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Kendrick Lamar doesn't just win trophies; he collects cultural milestones. If you’ve ever scrolled through social media after an awards show, you know the vibe. People aren't just asking what awards did Kendrick Lamar win, they’re usually arguing about the ones he didn't.
But honestly? The man has basically cleared the board. As of early 2026, we’re looking at a guy with 22 Grammys, a history-making Pulitzer Prize, and enough BET hardware to fill a dedicated wing in a museum.
It's kinda wild when you look back at where it all started.
The Grammy Gavel: 22 and Counting
Let's talk about the Recording Academy. For a long time, the relationship between Kendrick and the Grammys was... tense. Remember 2014? The year Macklemore won Best Rap Album over good kid, m.A.A.d city? That moment is literally etched into hip-hop history as one of the biggest "what just happened?" moments ever. Macklemore even texted Kendrick to apologize. Awkward.
Since then, though, the Academy has tried to make it right. Hard.
Kendrick currently sits at 22 Grammy Awards. He’s the third most-awarded rapper in the history of the ceremony, trailing only Jay-Z and Kanye West. But what's really interesting is the way he wins. He doesn't just grab "Best Rap Performance" and leave.
The 67th Annual Grammy Awards (the 2025 ceremony) was a total bloodbath. His diss track "Not Like Us" didn't just win; it swept five categories, including the heavy hitters: Record of the Year and Song of the Year. It was a massive moment because it proved that a "beef" song—traditionally viewed as disposable or petty—could be recognized as high-level musical art.
He’s also won Best Rap Album three times for To Pimp a Butterfly, DAMN., and Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Basically, if he drops an album, you can bet your house it's getting nominated for the big one.
That Pulitzer Prize (Yeah, He's the Only Rapper Who Has One)
If you really want to know what awards did Kendrick Lamar win that actually changed the industry, you have to talk about 2018.
Kendrick won the Pulitzer Prize for Music for his album DAMN. This wasn't just a win for Kendrick; it was a win for the entire genre of hip-hop. Before this, the Pulitzer board basically only looked at classical music and jazz. They viewed rap as "popular music," which apparently meant it wasn't "serious" enough for their high-brow standards.
The board described DAMN. as "a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism." Translation: it’s a masterpiece that captures the complexity of modern African-American life. He’s still the only rapper to ever hold this title. It’s the ultimate "mic drop" in any GOAT debate.
Dominating the Streets: BET and MTV
While the Grammys and Pulitzers are about industry prestige, the BET Awards are about the culture. Kendrick has absolutely dominated here.
He holds a record 37 BET Hip Hop Awards. Think about that number for a second. That is nearly four dozen trophies from just one organization. He has won "Lyricist of the Year" so many times it almost feels like a formality at this point.
At the 2025 BET Awards, he cleaned up again. His album GNX won Album of the Year, and he took home Best Male Hip Hop Artist for a record-extending eighth time. He and Beyoncé are currently the only artists to have won BET’s Album of the Year twice since they updated the category format in 2017.
Then there are the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs). Kendrick has 12 VMAs.
- "Bad Blood" (with Taylor Swift): Won Video of the Year in 2015.
- "HUMBLE.": This one was a juggernaut. It won six awards in a single night, including Video of the Year.
- "Not Like Us": Picked up Video of the Year and Best Direction (which he shared with Dave Free) in 2025.
He’s actually the first artist to win Video of the Year for a video he co-directed. That’s a neat little bit of trivia for the next time you're debating his legacy.
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The "Almost" EGOT and Other Honors
Is Kendrick Lamar an EGOT winner? Not yet. But he's closer than you might think.
He has the E (two Primetime Emmy Awards for the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show). He has the G (22 of them). He’s missing the O (Oscar) and the T (Tony).
He came incredibly close to an Academy Award in 2019 for "All the Stars" from the Black Panther soundtrack. He lost to Lady Gaga's "Shallow" from A Star Is Born. Honestly, that's a tough one to beat, but "All the Stars" is still a certified classic. He also won a few African-American Film Critics Association awards for his work on film soundtracks and his short film We Cry Together.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the "other" trophy shelf:
- Billboard Music Awards: 7 wins.
- American Music Awards: 5 wins (including a big win for "Not Like Us" in 2025).
- Brit Awards: 1 win for International Male Solo Artist.
- NAACP Image Awards: 9 wins.
Why the 2025 Wins Mattered Most
If you look at the timeline, 2024 and 2025 were some of the most competitive years of Kendrick's career. The feud with Drake wasn't just about rap battles; it was about commercial and critical dominance.
By the time the dust settled, "Not Like Us" had become a global anthem. Winning Record of the Year at the 2025 Grammys was the final stamp of approval. It showed that Kendrick could play the "pop" game, hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and still maintain the lyrical integrity that won him a Pulitzer.
His album GNX, released later, solidified that he wasn't just riding a wave of controversy. He was still the best architect in the game.
Summary of the Heavy Hitters
To keep it simple, here is the "big board" of Kendrick's most significant wins as of today:
- Pulitzer Prize for Music: 1 (2018)
- Grammy Awards: 22 (from 57+ nominations)
- BET Hip Hop Awards: 37 (the most in history)
- BET Awards: 16
- MTV Video Music Awards: 12
- Primetime Emmy Awards: 2
- Billboard Music Awards: 7
- American Music Awards: 5
What to Watch Next
The story isn't over. Kendrick is currently headlining major tours and has teased more collaborative projects with pgLang. If you're looking to track his next move, keep an eye on the 2027 award cycle for any upcoming film scores or soundtrack work—that elusive Oscar is likely the next big target on his list.
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For fans wanting to dive deeper into the discography that earned these awards, starting with the "Pulitzer-winning" DAMN. or the "Grammy-sweeping" To Pimp a Butterfly provides the best context for why the industry is so obsessed with his work. You can also check the official Recording Academy website for a full breakdown of every single one of his 50+ nominations to see the sheer scale of his influence over the last decade.