The Grammys always feel a bit like a high school reunion where everyone is suddenly way more famous than they have any right to be. But the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, hitting Los Angeles on February 1, 2026, feels different. There’s a specific kind of tension in the air.
Honestly, it’s mostly because the song of the year nominees list is actually... good? Usually, we get one or two head-scratchers that feel like they were picked by a random number generator. Not this time. This year, the Recording Academy seems to have remembered that this specific category is supposed to be about the writing—the lyrics, the melody, the bones of the track—not just which song had the biggest budget for a music video.
We’re looking at a lineup that ranges from a Netflix-born K-pop anthem to a gritty rap confession. It’s messy. It’s loud. And it’s going to be a bloodbath.
The Heavy Hitters and the Heartbreaks
If you’ve been anywhere near a radio or a TikTok feed in the last twelve months, you’ve heard these tracks. But seeing them all in one list is a bit overwhelming.
The 2026 contenders for Song of the Year are:
- "Abracadabra" – Lady Gaga (Songwriters: Henry Walter, Lady Gaga & Andrew Watt)
- "Anxiety" – Doechii (Songwriter: Jaylah Hickmon)
- "APT." – ROSÉ & Bruno Mars (Songwriters: Amy Allen, Christopher Brody Brown, Rogét Chahayed, Henry Walter, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Chae Young Park & Theron Thomas)
- "DtMF" – Bad Bunny (Songwriters: Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Scott Dittrich, Benjamin Falik, Roberto José Rosado Torres, Marco Daniel Borrero, Hugo René Sención Sanabria & Tyler Thomas Spry)
- "Golden" – HUNTR/X (Songwriters: EJAE & Mark Sonnenblick)
- "luther" – Kendrick Lamar With SZA (Songwriters: Jack Antonoff, Roshwita Larisha Bacha, Matthew Bernard, Ink, Scott Bridgeway, Sam Dew, Kendrick Lamar, Mark Anthony Spears, Solána Rowe & Kamasi Washington)
- "Manchild" – Sabrina Carpenter (Songwriters: Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff & Sabrina Carpenter)
- "WILDFLOWER" – Billie Eilish (Songwriters: Billie Eilish O'Connell & Finneas O'Connell)
Take a second to look at that list. It’s wild.
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Lady Gaga has been nominated for this five times before. She’s given us "Shallow," "Poker Face," and "Born This Way," yet she has never actually won Song of the Year. It’s one of those weird Grammy stats that makes you realize the Academy can be kind of petty. "Abracadabra" is her latest shot at breaking that curse, and with Andrew Watt in her corner, the songwriting is as tight as it gets.
The "Golden" Phenomenon Nobody Saw Coming
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Or rather, the demon hunter.
"Golden" by HUNTR/X is probably the most fascinating entry among the song of the year nominees. It comes from the Netflix series Kpop Demon Hunters, and it’s basically rewritten the rulebook for what counts as a "Grammy song."
You've got EJAE, who is the first Korean songwriter to ever get a nod in this category. That’s not just a "fun fact"—it’s a massive shift in how the Academy views global pop. For years, K-pop was shoved into the "Best Pop Duo/Group" box and told to stay there. Now? It's leading the betting odds at 4/6 in some circles. People aren't just voting for it because it’s a hit; they’re voting for it because the bridge is structurally perfect.
It’s catchy, sure. But is it "better" than Kendrick? That’s where things get heated.
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Kendrick vs. The World (Again)
Kendrick Lamar just won this award last year for "Not Like Us." Coming back a year later with "luther" (featuring SZA) is a huge flex. Most artists wait three years between projects just to build "prestige." Kendrick just stays in the booth.
"luther" is a collaboration that feels like a conversation. It’s raw. It’s got that Jack Antonoff touch—who, by the way, is also nominated here for Sabrina Carpenter’s "Manchild." Antonoff is essentially the final boss of the Grammys at this point. If he’s on the credits, the song has a 50% higher chance of winning. That’s just science. Sorta.
Why the Songwriter Matters More Than the Singer
There is a huge difference between Record of the Year and Song of the Year. People get them mixed up all the time.
Basically, Record of the Year is for the "vibes." It’s for the producers, the engineers, and the performance. It’s the finished cake. Song of the Year, however, is for the recipe. It’s the pen-to-paper moment.
That’s why someone like Doechii being nominated for "Anxiety" is such a big deal. She is the sole credited songwriter. In a category where "APT." has nine different writers listed, Doechii standing there by herself is a statement. It’s the Academy saying, "We see your individual pen."
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And then you have the Eilish siblings. Billie and Finneas are the masters of the "bedroom pop" evolution. "WILDFLOWER" is haunting. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to stare out a rainy window and think about someone you haven't talked to in six years. It’s simple, but that simplicity is incredibly hard to write.
The Dark Horses: Bad Bunny and Sabrina Carpenter
Don’t sleep on "DtMF." Bad Bunny is currently the biggest artist on the planet, and his album Debí Tirar Más Fotos has been a juggernaut. While he's a favorite for Album of the Year, "DtMF" shows off a level of lyrical wordplay that often gets lost in translation for non-Spanish speakers. The Academy has been trying to be more "global," and giving Bunny the win here would be the ultimate proof they mean it.
Then there’s Sabrina Carpenter. "Manchild" is sharp. It’s funny. It’s a bit mean. It’s exactly what pop music should be in 2026. After the massive success of "Espresso" last year, Sabrina has graduated from "Disney kid" to "legitimate songwriting force."
What Actually Wins?
Historically, the Academy loves a few things:
- Sentimentality: If it makes a 60-year-old voter cry, it wins.
- Complexity: If it has a weird time signature or "intellectual" lyrics, it wins.
- Legacy: If you’ve been around forever and haven’t won yet, they might give it to you as a "sorry about that" prize.
This puts Lady Gaga and Billie Eilish in a very strong position. But the sheer momentum of "Golden" is hard to ignore. We are seeing a younger, more diverse voting body in the Recording Academy lately. They aren't as scared of "internet songs" as they used to be.
How to Prepare for the Big Night
If you're planning on watching the 68th Grammys on February 1, don't just look at the red carpet outfits. Pay attention to the songwriting credits when they announce the song of the year nominees.
- Listen to the acoustic versions: If a song still sounds amazing with just a guitar or a piano, that’s a Song of the Year contender. "WILDFLOWER" and "luther" pass this test easily.
- Check the "sole writer" stats: Keep an eye on Doechii. The industry loves a "one-person" success story.
- Watch the "Golden" performance: Rumor has it the HUNTR/X stage setup is going to be massive. If they can translate that energy live, it might seal the deal for the voters who haven't turned in their ballots yet.
The Grammy race is never just about the music—it's about the narrative. And right now, the narrative is split between the old guard (Gaga), the new icons (Sabrina), and the global invaders (HUNTR/X). No matter who takes home the trophy, the 2026 lineup proves that songwriting is finally getting the respect it deserves again.