Grammys 2026 predictions: Who will win, who should win and the Bad Bunny of it all

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Now that Beyoncé has finally won album of the year – an award many felt she deserved for a long time – the biggest names in music will come together Sunday night for the 68th Grammy Awards to see who will be honored and potentially cause a stir.

Kendrick Lamar is the frontrunner at this year’s awards with nine nominations. Lady Gaga, Cirkut, and Jack Antonoff each have seven, while Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, Leon Thomas, and Serban Ghenea all received six nominations. The show, hosted by Trevor Noah for the last time, will broadcast live on CBS from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Performers will include Sabrina Carpenter, Leon Thomas, Clipse, Pharrell Williams, Addison Rae, Alex Warren, Olivia Dean, and more.

I’m sharing my predictions for tonight’s awards, covering 13 categories, and also revealing who I think should win in each one.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Here’s a list of songs: Bad Bunny’s “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” Justin Bieber’s “Swag,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Man’s Best Friend,” Clipse’s “Let God Sort Em Out,” Lady Gaga’s “Mayhem,” Kendrick Lamar’s “GNX,” Leon Thomas’s “Mutt,” and Tyler, the Creator’s “Chromakopia.”

Most music industry experts believe the Grammy for Album of the Year will come down to Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, and Bad Bunny, none of whom have ever won this award. Both Lamar and Gaga have been nominated four times before, so they might benefit from voters feeling it’s finally their time to win – a sentiment that helped Beyoncé win after several previous losses. A win for Bad Bunny would be historic, marking the first time a Spanish-language album has taken the top prize, which could appeal to voters wanting to make a statement. However, the Grammys are known for occasionally surprising everyone with unexpected choices, like when Jon Batiste won over Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift a few years ago.

Will win: Kendrick Lamar, “GNX”
Should win: Bad Bunny, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos”

RECORD OF THE YEAR

Here’s a list of songs: “DTMF” by Bad Bunny, “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter, “Anxiety” by Doechii, “Wildflower” by Billie Eilish, “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga, “Luther” by Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA, “The Subway” by Chappell Roan, and “Apt.” by Rosé and Bruno Mars.

Bruno Mars is a strong contender in this category. If he and Rosé win for their song “Apt.” – the first K-pop song ever nominated for Record of the Year – he’ll be the only artist to win the award four times (he and Paul Simon currently have three wins each). However, Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s song “Luther,” which features samples from classic artists like Luther Vandross and Marvin Gaye, has the kind of broad appeal that Grammy voters often favor. Lamar is also coming off a win in this category last year with “Not Like Us.” Only a few artists – Billie Eilish, U2, and Roberta Flack – have won Record of the Year in two consecutive years.

Will win: Kendrick Lamar with SZA, “Luther”
Should win: Kendrick Lamar with SZA, “Luther”

Review

Chappell Roan was born to do this

Pop star Sabrina Carpenter, 27, kicked off two nights of shows in Pasadena on Friday with her Visions of Damsels & Other Dangerous Things tour.

SONG OF THE YEAR

Here’s a list of songs and their writers/performers: “Abracadabra” was written by Cirkut, Lady Gaga, and Andrew Watt, and performed by Lady Gaga. “Anxiety” was written and performed by Doechii. “Apt.” was a collaboration, written by Amy Allen, Brody Brown, Rogét Chayahed, Cirkut, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Rosé, and Theron Thomas, and performed by Rosé and Bruno Mars. “DTMF” was written by Bad Bunny, Marco Daniel Borrero, Scott Dittrich, Benjamin Falik, Hugo René Sención Sanabria, Tyler Spry and Roberto José Rosado Torres, and performed by Bad Bunny. “Golden” was written by Ejae and Mark Sonnenblick, and performed by Huntr/x. “Luther” features Kendrick Lamar with SZA and was written by Jack Antonoff, Roshwita Larisha Bacha, Matthew Bernard, Ink, Scott Bridgeway, Sam Dew, Kendrick Lamar, Sounwave, SZA and Kamasi Washington. Finally, “Manchild” was written by Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff and Sabrina Carpenter, and performed by Sabrina Carpenter, and “Wildflower” was written by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, and performed by Billie Eilish.

It’s common for the nominees for Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the Grammys to be very similar – the Record of the Year award recognizes artists and those behind the scenes, while Song of the Year honors the songwriters. This year, instead of Chappell Roan’s “The Subway,” “Golden,” a popular K-pop song from the Netflix show “KPop Demon Hunters,” is nominated. This could be a good sign for “Golden,” as it recently won a Golden Globe and is also up for an award at the Oscars. However, Billie Eilish and Bruno Mars are strong contenders too – no one has ever won this particular Grammy three times, and both have won it twice.

Will win: “Golden”
Should win: “Golden”

BEST NEW ARTIST

Olivia DeanKatseye The MaríasAddison RaeSombr Leon ThomasAlex Warren
Lola Young

Leon Thomas is the only nominee with a second chance at winning in a major category, highlighting his strong voter base. However, he’s up against tough competition from Olivia Dean, a rising English singer reminiscent of artists like Adele and Amy Winehouse. Dean’s popularity seemed to reach its height just as Grammy voters were submitting their choices. It’s also notable that women have won the Best New Artist award nine out of the last ten years.

Will win: Olivia Dean
Should win: Addison Rae

Music

Okay, so I was pretty surprised to see this, but Addison Rae – yeah, the one who had that song ‘Diet Pepsi’ – is up for Best New Artist at the Grammys next month! It’s definitely…a choice, but hey, good for her for getting nominated!

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM

Here’s a look at some recent song titles: Justin Bieber’s “Swag,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Man’s Best Friend,” Miley Cyrus’s “Something Beautiful,” Lady Gaga’s “Mayhem,” and Teddy Swims’s “I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2).”

Over the past ten years, only Ed Sheeran’s “÷” and Ariana Grande’s “Sweetener” have won this award without also being nominated for the top album prize, making Miley Cyrus and Teddy Swims unlikely winners. Of the remaining nominees, “Mayhem” currently seems like the most probable winner. However, following Tate McRae’s win last year with “Short n’ Sweet,” the artist could repeat the feat and become the first to win the Pop Vocal Album award two years in a row.

Will win: Lady Gaga, “Mayhem”
Should win: Lady Gaga, “Mayhem”

BEST RAP ALBUM

Here’s a list of songs: Clipse’s “Let God Sort Em Out,” GloRilla’s “Glorious,” JID’s “God Does Like Ugly,” Kendrick Lamar’s “GNX,” and Tyler, the Creator’s “Chromakopia.”

Kendrick Lamar has only lost this award once, and it was to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – a defeat many remember well. The inclusion of albums like Clipse’s “Let God Sort Em Out” and Tyler, the Creator’s “Chromakopia” among the nominees shows this year’s competition is particularly close. However, I still believe Kendrick will win.

Will win: Kendrick Lamar, “GNX”
Should win: Kendrick Lamar, “GNX”

Music

The country singer explained that his orchestral album, ‘Evangeline vs. the Machine,’ connects to his gospel-inspired performance at the Stagecoach festival this year.

BEST CONTEMPORARY COUNTRY ALBUM

Here’s a list of songs: “Patterns” by Kelsea Ballerini, “Snipe Hunter” by Tyler Childers, “Evangeline vs. the Machine” by Eric Church, “Beautifully Broken” by Jelly Roll, and “Postcards from Texas” by Miranda Lambert.

Following Beyoncé’s win in the country album category last year, the Grammy Awards have now created two separate awards: one for contemporary country and another for traditional country. The academy claims this change wasn’t related to criticism from the country music establishment regarding Beyoncé’s victory. This is Eric Church’s eleventh Grammy nomination, and he’s yet to win; his album, “Evangeline,” is a complex and thoughtfully crafted work that Grammy voters often appreciate.

Eric Church’s “Evangeline vs. the Machine” is both predicted to win and deserves to win.

BEST TRADITIONAL COUNTRY ALBUM

As a big fan of authentic, rootsy music, I’ve been really digging Charley Crockett’s “Dollar a Day” lately. It’s got this classic sound that reminds me of the greats. Speaking of which, Lukas Nelson’s “American Romance” is consistently fantastic, and you can’t go wrong with a Willie Nelson tune – “Oh What a Beautiful World” is just perfect. And for something with a bit more grit, Margo Price’s “Hard Headed Woman” always hits the spot. Finally, Zach Top’s “Ain’t in It for My Health” is a hidden gem I keep coming back to.

Lukas Nelson recently shared with me that he and his father, Willie, have a strong chance – about 40% – of winning in this category. Producer Shooter Jennings also has good odds, as he produced both Lukas Nelson’s “American Romance” and Charley Crockett’s “Dollar a Day” at the famous Sunset Sound studio in Hollywood.

Will win: Willie Nelson, “Oh What a Beautiful World”
Should win: Zach Top, “Ain’t in It for My Health”

Music

A 28-year-old British rock singer recently gained fame online for his tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, and is now touring to connect with fans in person.

BEST ROCK ALBUM

Here’s a list of songs: Deftones – “Private Music”, Haim – “I Quit”, Linkin Park – “From Zero”, Turnstile – “Never Enough”, and Yungblud – “Idols”.

It’s been 25 years since a woman or a band led by a woman – like Paramore – won a rock album award, which doesn’t bode well for Haim’s excellent but overlooked album, “I Quit.” The race for the award really seems to be between the reunited Linkin Park and Yungblud, who probably impressed many voters with his powerful cover of Black Sabbath’s “Changes” at Ozzy Osbourne’s 2025 farewell concert.

Will win: Yungblud, “Idols”
Should win: Haim, “I Quit”

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM

Okay, so I’ve been diving into some really interesting albums lately. Bon Iver’s “Sable, Fable” has this haunting, beautiful vibe. Then there’s The Cure, and their “Songs of a Lost World” just pulls you right in. I was surprised by how much I loved Tyler, the Creator’s “Don’t Tap the Glass” – it’s super creative. Wet Leg’s “Moisturizer” is just… delightfully quirky, and Hayley Williams’ “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party” is a total rollercoaster. Honestly, they’re all fantastic and completely different from each other – a really good mix!

Despite being incredibly influential, The Cure has never received a Grammy award, which many find baffling and suggests they likely won’t win one now. Recent Grammy wins for artists like Wet Leg and Bon Iver increased their chances, and Bon Iver’s potential retirement after this album could sway voters to recognize his whole body of work.

Will win: Bon Iver, “Sable, Fable”
Should win: Bon Iver, “Sable, Fable”

Music

Six artists nominated for Grammy Awards – including those who produce music, write songs, and are up for Best New Artist – came together to talk about feeling like a fraud, how they approach making music, and what it’s like becoming famous in 2025.

BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM

I’ve been listening to some incredible music lately! Laila Biali’s “Wintersongs” is beautiful, and Jennifer Hudson’s “The Gift of Love” really touched me. I also loved the collaboration between Elton John and Brandi Carlile on “Who Believes in Angels?” – such a powerful song! Lady Gaga’s “Harlequin” is surprisingly lovely, and Laufey’s “A Matter of Time” has been on repeat. Plus, I rediscovered Barbra Streisand’s “The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume 2” – a classic!

It’s hard to believe, but Barbra Streisand has lost this award an incredible 13 times! This year, she’s up against Lady Gaga, a two-time winner thanks to her collaborations with Tony Bennett, and Laufey, a rising star who blends jazz with a sound similar to Taylor Swift and has a very dedicated fanbase.

Will win: Lady Gaga, “Harlequin”
Should win: Laufey, “A Matter of Time”

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

Amy Allen Edgar BarreraJessie Jo DillonTobias Jesso Jr.
Laura Veltz

Both Amy Allen and Tobias Jesso Jr. have won this award before – it was first given out in 2023. They both had strong years recently, making them contenders again. However, Claudia Barrera’s collaborations with popular artists like Karol G, Shakira, and Juanes could also convince voters to choose her.

Will win: Amy Allen
Should win: Edgar Barrera

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

Dan AuerbachCirkutDijonBlake Mills
Sounwave

Jack Antonoff, despite producing two albums nominated for Album of the Year – “GNX” and “Man’s Best Friend” – wasn’t nominated for Producer of the Year, marking the second year he’s been overlooked. This might be because the nominating committee is trying to recognize a wider range of producers after Antonoff’s three previous wins. Cirkut leads with seven nominations, thanks to his work on “Mayhem” and “Apt.” However, Dijon’s innovative sound, showcased on Bieber’s “Swag” and his own album “Baby,” was particularly impressive.

Will win: Cirkut
Should win: Dijon

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2026-01-26 14:03