2026 GRAMMYs Recap: Kendrick Lamar, Kehlani & Bad Bunny shine on music’s biggest night!

The 2026 GRAMMY Awards delivered a night packed with major wins, headline moments and cultural statements, as some of the world’s biggest artists took centre stage. From Kendrick Lamar’s dominance in rap categories to historic wins for the likes of Kehlani and bold political commentary, this year’s ceremony proved once again why the GRAMMYs remain one of the most closely watched events in global music.

Hosted by Trevor Noah, the evening balanced humour with heavy-hitting moments. Noah set the tone, joking that he had to “tread carefully” when mentioning Kendrick Lamar, referencing the rapper’s lyrical reputation and admitting he’d seen what Kendrick can do to “light-skinned dudes from other countries.” The crowd response made it clear the audience was fully locked in.

Kendrick Lamar emerged as one of the night’s biggest winners. His collaboration with SZA, 'Luther', took home Record of the Year, recognising the production and overall sound of the record, while also winning Best Melodic Rap Performance. Kendrick’s solo album 'GNX' secured Best Rap Album, further cementing his run as one of the most critically respected artists of his generation. He also collected Best Rap Song for 'TV Off' alongside Lefty Gunplay, adding another trophy to an already stacked cabinet.

Meanwhile, Billie Eilish claimed Song of the Year with 'Wildflower', beating out competition from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Bad Bunny and Doechii. The award, which honours songwriting and composition, highlighted Billie’s continued growth as both a performer and writer. Lady Gaga also had a strong night, winning Best Pop Vocal Album for 'Mayhem' and Best Dance/Pop Recording for 'Abracadabra', underlining her ability to dominate across genres.

Bad Bunny enjoyed a major moment with his album 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos' taking home Album of the Year, overcoming heavyweight competition including Kendrick Lamar, Justin Bieber, Tyler, The Creator and Clipse. His acceptance speech quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of the night, as he addressed immigration issues and criticised ICE, joining several artists who used the global stage to speak out on social and political matters in the US.

British artists also made their mark. Olivia Dean secured Best New Artist, capping off a huge breakthrough period and beating strong contenders including Lola Young and Leon Thomas. Lola Young added to the UK’s success by winning Best Pop Solo Performance with 'Messy', beating names such as Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter and Lady Gaga. These wins signal a strong moment for UK talent on the world stage.

R&B had its own standout moments, with Kehlani sweeping Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for 'Folded', while Leon Thomas picked up Best R&B Album for 'Mutt', reinforcing his growing reputation as one of the genre’s most exciting voices.

In the rap performance category, Clipse joined forces with Kendrick Lamar and Pharrell Williams to win Best Rap Performance for 'Chains & Whips'. The group also caught attention off-stage, with Clipse and Pharrell arriving in matching suits, creating one of the night’s most talked-about fashion moments.

Dance and electronic categories saw major wins for FKA Twigs, who secured Best Dance/Electronic Album with 'Eusexua', while Tame Impala took Best Dance/Electronic Recording with 'End Of Summer'. Tyla continued her global rise by winning Best African Music Performance for 'Push 2 Start', beating heavyweights including Burna Boy, Davido and Ayra Starr.

Visual storytelling was also celebrated, with Doechii winning Best Music Video for 'Anxiety', and legendary composer John Williams taking home Best Music Film for Music by John Williams, beating projects from Pharrell Williams and Raye.

The night was rounded out by high-energy performances from artists including Tyler, The Creator, Sabrina Carpenter and Justin Bieber, keeping the ceremony dynamic from start to finish.

From dominant rap wins and pop excellence to powerful speeches and UK success stories, the 2026 GRAMMYs reflected the wide spectrum of modern music culture. With artists continuing to push boundaries both sonically and socially, this year’s ceremony set the tone for what’s shaping up to be another defining year in global music.

See below a complete round up of all the winners from the night...

Album of the Year: This award recognises the most complete and impactful album body of work.

WINNER: 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: Awarded for overall performance, production, and artistic excellence.

WINNER: Kendrick Lamar with SZA - Luther

Bad Bunny - DtMF

Sabrina Carpenter - Manchild

Doechii - Anxiety

Billie Eilish - Wildflower

Lady Gaga - Abracadabra

Chappell Roan - The Subway

Rosé and Bruno Mars - APT

Song of the Year: This category honours songwriting quality and composition.

WINNER: Billie Eilish - Wildflower

Lady Gaga - Abracadabra

Doechii - Anxiety

Rosé and Bruno Mars - APT

Bad Bunny - DtMF

Huntr slash x Golden

Kendrick Lamar with SZA - Luther

Sabrina Carpenter - Manchild

Best Rap Album: Awarded to the most impactful rap project of the year.

WINNER: Kendrick Lamar - GNX

Clipse - Let God Sort Em Out

GloRilla - Glorious

JID - God Does Like Ugly

Tyler the Creator - Chromakopia

Best Rap Performance: Awarded for energy, delivery, and execution.

WINNER: Clipse ft. Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams - Chains and Whips

Cardi B - Outside

Doechii - Anxiety

Kendrick Lamar ft. Lefy Gunplay - TV Off

Tyler the Creator ft. Teezo Touchdown - Darling I

Best Rap Song: Awarded for songwriting excellence in hip hop.

WINNER: Kendrick Lamar ft. Lefty Gunplay - TV Off

Doechii - Anxiety

Clipse ft. John Legend & Voices of Fire - The Birds Don’t Sing

Tyler the Creator ft. GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne - Sticky

GloRilla - TGIF

Best R&B Album: Awarded for quality R&B music albums

WINNER: Leon Thomas - Mutt

Givēon - Beloved

Coco Jones - Why Not More

Ledisi - The Crown

Teyana Taylor - Escape Room

Best R&B Performance: Awarded for quality R&B music performances

WINNER: Kehlani - Folded

Justin Bieber - Yukon

Chris Brown ft. Bryson Tiller - It Depends

Leon Thomas - Mutt (Live From NPR's Tiny Desk)

Summer Walker - Heart Of A Woman

Best R&B Song: Awarded for songwriting excellence in R&B

WINNER: Kehlani - Folded

Summer Walker - Heart Of A Woman

Chris Brown ft. Bryson Tiller - It Depends

Durand Bernarr - Overqualified

Leon Thomas - Yes It Is

Best African Music Performance: Awarded for quality vocal or instrumental African music recordings

WINNER: Tyla - PUSH 2 START

Burna Boy - Love

Davido ft. Omah Lay - With You

Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin - Hope and Love

Ayra Starr ft. Wizkid - Gimme Dat

Best New Artist: Recognising breakthrough artists who made a major impact.

WINNER: Olivia Dean

Katseye

The Marías

Addison Rae

Sombr

Leon Thomas

Alex Warren

Lola Young

Best Música Urbana Album: Celebrating excellence in Latin urban music.

WINNER: Bad Bunny - Debí Tirar Más Fotos

Feid Ferxxo Vol X Sagrado

J Balvin - Mixteip

Nicki Nicole Naiki

Trueno - EUB Deluxe

Yandel Sinfónico En Vivo

Best Pop Duo or Group Performance: Awarded for artistic excellence in a duo, group, or collaborative vocal or instrumental pop performance

WINNER: Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande - Defying Gravity

Huntr slash x Golden

Katseye - Gabriela

Rosé & Bruno Mars - APT

SZA ft. Kendrick Lamar - 30 for 30

Best Pop Solo Performance: Recognising standout individual vocal pop performances.

WINNER: Lola Young - Messy

Justin Bieber - Daisies

Sabrina Carpenter - Manchild

Lady Gaga - Disease

Chappell Roan - The Subway

Best Pop Vocal Album: Awarded to the strongest vocal driven pop album.

WINNER: Lady Gaga - Mayhem

Justin Bieber - Swag

Sabrina Carpenter - Man’s Best Friend

Miley Cyrus - Something Beautiful

Teddy Swims - I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy Part 2

Best Dance Pop Recording: Recognising dance focused pop singles.

WINNER: Lady Gaga - Abracadabra

Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco - Bluest Flame

Zara Larsson - Midnight Sun

Tate McRae - Just Keep Watching

PinkPantheress - Illegal

Best Dance and Electronic Album: Awarded for quality Dance and Electronic albums

WINNER: FKA twigs - Eusexua

Fred again - Ten Days

PinkPantheress - Fancy That

Rüfüs Du Sol - Inhale Exhale

Skrillex - F U Skrillex You Think Ur Andy Warhol But Ur Not

Best Rock Album: Awarded for quality Rock albums

WINNER: Turnstile - Never Enough

Deftones - Private Music

Haim - I Quit

Linkin Park - From Zero

Yungblud - Idols

Best Country Solo Performance: Awarded for quality solo vocal or instrumental country recordings

WINNER: Chris Stapleton - Bad As I Used to Be

Tyler Childers - Nose on the Grindstone

Shaboozey - Good News

 Zach Top - I Never Lie

Lainey Wilson - Somewhere Over Laredo

Producer of the Year: Awarded for outstanding record producers of non-classical music WINNER: Cirkut

Dan Auerbach

Dijon

Blake Mills

Sounwave

Songwriter of the Year: Awarded for quality songwriting

WINNER: Amy Allen

Edgar Barrera

Jessie Jo Dillon

Tobias Jesso Jr

Laura Veltz