The 68th edition of the Grammy Awards takes place this Sunday, the 1st, and promises to be one of the most popular nights in recent music history. The music industry’s main awards show will be held at the Crypto.com Arena, in Los Angeles (USA), bringing together established veterans, global phenomena and new names that redesign contemporary pop.
Rapper Kendrick Lamar leads the edition with nine nominations, including the three most prestigious categories of the night: Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Close behind are Lady Gaga, with seven nominations, and Bad Bunny, Leon Thomas and Sabrina Carpenter, with six nominations each.
Album of the Year
Among analysts and specialized vehicles, such as Billbord, three works appear as favorites for the Album of the Year award: Debí Tirar Más Fotos, by Bad Bunny; Mayhem, by Lady Gaga; and GNX, by Kendrick Lamar.
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Bad Bunny’s album could break a historic barrier by becoming the first album entirely in Spanish to win the category. Kendrick, in turn, tries to repeat a rare feat for hip-hop, a genre that hasn’t won since Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, by OutKast, in 2005.
Lady Gaga arrives surrounded by expectation. Mayhem marks a return to the pop-electronic and theatrical aesthetic that consolidated her career and could earn the artist her first win in one of the four main Grammy categories.
Also competing:
- Swag, de Justin Bieber
- Man’s Best Friend, de Sabrina Carpenter
- Let God Sort Em Out, do Clipse
- Mother, Leon Thomas
- CHROMAKOPIA, de Tyler, the Creator
Record and Song of the Year
In the Record of the Year category, Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar face each other again. Abracadabra, Mayhem’s second single, appears as one of the strongest tracks of the year due to its cultural impact and technical excellence, in addition to marking a symbolic moment in the singer’s career.
Kendrick competes with Luther, a partnership with SZA, while APT., a collaboration between Bruno Mars and Rosé, completes the trio of favorites. A victory for the track would mean K-pop’s first triumph in the awards’ central categories.
In Song of the Year, which exclusively recognizes composition, the highlight goes to Golden, from the animation Guerreiras do K-Pop, performed by Audrey Nuna, Ejae and Rei Ami. The song could become the first of its kind to win the category and reinforces the dialogue between music, cinema and global pop culture.
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New Artist
The New Artist category appears to be one of the most unpredictable of the night. Olivia Dean, Leon Thomas and Lola Young emerge as the favorites, but the dispute remains open.
Leon Thomas draws attention due to the number of nominations and his presence in Album of the Year, while Olivia Dean has won critical acclaim over the last year. Lola Young, despite less recent exposure, maintains strong artistic recognition.
K-pop’s historic advancement in the main categories
K-pop consolidates its presence at the 2026 Grammys with unprecedented nominations in the so-called Big Four categories. BLACKPINK’s Rosé made history by being nominated for Record and Song of the Year with APT.
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Another highlight is the group Katseye, formed through a HYBE reality show in partnership with Geffen Records. They compete for both New Artist and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group.
The list also brings a curious milestone: the fictional group HUNTR/X, created for K-Pop Warriors, appears among the nominees in prominent categories, signaling how virtual entertainment begins to dialogue directly with traditional awards.
Brazil is present
Brazilian music also occupies a relevant space in the edition. Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethânia were nominated for Best Global Music Album with Caetano and Bethânia Ao Vivo.
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The project records the historic tour held in 2024 and celebrates decades of partnership between the brothers. They are the only representatives from Brazil in the published categories, competing with names like Burna Boy and Angélique Kidjo.
Where to watch
In Brazil, the live broadcast starts at 9:30 pm (Brasília time). The ceremony will be shown on the TNT channel and the Max streaming service.
The presentation is once again under the command of comedian Trevor Noah, who leads the event for the sixth consecutive year and also acts as the night’s producer.
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Artists confirmed on the Grammy stage
The Recording Academy confirmed a line-up that balances established names and new phenomena. Sabrina Carpenter is among the most anticipated performances, as is Lady Gaga and Clipse’s reunion with Pharrell Williams for a special number.
For the first time in the history of the award, all New Artist nominees will perform throughout the night.
