Eddy Kenzo appears in 2026 Grammy Nominations Full List

When were the 2026 Grammy Nominations announced?

KAMPALA – Music lovers around the world, including right here in the Pearl of Africa, are buzzing with excitement as the Recording Academy has officially unveiled the nominees for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards. The highly anticipated list dropped yesterday, Friday, November 7, 2025, during a star-studded livestream event hosted on the Academy’s YouTube channel and Grammy.com, starting at 8 a.m. PT (5 p.m. EAT). Presenters including Chappell Roan, Doechii, Karol G, and Mumford & Sons helped reveal the contenders, setting the stage for what promises to be another unforgettable night in music’s biggest celebration.

The 2026 Grammys, honoring the best recordings released between September 16, 2024, and August 31, 2025, will take place live on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The ceremony will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+, bringing red-carpet glamour, powerhouse performances, and emotional acceptance speeches to screens worldwide – a perfect excuse for Ugandan fans to gather with friends, some Rolex, and a playlist of potential winners.

Leading the nominees pack is Compton’s own Kendrick Lamar, who snagged nine nominations, positioning him as the frontrunner to repeat his 2025 sweep where “Not Like Us” dominated multiple categories. Close behind are Lady Gaga, producer Jack Antonoff, and hitmaker Cirkut with seven each; Bad Bunny and Sabrina Carpenter with six; and SZA, hardcore punk outfit Turnstile, and Tyler, the Creator with five apiece. 1 Lamar’s album GNX is up for Album of the Year – his seventh nod in the category and first potential win – while tracks like “Luther” (with SZA) vie for Record and Song of the Year.

Is Eddy among the 2026 Grammy Nominations?

Eddy Kenzo, the Kampala-born dancehall and Afro-fusion powerhouse behind viral anthems like “Sitya Loss” (which racked up over 100 million YouTube views), has secured his first-ever Grammy nomination in the Best African Music Performance category for “Hope & Love,” a collaboration with Iranian artist Mehran Matin. Released earlier this year, the track fuses Kenzo’s signature upbeat rhythms with poignant themes of resilience and cross-cultural unity – a vibe that’s already dominated Ugandan airwaves, TikTok challenges, and club playlists from Jinja to the diaspora in London.

This isn’t just a nom; it’s a milestone. Kenzo joins an elite field that includes:
Ayra Starr & Wizkid (Nigeria) – “Gimme Dat,” a sultry Afro-pop banger blending Mavin’s rising star with the Starboy’s timeless groove.
Burna Boy (Nigeria) – “Love,” the Afro-fusion giant’s soul-stirring ode to romance, fresh off his No Sign of Weakness album drop.
Davido featuring Omah Lay (Nigeria) – “With You,” a high-energy DMW collab that’s pure Naija party fuel.
Tyla (South Africa) – “Push 2 Start,” the Grammy-fresh amapiano sensation building on her 2024 Best African Music win with even more global polish.

If Kenzo clinches the win at the February 1, 2026, ceremony in LA’s Crypto.com Arena, he’ll etch Uganda into Grammy history as the first solo artist from our nation to take home hardware in this category. “This is for every hustler in the streets of Kampala who dreamed big,” Kenzo posted on X yesterday, sparking a flood of Ugandan pride with #EddyForGrammy trending nationwide. Local fans are already buzzing – expect sold-out watch parties at spots like Guvnor and predictions flying faster than matatu traffic.

This year’s field is a vibrant mix of genres and generations, from pop sensations like Billie Eilish eyeing a comeback with “Wildflower” to genre-benders like Turnstile earning nods in rock, metal, and alternative for Never Enough. First-timers shine too: neotraditional country star Zach Top, pop darling Addison Rae, UK phenom PinkPantheress, and soulful newcomer Leon Thomas (whose Mutt is in Album of the Year contention).

Veterans like The Cure return after a 25-year hiatus with Songs of a Lost World, and even the late arranger Nelson Riddle scores a posthumous nod for his work on Seth MacFarlane’s Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements.

2025 GRAMMY AWARDS Full Winners List

New categories add fresh flair: Best Album Cover (featuring Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos) and the split of Best Country Album into Best Contemporary Country Album and Best Traditional Country Album. With cross-genre heavy-hitters like Hayley Williams (four noms spanning rock and alt) and Tyler, the Creator (nods for both Chromakopia in rap and Don’t Tap the Glass in alternative), the 2026 Grammys feel more inclusive and boundary-pushing than ever.

For East African music enthusiasts, keep an eye on global nods like Burna Boy’s No Sign of Weakness in Best Global Music Album and Tyla’s “Push 2 Start” in Best African Music Performance – reminders that our continent’s sounds are resonating louder on the world stage. Whether you’re streaming from Kampala’s bustling streets or chilling in Entebbe, this list has something for every vibe. Dive into the full nominations below and start your prediction pools!

Full List of 2026 Grammy Nominations

General Field | 2026 Grammy Nominations

Record of the Year

• Bad Bunny – DTMF
• Billie Eilish – Wildflower
• Chappell Roan – The Subway
• Doechii – Anxiety
• Kendrick Lamar & SZA – Luther
• Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
• Rosé & Bruno Mars – Apt.
• Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild

Album of the Year

• Bad Bunny – Debí Tirar Más Fotos
• Clipse, Pusha T & Malice – Let God Sort Em Out
• Justin Bieber – Swag
• Kendrick Lamar – GNX
• Lady Gaga – Mayhem
• Leon Thomas – Mutt
• Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend
• Tyler, the Creator – Chromakopia

Song of the Year

• Bad Bunny – DTMF
• Billie Eilish – Wildflower
• Doechii – Anxiety
• Huntr/x – Golden
• Kendrick Lamar & SZA – Luther
• Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
• Rosé & Bruno Mars – Apt.
• Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild

Best New Artist | 2026 Grammy Nominations

• Addison Rae
• Alex Warren
• Katseye
• Leon Thomas
• Lola Young
• The Marías
• Olivia Dean
• Sombr

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical

• Blake Mills
• Cirkut
• Dan Auerbach
• Dijon
• Sounwave

Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical

• Amy Allen
• Edgar Barrera
• Jessie Jo Dillon
• Laura Veltz
• Tobias Jesso Jr.

Pop | 2026 Grammy Nominations

Best Pop Solo Performance

• Chappell Roan – The Subway
• Justin Bieber – Daisies
• Lady Gaga – Disease
• Lola Young – Messy
• Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild

Best Pop/Duo Group Performance

• Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande – Defying Gravity
• Huntr/x – Golden
• Katseye – Gabriela
• Rosé & Bruno Mars – Apt.
• SZA With Kendrick Lamar – 30 for 30

Best Pop Vocal Album

• Justin Bieber – Swag
• Lady Gaga – Mayhem
• Miley Cyrus – Something Beautiful
• Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend
• Teddy Swims – I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 2)

Dance/Electronic | 2026 Grammy Nominations

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

Best Dance Pop Recording

• Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
• PinkPantheress – Illegal
• Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco – Bluest Flame
• Tate McRae – Just Keep Watching (From F1® the Movie)
• Zara Larsson – Midnight Sun

Best Dance/Electronic Album

• FKA twigs – Eusexua
• Fred Again.. – Ten Days
• PinkPantheress – Fancy That
• Rüfüs Du Sol – Inhale / Exhale
• Skrillex – Fck U Skrillex You Think Ur Andy Warhol but Ur Not!! <3*

Best Remixed Recording

• The Chemical Brothers & Chris Lake – Galvanize (Chris Lake Remix)
• Huntr/x & David Guetta – Golden (David Guetta Rem/x)
• Lady Gaga & Gesaffelstein – Abracadabra (Gesaffelstein Remix)
• Mariah Carey & Kaytranada – Don’t Forget About Us (Kaytranada Remix)
• Soul II Soul – A Dreams a Dream (Ron Trent Refix)

Rock | 2026 Grammy Nominations

Best Rock Performance

• Amyl and the Sniffers – U Should Not Be Doing That
• Hayley Williams – Mirtazapine
• Linkin Park – The Emptiness Machine
• Turnstile – Never Enough
• Yungblud, Nuno Bettencourt & Frank Bello Featuring Adam Wakeman & II – Changes (Live From Villa Park / Back to the Beginning)

Best Metal Performance

• Dream Theater – Night Terror
• Ghost – Lachryma
• Sleep Token – Emergence
• Spiritbox – Soft Spine
• Turnstile – Birds

Best Rock Song

• Hayley Williams – Glum
• Nine Inch Nails – As Alive as You Need Me to Be
• Sleep Token – Caramel
• Turnstile – Never Enough
• Yungblud – Zombie

Best Rock Album

• Deftones – Private Music
• Haim – I Quit
• Linkin Park – From Zero
• Turnstile – Never Enough
• Yungblud – Idols

Alternative | 2026 Grammy Nominations

Best Alternative Music Performance

• Bon Iver – Everything Is Peaceful Love
• The Cure – Alone
• Hayley Williams – Parachute
• Turnstile – Seein’ Stars
• Wet Leg – Mangetout

Best Alternative Music Album

• Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE
• The Cure – Songs of a Lost World
• Hayley Williams – Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party
• Tyler, the Creator – Don’t Tap the Glass
• Wet Leg – Moisturizer

R&B | 2026 Grammy Nominations

Best R&B Performance

• Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller – It Depends
• Justin Bieber – Yukon
• Kehlani – Folded
• Leon Thomas – Mutt (Live from NPR’s Tiny Desk)
• Summer Walker – Heart of a Woman

Best Traditional R&B Performance

• Durand Bernarr – Here We Are
• Lalah Hathaway – Uptown
• Ledisi – Love You Too
• Leon Thomas – Vibes Don’t Lie
• SZA – Crybaby

Best R&B Song

• Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller – It Depends
• Durand Bernarr – Overqualified
• Kehlani – Folded
• Leon Thomas – Yes It Is
• Summer Walker – Heart of a Woman

Best Progressive R&B Album

• Bilal – Adjust Brightness
• Destin Conrad – Love on Digital
• Durand Bernarr – Bloom
• Flo – Access All Areas
• Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon – Come as You Are

Best R&B Album

• Coco Jones – Why Not More?
• Giveon – Beloved
• Ledisi – The Crown
• Leon Thomas – Mutt
• Teyana Taylor – Escape Room

Rap | 2026 Grammy Nominations

Best Rap Performance

• Cardi B – Outside
• Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T & Malice – Chains & Whips
• Doechii – Anxiety
• Kendrick Lamar Featuring Lefty Gunplay – TV Off
• Tyler, the Creator Featuring Teezo Touchdown – Darling, I

Best Melodic Rap Performance

• Fridayy & Meek Mill – Proud of Me
• JID, Ty Dolla $ign & 6lack – Wholeheartedly
• Kendrick Lamar & SZA – Luther
• PartyNextDoor & Drake – Somebody Loves Me
• Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon Featuring Rapsody – WeMaj

Best Rap Song

• Clipse, John Legend, Voices of Fire, Pusha T & Malice – The Birds Don’t Sing
• Doechii – Anxiety
• Glorilla – TGIF
• Kendrick Lamar Featuring Lefty Gunplay – TV Off
• Tyler, the Creator Featuring Glorilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne – Sticky

Best Rap Album

• Clipse, Pusha T & Malice – Let God Sort Em Out
• Glorilla – Glorious
• JID – God Does Like Ugly
• Kendrick Lamar – GNX
• Tyler, the Creator – Chromakopia

Best Spoken Word Poetry Album

• Marc Marcel – Black Shaman
• Omari Hardwick & Anthony Hamilton – Pages
• Queen Sheba – A Hurricane in Heels: Healed People Don’t Act Like That (Partially Recorded Live @City Winery & Other Places)
• Saul Williams & Carlos Niño & Friends – Saul Williams Meets Carlos Niño & Friends at Treepeople (Live)
• Skillz – Words for Days, Vol. 1

Jazz | 2026 Grammy Nominations

Best Jazz Performance

• Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade – Windows (Live)
• Lakecia Benjamin Featuring Immanuel Wilkins & Mark Whitfield – Noble Rise
• Michael Mayo – Four
• Nicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach & Tom Scott Featuring Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold, Rachel Eckroth & Sam Weber – All Stars Lead to You (Live)
• Samara Joy – Peace of Mind / Dreams Come True

Best Jazz Vocal Album

• Dee Dee Bridgewater & Bill Charlap – Elemental
• Michael Mayo – Fly
• Nicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach & Tom Scott Featuring Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold, Rachel Eckroth & Sam Weber – Live at Vic’s Las Vegas
• Samara Joy – Portrait
• Terri Lyne Carrington & Christie Dashiell – We Insist 2025!

Best Jazz Instrumental Album

• Branford Marsalis Quartet – Belonging
• Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade – Trilogy 3 (Live)
• John Patitucci Featuring Chris Potter & Brian Blade – Spirit Fall
• Sullivan Fortner – Southern Nights
• Yellowjackets – Fasten Up

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

• Christian McBride – Without Further Ado, Vol 1
• Danilo Pérez & Bohuslän Big Band – Lumen
• Deborah Silver & The Count Basie Orchestra – Basie Rocks!
• Kenny Wheeler Legacy Featuring The Royal Academy of Music Jazz Orchestra & Frost Jazz Orchestra – Some Days Are Better: The Lost Scores
• Sun Ra Arkestra – Lights on a Satellite
• The 8-Bit Big Band – Orchestrator Emulator

Best Latin Jazz Album

• Arturo O’Farrill – The Original Influencers: Dizzy, Chano & Chico (Live at Town Hall)
• Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra – Mundoagua – Celebrating Carla Bley
• Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Yainer Horta & Joey Calveiro – A Tribute to Benny Moré and Nat King Cole
• Miguel Zenón Quartet – Vanguardia Subterránea: Live at the Village Vanguard
• Paquito D’Rivera – Madrid-New York Connection Band – La Fleur de Cayenne

Best Alternative Jazz Album

• Ambrose Akinmusire – Honey From a Winter Stone
• Brad Mehldau – Ride into the Sun
• Immanuel Wilkins – Blues Blood
• Nate Smith – Live-Action
• Robert Glasper – Keys to the City Volume One

Traditional Pop | 2026 Grammy Nominations

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

• Barbra Streisand – The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume 2
• Elton John & Brandi Carlile – Who Believes in Angels?
• Jennifer Hudson – The Gift of Love
• Lady Gaga – Harlequin
• Laila Biali – Wintersongs
• Laufey – A Matter of Time

Contemporary Instrumental | 2026 Grammy Nominations

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

• Arkai – Brightside
• Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda & Antonio Sánchez – BEATrio
• Bob James & Dave Koz – Just Us
• Charu Suri – Shayan
• Gerald Clayton – Ones & Twos

Musical Theater

Best Musical Theater Album

• Buena Vista Social Club
• Death Becomes Her
• Gypsy
• Just in Time
• Maybe Happy Ending

Country | 2026 Grammy Nominations

Best Country Solo Performance | 2026 Grammy Nominations

• Chris Stapleton – Bad as I Used to Be (From F1® the Movie)
• Lainey Wilson – Somewhere Over Laredo
• Shaboozey – Good News
• Tyler Childers – Nose on the Grindstone
• Zach Top – I Never Lie

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

• George Strait Featuring Chris Stapleton – Honky Tonk Hall of Fame
• Margo Price Featuring Tyler Childers – Love Me Like You Used to Do
• Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton – A Song to Sing
• Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert & Lainey Wilson – Trailblazer
• Shaboozey & Jelly Roll – Amen

Best Country Song | 2026 Grammy Nominations

• Lainey Wilson – Somewhere Over Laredo
• Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton – A Song to Sing
• Shaboozey – Good News
• Tyler Childers – Bitin’ List
• Zach Top – I Never Lie

Best Traditional Country Album

• Charley Crockett – Dollar a Day
• Lukas Nelson – American Romance
• Margo Price – Hard Headed Woman
• Willie Nelson – Oh What a Beautiful World
• Zach Top – Ain’t in It for My Health

Best Contemporary Country Album

• Eric Church – Evangeline vs. the Machine
• Jelly Roll – Beautifully Broken
• Kelsea Ballerini – Patterns
• Miranda Lambert – Postcards From Texas
• Tyler Childers – Snipe Hunter

American Roots | 2026 Grammy Nominations

Best American Roots Performance

• Alison Krauss & Union Station – Richmond on the James
• I’m With Her – Ancient Light
• Jason Isbell – Crimson and Clay
• Jon Batiste Featuring Randy Newman – Lonely Avenue
• Mavis Staples – Beautiful Strangers

Best Americana Performance

• Jesse Welles – Horses
• Maggie Rose & Grace Potter – Poison in My Well
• Mavis Staples – Godspeed
• Molly Tuttle – That’s Gonna Leave a Mark
• Sierra Hull – Boom

Best American Roots Song

• I’m With Her – Ancient Light
• Jason Isbell – Foxes in the Snow
• Jesse Welles – Middle
• Jon Batiste – Big Money
• Sierra Hull – Spitfire

Best Americana Album

• Jesse Welles – Middle
• Jon Batiste – Big Money
• Larkin Poe – Bloom
• Molly Tuttle – So Long Little Miss Sunshine
• Willie Nelson – Last Leaf on the Tree

Best Bluegrass Album

• Alison Krauss & Union Station – Arcadia
• Billy Strings – Highway Prayers
• Michael Cleveland & Jason Carter – Carter & Cleveland
• Sierra Hull – A Tip Toe High Wire
• The Steeldrivers – Outrun

Blues | 2026 Grammy Nominations

Best Traditional Blues Album

• Buddy Guy – Ain’t Done With the Blues
• Charlie Musselwhite – Look Out Highway
• Kenny Wayne Shepherd & Bobby Rush – Young Fashioned Ways
• Maria Muldaur – One Hour Mama: The Blues of Victoria Spivey
• Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ – Room on the Porch

Best Contemporary Blues Album

• Eric Gales – A Tribute to LJK
• Joe Bonamassa – Breakthrough
• Robert Randolph – Preacher Kids
• Samantha Fish – Paper Doll
• Southern Avenue – Family

Folk

Best Folk Album

• I’m With Her – Wild and Clear and Blue
• Jason Isbell – Foxes in the Snow
• Jesse Welles – Under the Powerlines (Live April 2024 – September 2024)
• Patty Griffin – Crown of Roses
• Rhiannon Giddens & Justin Robinson – What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow

Regional Roots

Best Regional Roots Music Album

• Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet – Live at Vaughan’s
• Kyle Roussel – Church of New Orleans
• Preservation Brass & Preservation Hall Jazz Band – For Fat Man
• Trombone Shorty & New Breed Brass Band – Second Line Sunday
• Various Artists – A Tribute to the King of Zydeco

Gospel/Contemporary Christian | 2026 Grammy Nominations

Best Gospel Performance/Song

• Cece Winans & Shirley Caesar – Come Jesus Come
• Jonathan McReynolds & Jamal Roberts – Still (Live)
• Kirk Franklin – Do It Again
• Pastor Mike Jr. – Amen
• Tasha Cobbs Leonard & John Legend – Church

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song

• Brandon Lake & Jelly Roll – Hard Fought Hallelujah
• Darrel Walls & PJ Morton – Amazing
• Elevation Worship, Chris Brown & Brandon Lake – I Know a Name
• Forrest Frank – Your Way’s Better
• Lecrae, Killer Mike & T.I. – Headphones

Best Gospel Album

• Darrel Walls & PJ Morton – Heart of Mine
• Tamela Mann – Live Breathe Fight
• Tasha Cobbs Leonard – Tasha
• Tye Tribbett – Only on the Road (Live)
• Yolanda Adams – Sunny Days

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album | 2026 Grammy Nominations

• Brandon Lake – King of Hearts
• Forrest Frank – Child of God II
• Israel & New Breed – Coritos, Vol. 1
• Lecrae – Reconstruction
• Tauren Wells – Let the Church Sing

Best Roots Gospel Album

• The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir – I Will Not Be Moved (Live)
• Candi Staton – Back to My Roots
• Gaither Vocal Group – Then Came the Morning
• The Isaacs – Praise & Worship: More Than a Hollow Hallelujah
• Karen Peck & New River – Good Answers

Latin | 2026 Grammy Nominations

Best Latin Pop Album

• Alejandro Sanz – ¿Y Ahora Qué?
• Andrés Cepeda – Bogotá (Deluxe)
• Karol G – Tropicoqueta
• Natalia Lafourcade – Cancionera
• Rauw Alejandro – Cosa Nuestra

Best Música Urbana Album

• 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 Latin Rock or Alternative Album | 2026 Grammy Nominations

• Aterciopelados – Genes Rebeldes
• Bomba Estéreo, Rawayana & Astropical – Astropical
• Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso – Papota
• Fito Páez – Novela
• Los Wizzards – Algorhythm

Best Música Mexicana Album (Including Tejano)

• Bobby Pulido – Bobby Pulido & Friends Una Tuya Y una Mía – Por la Puerta Grande (En Vivo)
• Carín León – Palabra de To’s (Seca)
• Fuerza Regida & Grupo Frontera – Mala Mía
• Grupo Frontera – Y Lo Que Viene
• Paola Jara – Sin Rodeos

Best Tropical Latin Album

• Alain Pérez – Bingo
• Gilberto Santa Rosa – Debut y Segunda Tanda, Vol. 2
• Gloria Estefan – Raíces
• Grupo Niche – Clásicos 1.0
• Rubén Blades Featuring Roberto Delgado & Orquesta – Fotografías

Global | 2026 Grammy Nominations

Best Global Music Performance

• Angélique Kidjo – Jerusalema
• Anoushka Shankar Featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar – Daybreak
• Bad Bunny – Eoo
• Ciro Hurtado – Cantando en el Camino
• Shakti – Shrini’s Dream (Live)
• Yeisy Rojas – Inmigrante y Que?

Best African Music Performance

• Ayra Starr & Wizkid – Gimme Dat
• Burna Boy – Love
• Davido Featuring Omah Lay – With You
• Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin – Hope & Love
• Tyla – Push 2 Start

Best Global Music Album

• Anoushka Shankar Featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar – Chapter III: We Return to Light
• Burna Boy – No Sign of Weakness
• Caetano Veloso & Maria Bethânia – Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo
• Shakti – Mind Explosion (50th Anniversary Tour Live)
• Siddhant Bhatia – Sounds of Kumbha
• Youssou N’Dour – Éclairer le monde – Light the World

Best Reggae Album

• Jesse Royal – No Place Like Home
• Keznamdi – Blxxd & Fyah
• Lila Iké – Treasure Self Love
• Mortimer – From Within
• Vybz Kartel – Heart & Soul

New Age, Ambient, or Chant

Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album | 2026 Grammy Nominations

• Carla Patullo – Nomadica
• Cheryl B. Engelhardt & Gem – According to the Moon
• Chris Redding – The Colors in My Mind
• Jahnavi Harrison – Into the Forest
• Kirsten Agresta-Copely – Kuruvinda

Children’s | 2026 Grammy Nominations

Best Children’s Music Album

• Flor Bromley – Herstory
• Fyütch & Aura V – Harmony
• Joanie Leeds & Joya – Ageless: 100 Years Young
• Mega Ran – Buddy’s Magic Tree House
• Tori Amos – The Music of Tori and the Muses

Comedy

Best Comedy Album

• Ali Wong – Single Lady
• Bill Burr – Drop Dead Years
• Jamie Foxx – What Had Happened Was…
• Nate Bargatze – Your Friend, Nate Bargatze
• Sarah Silverman – PostMortem

Spoken Word

Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording

• Dalai Lama – Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
• Fab Morvan – You Know It’s True: The Real Story of Milli Vanilli
• Kathy Garver – Elvis, Rocky & Me: The Carol Connors Story
• Ketanji Brown Jackson – Lovely One: A Memoir
• Trevor Noah – Into the Uncut Grass

Soundtracks | 2026 Grammy Nominations

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media

• Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
• Various Artists – F1® the Album
• Various Artists – KPop Demon Hunters
• Various Artists – Sinners
• Various Artists – Wicked

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (Includes Film and Television)

• John Powell – How to Train Your Dragon
• John Powell & Stephen Schwartz – Wicked
• Kris Bowers – The Wild Robot
• Ludwig Göransson – Sinners
• Theodore Shapiro – Severance: Season 2

Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media

• Austin Wintory – Sword of the Sea
• Gordy Haab – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Pinar Toprak – Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – Secrets of the Spires
• Wilbert Roget, II – Helldivers 2
• Wilbert Roget, II & Cody Matthew Johnson – Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card & A Pirate’s Fortune

Best Song Written for Visual Media | 2026 Grammy Nominations

• Elton John & Brandi Carlile – Never Too Late (From the Film “Elton John: Never Too Late”)
• Huntr/x – Golden
• Jayme Lawson – Pale, Pale Moon
• Miles Caton – I Lied to You
• Nine Inch Nails – As Alive as You Need Me to Be
• Rod Wave – Sinners

Music Video & Film

Best Music Video

• Clipse – So Be It
• Doechii – Anxiety
• OK Go – Love
• Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
• Sade – Young Lion

Best Music Film

• Devo – Devo
• Diane Warren – Relentless
• John Williams – Music by John Williams
• Pharrell Williams – Piece by Piece
• Raye – Live at the Royal Albert Hall

Packaging & Notes | 2026 Grammy Nominations

Best Recording Package

• Bruce Springsteen – Tracks II: The Lost Albums
• Duran Duran – Danse Macabre: De Luxe
• Mac Miller – Balloonerism
• Mac Miller – The Spins (Picture Disc Vinyl)
• OK Go – And the Adjacent Possible
• Tsunami – Loud Is As
• Various Artists – Sequoia

Best Album Cover | 2026 Grammy Nominations

• Bad Bunny – Debí Tirar Más Fotos
• Djo – The Crux
• Perfume Genius – Glory
• Tyler, the Creator – Chromakopia
• Wet Leg – Moisturizer

Best Album Notes

• Amanda Ekery – Árabe
• Buck Owens and His Buckaroos – Adios, Farewell, Goodbye, Good Luck, So Long: On Stage 1964-1974
• Anouar Brahem, Anja Lechner, Django Bates & Dave Holland – After the Last Sky
• Miles Davis – Miles ’55: The Prestige Recordings
• Sly and the Family Stone – The First Family: Live at the Winchester Cathedral 1967
• Wilco – A Ghost Is Born (Expanded Edition)

Best Historical Album

• Doc Pomus – You Can’t Hip a Square: The Doc Pomus Songwriting Demos
• Joni Mitchell – Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980)
• Nick Drake – The Making of Five Leaves Left
• Various Artists – Roots Rocking Zimbabwe – The Modern Sound of Harare’ Townships 1975-1980 (Analog Africa No.41)
• Various Artists – Super Disco Pirata – De Tepito Para el Mundo 1965-1980 (Analog Africa No.39)

Engineered & Immersive | 2026 Grammy Nominations

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

• Alison Krauss & Union Station – Arcadia
• Cam – All Things Light
• Japanese Breakfast – For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women)
• Pino Palladino & Blake Mills – That Wasn’t a Dream

Best Engineered Album, Classical

• Andris Nelsons, Kristine Opolais, Günther Groissböck, Peter Hoare, Brenden Gunnell & Boston Symphony Orchestra – Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District
• The Cleveland Orchestra & Franz Welser-Möst – Eastman: Symphony No. 2 – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2
• Sandbox Percussion – Cerrone: Don’t Look Down
• Third Coast Percussion – Standard Stoppages
• Trio Mediæval – Yule

Producer of the Year, Classical

• Blanton Alspaugh
• Dmitriy Lipay
• Elaine Martone
• Morten Lindberg
• Sergei Kvitko

Best Immersive Audio Album | 2026 Grammy Nominations

• Duckwrth – All American Fk Boy
• Justin Gray – Immersed
• Tearjerkers – Tearjerkers
• Trio Mediæval – Yule
• Various Artists – An Immersive Tribute to Astor Piazzolla (Live)

Classical | 2026 Grammy Nominations

Best Instrumental Composition

• John Powell & Stephen Schwartz – Train to Emerald City
• Ludwig Göransson Featuring Miles Caton – Why You Here / Before the Sun Went Down (From “Sinners” Score)
• Miho Hazama, Danish Radio Big Band & Danish National Symphony Orchestra – Live Life This Day: Movement I
• Nordkraft Big Band, Remy Le Boeuf & Danielle Wertz – First Snow
• Sierra Hull – Lord, That’s a Long Way
• Zain Effendi – Opening

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella

• Cynthia Erivo – Be Okay
• Nordkraft Big Band & Remy Le Boeuf – A Child Is Born
• The Westerlies – Fight On
• The 8-Bit Big Band – Super Mario Praise Break

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals

• Cody Fry – What a Wonderful World
• Jacob Collier – Keep an Eye on Summer
• Lawrence – Something in the Water (Acoustic-ish)
• Nate Smith & Säje – Big Fish
• Seth MacFarlane – How Did She Look?

Best Orchestral Performance

• Andris Nelsons & Boston Symphony Orchestra – Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie
• Esa-Pekka Salonen – San Francisco Symphony – Stravinsky: Symphony in Three Movements
• Gustavo Dudamel & Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela – Ravel: Boléro, M. 81
• Michael Repper & National Philharmonic – Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Toussaint L’Ouverture, Op. 46 – Ballade Op. 4 – Suites From “24 Negro Melodies”
• Yannick Nézet-Séguin & The Philadelphia Orchestra – Still & Bonds: Symphonies & Variations

Best Opera Recording

• Alan Pierson, The Choir of Trinity Wall Street & Silvana Quartet – Kouyoumdjian: Adoration (Live)
• American Composers Orchestra & Carolyn Kuan – Huang Ruo: An American Soldier
• Emily D’Angelo, Ellie Dehn, Ben Bliss, Kyle Miller, Greer Grimsley, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, The Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Yannick Nézet-Séguin – Tesori: Grounded (Live)
• Houston Grand Opera, Kwamé Ryan, Janai Brugger, Jamie Barton & J’Nai Bridges – Jake Heggie: Intelligence
• Irish National Opera & Elaine Kelly – O’Halloran: Trade / Mary Motorhead

Best Choral Performance

• Anne Akiko Meyers, Los Angeles Master Chorale & Grant Gershon – Billy Childs: In the Arms of the Beloved
• The Clarion Choir & Steven Fox – Requiem of Light
• Conspirare & Craig Hella Johnson- Advena: Liturgies for a Broken World
• The Crossing & David Nally – David Lang: Poor Hymnal
• Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel & Alisa Weilerstein – Gabriela Ortiz: Yanga

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

• Alan Pierson & Alarm Will Sound – Donnacha Dennehy: Land of Winter
• Lili Haydn & Paul Cantelon – Lullabies for the Brokenhearted
• Mak Grgić & Mateusz Kowalski – Slavic Sessions – Slavic Sessions
• Neave Trio – La mer: French Piano Trios
• Third Coast Percussion – Standard Stoppages

Best Classical Instrumental Solo

• Adam Tendler – Inheritances
• Curtis Stewart & Michael Repper – Coleridge-Taylor: 3 Selections From “24 Negro Melodies”
• Mary Dawood Catlin, Jesús David Medina & Raniero Palm – Hope Orchestrated
• Yo-Yo Ma & Andris Nelsons – Shostakovich: The Cello Concertos
• Yuja Wang & Andris Nelsons – Shostakovich: The Piano Concertos; Solo Works

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album

• Allison Charney & Benjamin Loeb – Alike – My Mother’s Dream
• Amanda Forsythe, Robert Mealy, Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs – Telemann: Ino – Opera Arias for Soprano
• Devony Smith, Danny Zelibor & Michael Nicolas – In This Short Life
• Sidney Outlaw & Warren Jones – Black Pierrot
• Susan Narucki & Curtis Macomber – Kurtág: Kafka Fragments
• Theo Hoffman & Steven Blier – Schubert Beatles

Best Classical Compendium

• Christina Sandsengen – Tombeaux
• Janai Brugger, Isolde Fair, MB Gordy & Starr Parodi – Seven Seasons
• Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel & Alisa Weilerstein – Gabriela Ortiz: Yanga
• Sandbox Percussion – Cerrone: Don’t Look Down
• Will Liverman – The Dunbar/Moore Sessions, Vol. II

Best Contemporary Classical Composition | 2026 Grammy Nominations

• Christopher Cerrone – Cerrone: Don’t Look Down
• Donnacha Dennehy – Dennehy: Land of Winter
• Gabriela Ortiz – Ortiz: Dzonot
• Shawn E. Okpebholo – Okpebholo: Songs in Flight
• Tania León – León: Raíces (Origins)

Sources: Grammy.com, Variety, Pitchfork. Kampala Edge Times will keep you updated as the awards season heats up – who’s your pick for Album of the Year? Sound off in the comments!