LOS ANGELES - Hollywood’s awards season has officially begun — and the music world just dropped its own bombshell. The 68th Annual Grammy Awards nominations, announced this morning in Los Angeles, set the stage for a spectacular showdown between two giants: Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga.
Lamar, the Compton poet-laureate of hip-hop, leads the pack with nine nominations, including Album of the Year for GNX and Record of the Year for “Luther,” his searing collaboration with SZA. Hot on his heels is Lady Gaga, whose dazzling and dangerous MAYHEM scored seven nominations, proving that even two decades into her reign, the chameleon queen of pop still commands the spotlight.
Other heavy hitters are well-represented: Bad Bunny continues his global domination with six nods, including Album of the Year for Debí Tirar Más Fotos, while Sabrina Carpenter, the year’s breakout pop darling, earned six nominations as well — a clear sign that the new generation has officially arrived.
The Big Four Categories
Album of the Year looks like a genre-spanning face-off between eras and styles:
- GNX — Kendrick Lamar
- MAYHEM — Lady Gaga
- Debí Tirar Más Fotos — Bad Bunny
- Man’s Best Friend — Sabrina Carpenter
- Swag — Justin Bieber
- Mutt — Leon Thomas
- Chromakopia — Tyler, the Creator
- Let God Sort ’Em Out — Clipse (Pusha T & Malice)
For Record of the Year, the list is equally electric — Gaga’s theatrical “Abracadabra,” Lamar’s introspective “Luther,” Billie Eilish’s ethereal “WILDFLOWER,” and Bad Bunny’s kinetic “DtMF” are just a few of the tracks that will define this musical moment.
Song of the Year, honoring the writers behind the hits, pits emotional storytelling against glossy pop production: Gaga’s “Abracadabra,” Lamar’s “Luther,” and Billie Eilish’s “WILDFLOWER” face off against international entries like “APT.” (Rosé & Bruno Mars) and “Golden” from the K-pop Demon Hunters soundtrack — marking a breakthrough year for global pop.
And in Best New Artist, a fascinating mix of voices — from soulful Leon Thomas to social-media-turned-mainstream star Addison Rae — suggests that tomorrow’s icons are already waiting in the wings.
Surprises and Snubs
The nomination list was not without its share of eyebrow-raisers. Critics cheered the inclusion of K-pop in major categories — a long-overdue acknowledgment of the genre’s worldwide influence — while Lorde’s absence for her critically praised Solar Reign album drew audible groans.
Perhaps the biggest headline among “snubs” is Taylor Swift — or rather, her absence. Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl wasn’t snubbed, per se — it simply missed the eligibility window, though the timing certainly set off a Twitter storm of confusion. The Weeknd, still publicly at odds with the Recording Academy, also sat this year out with zero nominations.
The Road to Grammy Night
The Grammys will return to their home turf at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 1, 2026, where the world’s biggest artists will converge for music’s most glittering night. Expect powerhouse performances from most of the major nominees — Lamar, Gaga, Bad Bunny, and Carpenter are all likely to take the stage, with rumors of a cross-genre collaboration or two in the works.
This year’s nominations suggest a fascinating cultural moment: the old guard and new blood are finally sharing the same stage. Hip-hop poets, global pop stars, internet-born artists, and cinematic visionaries are all vying for the same golden gramophone.
Whatever happens on Grammy night, one thing is certain — the music world is alive, evolving, and more unpredictable than ever.
Reported by Allan R. Ellenberger for The Hollywoodland Revue
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