You've probably seen the list. It’s everywhere. Everyone is screaming about Kendrick, Gaga, and whether or not the Recording Academy finally "gets it" this time. But honestly, when the album of the year nominations for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards dropped, the conversation immediately veered into the same old tired tropes of "who was snubbed" versus "who sold the most."
Music awards are weird. We treat them like objective science when they’re actually just a snapshot of what a few thousand industry insiders thought was "important" during a very specific window of time. For 2026, that window was August 31, 2024, to August 30, 2025. If you released a life-changing masterpiece on September 1st? Sorry, you don't exist yet.
The Heavy Hitters: Why the Big Eight Look Like This
Kendrick Lamar is the name on everyone’s lips, and for good reason. He’s leading the pack with nine nominations total. His album GNX didn't just land in the album of the year nominations; it basically anchored them. It’s that rare project that satisfies the "lyrical miracle" hip-hop heads and the people who just want something to blast in the car. When you see him next to Lady Gaga's MAYHEM, you’re seeing the Grammys try to balance high-art rap with high-concept pop.
Gaga’s MAYHEM is a return to form that reminds us why she’s a titan. It’s loud, it’s theatrical, and it’s undeniably "Gaga." Then you have Sabrina Carpenter. Man’s Best Friend is the "it girl" record of the year. People love to dismiss pop as "generic," but making a record that stays in the cultural zeitgeist for twelve months straight is actually incredibly hard.
The list of eight is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle:
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- Bad Bunny – DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (The global juggernaut)
- Justin Bieber – SWAG (The comeback story)
- Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend (The pop peak)
- Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out (The veteran prestige)
- Lady Gaga – MAYHEM (The theatrical powerhouse)
- Kendrick Lamar – GNX (The critical darling)
- Leon Thomas – MUTT (The R&B dark horse)
- Tyler, The Creator – CHROMAKOPIA (The creative visionary)
The Leon Thomas Factor and the "Dark Horse" Narrative
Leon Thomas is the one name that made a lot of casual fans go, "Wait, who?" But if you’ve been paying attention to R&B, MUTT was inevitable. Thomas has been behind the scenes for years producing for the likes of SZA and Ariana Grande. The Academy loves a "producer-turned-artist" narrative. It makes them feel like they’re rewarding craft, not just celebrity.
Is he going to win? Probably not. The Grammys usually lean toward the bigger commercial machines for the top prize. But being in the album of the year nominations is the win here. It moves him from "industry secret" to "household name" (or at least "household name in houses that care about good music").
What About the Snubs?
Every year, the internet picks a martyr. This year, it’s The Weeknd. Hurry Up Tomorrow was a massive omission for a lot of people. It had the production, the features, and the "event" feel. But the Grammys and Abel Tesfaye have a... complicated history. Even though he’s submitted music again, there’s still a feeling of a rift.
Then there’s the brat of it all. Charli xcx’s remix album was eligible, but it didn't make the cut for the top tier. It’s a classic case of the Academy not quite knowing how to handle "internet-first" culture. They’ll nominate it in the dance categories, sure, but the "Big Four" usually require a specific kind of traditional industry polish that a chaotic remix project might lack in their eyes.
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Why Kendrick vs. Gaga is the Real Battle
If we’re being real, the 2026 race is a two-horse sprint. Kendrick Lamar represents the Academy’s chance to finally give a rap album the top prize—something they haven't done since Outkast in 2004. Yes, it’s been that long. It’s a glaring hole in their legacy.
On the other side, Lady Gaga is the quintessential Grammy artist. She performs, she acts, she "respects the institution." MAYHEM is the kind of big, bold pop statement that the older voting bloc adores. If Kendrick and Tyler, The Creator split the hip-hop vote, Gaga could easily sail through the middle.
The Breakdown of Styles
Kendrick's GNX is dense. It’s a Los Angeles record through and through, featuring names like Roddy Ricch and SZA (on the hit "luther"). It’s a "prestige" win. Bad Bunny’s DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS is the "global" win. If the Academy wants to prove they aren't just focused on the US and UK, Benito is their best bet.
The Clipse Comeback Nobody Expected
Pusha T and Malice getting an album of the year nomination for Let God Sort Em Out is arguably the coolest thing the Academy has done in years. It’s a win for lyricism. It’s a win for people who thought the era of the "duo" was dead. Pharrell Williams produced the whole thing, and his fingerprints are all over it.
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It’s interesting because it’s not a "radio" album. It’s a gritty, uncompromising rap record. Its inclusion suggests that the Rap Screening Committee had a lot of sway this year, pushing for "real hip-hop" to be represented in the general field alongside the more experimental Tyler, The Creator.
Practical Insights for the 2026 Awards
The ceremony is happening on February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Trevor Noah is hosting for the sixth and supposedly final time. If you’re trying to keep track of who might actually take home the trophy, keep an eye on the "down-ballot" categories.
Usually, the artist who sweeps their genre categories (like Best Rap Album or Best Pop Vocal Album) has the momentum for the big one. If Kendrick wins Best Rap Album early in the night, his chances for AOTY skyrocket. If Gaga takes Best Pop Vocal Album over Sabrina Carpenter and Justin Bieber, she’s the one to beat.
Actionable Steps for Music Fans:
- Listen to the "Little" Guys: Before the telecast, give Leon Thomas’s MUTT a spin. It’s the most "musical" record in the bunch and explains why the producers in the Academy voted for it.
- Check the Credits: Look at names like Jack Antonoff and Cirkut. They are nominated across multiple albums. It’s a reminder that the sound of the 2026 Grammys is often shaped by a very small circle of architects.
- Watch the Live Stream: The "Premiere Ceremony" (the one before the TV show) is where most of the awards are actually given out. That’s where you’ll see if a sweep is starting.
The album of the year nominations tell a story of an industry in flux. We have the titans like Bieber and Gaga, the revolutionaries like Kendrick and Tyler, and the new guard like Sabrina. Whether the "right" person wins is subjective, but the list itself is a pretty accurate map of where music stood over the last year.