Brit School! It’s like, destined greatness, right? And then, in 2021, Amazon Music finally recognized what I knew all along and named her Breakthrough Artist of the Year. I was SO proud!
Two years after starting her career, Olivia released her first album, Messy, which quickly reached No. 4 on the U.K. charts and included the popular song “Dive.” Her second album, The Art of Loving, came out in 2025 and went all the way to No. 1. Notably, Olivia became the first British woman since Adele to achieve three top 10 hits in the U.K.
As for how she’d describe her style?
Olivia shared with ELLE that she simply creates the kind of music she enjoys listening to herself. She loves genres like soul, jazz, and bossa nova, and listens to them constantly. She doesn’t try to force a specific style; she genuinely loves the music and that naturally comes through in her own work.
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2025-11-07 23:49