Kendrick Lamar Makes History With Grammys Best Rap Album Win

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Kendrick Lamar‘s not like anybody else.

The highly successful rapper, coming off another incredible year for the 38-year-old artist from Compton, California, made Grammys history on February 1st, 2026. He won Best Rap Album for GNX and, with that win, surpassed Jay-Z to become the most-awarded rapper ever at the Grammys. (You can find a complete list of winners from the 2026 Grammys here.)

After winning three more Grammys earlier that day, Lamar acknowledged the other nominees in his acceptance speech and playfully called his historic win “hip hop as usual.”

He admitted he struggles to put his feelings into words, explaining that he expresses himself through his music. Speaking to the crowd at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, he emphasized the enduring power of hip hop, saying it will always be present, celebrated with style, and rooted in community and culture.

“I appreciate y’all,” Lamar concluded. “[To] God is the glory. Love y’all.”

Kendrick Lamar was already a major Grammy winner with 22 awards as he approached music’s biggest night. He led all artists in 2026 with nine nominations, including Album of the Year for GNX and nominations for Record and Song of the Year for “Luther,” a collaboration with SZA. He could have won a maximum of eight awards, though, because he received two nominations in the Best Rap Performance category: for his song “tv off” featuring Lefty Gunplay, and for his work on Clipse, Pusha T & Malice’s “Chains & Whips,” which also included Pharrell.

Although he hasn’t won Album of the Year yet – that may soon change – this Pulitzer Prize-winning artist made history with the 2026 nominations. He’s the first rapper to receive five nominations in this category as the main artist, and the first solo artist ever to be nominated for five albums in a row, starting with his 2014 release, Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City.

As a lifestyle expert, I remember just last year when Kendrick Lamar absolutely dominated the music scene with his diss track aimed at Drake, “Not Like Us.” It was incredible to watch – the song swept the awards, taking home Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video. A truly unforgettable moment!

Although Kendrick Lamar is a strong contender right now, the competition for Album of the Year is fierce. His album, GNX, is up against new releases from Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, Leon Thomas, Tyler, the Creator, and the duo Clipse, featuring Pusha T & Malice. Notably, every artist nominated is hoping to win this award for the very first time.

See who else has already joined Lamar in the winners’ circle at the 2026 Grammys:

WINNER: “Anxiety,” Doechii

“Love,” OK Go

“So Be It,” Clipse

“Manchild,” Sabrina Carpenter

“Young Lion,” Sade

WINNER: Sinners

A Complete Unknown

F1 The Album

KPop Demon Hunters

Wicked

 

WINNER: “Golden,” KPop Demon Hunters

“As Alive As You Need Me to Be,” Tron: Ares

“I Lied to You,” Sinners

“Never Too Late,” Elton John: Never Too Late

“Pale, Pale Moon,” Sinners

“Sinners,” Sinners

WINNER: “Defying Gravity,” Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande

“Golden (From KPop Demon Hunters),” HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI

 “Gabriela,” KATSEYE

“APT.,” RosĂ©, Bruno Mars

“30 for 30,” SZA featuring Kendrick Lamar

WINNER: “Bad As I Used to Be,” Chris Stapleton

“Nose on the Grindstone,” Tyler Childers

“Good News,” Shaboozey

“I Never Lie,” Zach Top

“Somewhere Over Laredo,” Lainey Wilson

WINNER: Cancionera, Natalia Lafourcade

Cosa Nuestra, Rauw Alejandro

BOGOTÁ DELUXE, Andrés Cepeda

Tropicoqueta, Karol G

Y Ahora Qué?, Alejandro Sanz

WINNER: “Changes Back to the Beginning,” YungBlud

“Mirtazapine,” Hayley Williams

“Never Enough,” Turnstile

“The Emptiness Machine,” Linkin Park

“U Should Not Be Doing That,” Amyl and the Sniffers

WINNER: EUSEXUA, FKA Twigs

Ten Days, Fred again..

Fancy That, PinkPantheress

Inhale / Exhale, RĂŒfĂŒs du Sol

F*** U SKRILLEX U THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!! <3, Skrillex

WINNER: “Abracadabra,” Lady Gaga

“Illegal”, PinkPantheress

“Just Keep Watching (From F1 The Movie),” Tate McRae

“Midnight Sun,” Zara Larsson

“Bluest Flame,” Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco

WINNER: Songs of a Lost World, The Cure

SABLE, fABLE, Bon Iver

DON’T TAP THE GLASS, Tyler, The Creator

moisturizer, Wet Leg

Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, Hayley Williams

WINNER: “Music by John Williams,” John Williams

“Devo,” Devo

“Live at the Royal Albert Hall,” Raye

“Relentless,” Diane Warren

“Piece by Piece,” Pharrell Williams

WINNER: “Folded,” Kehlani

“Yes it Is,” Leon Thomas

“Overqualified,” Durand Bernarr

“It Depends,” Chris Brown

“Heart of a Woman,” Summer Walker

 

WINNER: Mutt, Leon Thomas

Beloved, Givéon

Why Not More?, Coco Jones

The Crown, Ledisi

Escape Room, Teyana Taylor

WINNER: Never Enough, Turnstile

Private Music, Deftones 

I Quit, Haim

From Zero, Linkin Park

Idols, Yungblud

WINNER: “Chains & Whips,” Clipse, Pusha T & Malice Featuring Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams

“Outside,” Cardi B

“Anxiety,” Doechii

“tv off,” Kendrick Lamar ft. Lefty Gunplay

“Darling, I,” Tyler, The Creator ft. Teezo Touchdown

WINNER: A Matter of Time, Laufey

Wintersongs, Laila Biali

The Gift of Love, Jennifer Hudson

Who Believes in Angels?, Elton John & Brandi Carlile

Harlequin, Lady Gaga

The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume 2, Barbra Streisand

WINNER: “Bitin’ List,” Tyler Childers

“Good News,” Shaboozey

“I Never Life,” Zach Top

“Somewhere Over Laredo,” Lainey Wilson

“A Song to Sing,” Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton

WINNER: “Amen,” Shaboozey & Jelly Roll

“Honky Tonk Hall of Fame,” George Strait, Chris Stapleton

“Love Me Like You Used to Do,” Margo Price & Tyler Childers

“Trailblazer,” Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert & Lainey Wilson

“A Song to Sing,” Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton

WINNER: BIG MONEY, Jon Batiste

Bloom, Larkin Poe

Last Leaf on the Tree, Willie Nelson

So Long Little Miss Sunshine, Molly Tuttle

Middle, Jesse Welles

WINNER: “Folded,” Kehlani

“Heart of a Woman,” Summer Walker

“MUTT (NPR Tiny Desk),” Leon Thomas

“It Depends,” Chris Brown

“Yukon,” Justin Bieber

WINNER: “tv off,” Kendrick Lamar ft. Lefty Gunplay

“Anxiety,” Doechii

“The Birds Don’t Sing,” Clipse, Pusha T & Malice Featuring John Legend & Voices Of Fire

“Sticky,” Tyler, The Creator Featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne

“TGIF,” GloRilla

 

“DtMF,” Bad Bunny

“Manchild,” Sabrina Carpenter

“Anxiety,” Doechii

“Wildflower,” Billie Eilish

“Abracadbra,” Lady Gaga

“Luther,” Kendrick Lamar with SZA

“The Subway,” Chappell Roan

“APT.,” RosĂ©, Bruno Mars

 
 
 
 

DeBĂ­ TiRAR MĂĄS FOToS, Bad Bunny

Swag, Justin Bieber

Man’s Best Friend, Sabrina Carpenter

Let God Sort Em Out, Clipse, Pusha T & Malice

Mayhem, Lady Gaga

GNX, Kendrick Lamar

Mutt, Leon Thomas

Chromakopia, Tyler, The Creator

“Abracadbra,” Lady Gaga

“Anxiety,” Doechii

“APT.,” RosĂ©, Bruno Mars

“DtMF,” Bad Bunny

“Golden (From KPop Demon Hunters),” HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI

“Luther,” Kendrick Lamar with SZA

“Manchild,” Sabrina Carpenter

“Wildflower,” Billie Eilish

WINNER: Olivia Dean

KATSEYE

The Marias

Addison Rae

sombr

Leon Thomas

Alex Warren

Lola Young

Swag, Justin Bieber

Man’s Best Friend, Sabrina Carpenter

Something Beautiful, Miley Cyrus

Mayhem, Lady Gaga

I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy [Part 2], Teddy Swims

“Daisies,” Justin Bieber

“Manchild,” Sabrina Carpenter

“Disease,” Lady Gaga

“The Subway,” Chappell Roan

“Messy,” Lola Young

Let God Sort Em Out, Clipse, Pusha T & Malice

Glorious, GloRilla

God Does Like Ugly, Jid

WINNER: GNX, Kendrick Lamar

Chromakopia, Tyler, The Creator

The Wild Robot, Kris Bowers, composer

Wicked, John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, composers

WINNER: Sinners, Ludwig Göransson, composer

Severance: Season 2, Theodore Shapiro, composer

How To Train Your Dragon, John Powell, composer

WINNER:Buena Vista Social Club

Death Becomes Her

Gypsy

Just In Time

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2026-02-02 05:21