Five Nigerian Afrobeats stars have earned nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards.
The Recording Academy unveiled the nominees on Friday during a live broadcast monitored by PREMIUM TIMES.
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The awards ceremony is scheduled for 1 February 2026 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
It will air live on the CBS Television Network and stream on demand via Paramount+.
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This year’s edition also features two newly introduced categories: Best Traditional Country Album and Best Album Cover. These further demonstrate the Recording Academy’s commitment to recognising a wider range of artistic expression and the evolving ways music is created and experienced.
Nigeria’s Burna Boy, Davido, Omah Lay, Ayra Starr, and Wizkid all secured nominations.
Burna Boy received two nods, Best African Music Performance for “Love” and Best Global Music Album for “No Sign of Weakness.”
In the Best African Music Performance category, Davido’s “With You” featuring Omah Lay, “Gimme Dat” by Ayra Starr featuring Wizkid, “Hope & Love” by Eddy Kenzo featuring Mehran Matin, and “PUSH 2 START” by Tyla were also nominated.
This places Davido, Burna Boy, Omah Lay, Ayra Starr, Wizkid, Tyla, Eddy Kenzo, and Mehran Matin in direct competition for the award.
In the Best Global Music Album category, Burna Boy faces competition from Youssou N’Dour (Eclairer le Monde – Light the World), Siddhant Bhatia (Sounds of Kumbha), Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethânia (Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo), Anoushka Shankar (Chapter III: We Return to Light), and Shakti (Mind Explosion [50th Anniversary Tour Live]).
Kendrick Lamar leads this year’s nominations with nine nods. At the same time, Lady Gaga follows with seven, making her the most-nominated female artiste for 2026 and earning her fifth Album of the Year nomination for MAYHEM.
See the complete list below:
Album of the Year
Bad Bunny – DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
Justin Bieber – Swag
Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend
Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out
Lady Gaga – Mayhem
Kendrick Lamar – GNX
Leon Thomas – Mutt
Tyler, the Creator – Chromakopia
Record of the Year
Bad Bunny – “DtMF”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
Doechii – “Anxiety”
Billie Eilish – “Wildflower”
Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”
Kendrick Lamar with SZA – “Luther”
Chappell Roan – “The Subway”
Rosé and Bruno Mars – “APT.”
Song of the Year
Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”
Doechii – “Anxiety”
Rosé and Bruno Mars – “APT.”
“DtMF” – Bad Bunny
Huntr/x/x (Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami) – “Golden” (from KPop Demon Hunters)
Kendrick Lamar with SZA – “Luther”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
Billie Eilish – “Wildflower”
Best African Music Performance
Burna Boy – “Love”
Davido Featuring Omah Lay – “With You”
Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin – “Hope & Love”
Ayra Starr featuring Wizkid – “Gimme Dat”
Tyla – “Push 2 Start”
Best Global Music Performance
Bad Bunny – “EoO”
Ciro Hurtado – “Cantando en el Camino”
Angélique Kidjo – “Jerusalema”
Yeisy Rojas – “Inmigrante Y Que?”
Shakti – “Shrini’s Dream” (Live)
Anoushka Shankar featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar – “Daybreak”
Best New Artist
Olivia Dean
KATSEYE
The Marias
Addison Rae
Sombr
Leon Thomas
Alex Warren
Lola Young
Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical
Amy Allen
Edgar Barrera
Jessie Jo Dillon
Tobias Jesso Jr.
Laura Veltz
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Dan Auerbach
Cirkut
Dijon
Blake Mills
Sounwave
Best Pop Solo Performance
Justin Bieber – “Daisies”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
Lady Gaga – “Disease”
Chappell Roan – “The Subway”
Lola Young – “Messy”
Best Pop Vocal Album
Justin Bieber – Swag
Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend
Miley Cyrus – Something Beautiful
Lady Gaga – Mayhem
Teddy Swims – I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2)
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande – “Defying Gravity”
Huntr/x (Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami) – “Golden”
KATSEYE – “Gabriela”
Rosé and Bruno Mars – “APT.”
SZA with Kendrick Lamar – “30 for 30”
Best Dance Pop Recording
Selena Gomez & benny blanco – “Bluest Flame”
Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”
Zara Larsson – “Midnight Sun”
Tate McRae – “Just Keep Watching”
PinkPantheress – “Illegal”
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Laila Biali – Wintersongs
Jennifer Hudson – The Gift Of Love
Elton John & Brandi Carlile – Who Believes In Angels?
Lady Gaga – Harlequin
Laufey – A Matter Of Time
Barbra Streisand – The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume 2
Best Dance Electronic Album
FKA twigs – Eusexua
Fred again.. – Ten Days
PinkPantheress – Fancy That
Rüfüs Du Sol – Inhale / Exhale
Skrillex – Fuck U Skrillex You Think Ur Andy Warhol But Ur Not!! <3
Best Dance/Electronic Recording
Disclosure & Anderson Paak – “No Cap”
Fred again.., Skepta, & PlaqueBoyMax – “Victory Lap”
Kaytranada – “Space Invader”
Skrillex – “Voltage”
Tame Impala – “End of Summer”
Best Rock Album
Deftones – Private Music
Haim – I Quit
Linkin Park – From Zero
Turnstile – Never Enough
Yungblud – Idols
Best Rock Song
Nine Inch Nails – “As Alive As You Need Me To Be”
Sleep Token – “Caramel
Hayley Williams – “Glum”
Turnstile – “Never Enough”
Yungblud – “Zombie”
Best Metal Performance
Dream Theater – “Night Terror”
Ghost – “Lachryma”
Sleep Token – “Emergence”
Spiritbox – “Soft Spine”
Turnstile – “Birds”
Best Rock Performance
Amyl and The Sniffers – “U Should Not Be Doing That”
Linkin Park – “The Emptiness Machine”
Turnstile – “Never Enough”
Hayley Williams – “Mirtazapine”
Yungblud featuring Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman, II – “Changes” (Live From Villa Park, Back To The Beginning)
Best Alternative Music Performance
Bon Iver – “Everything Is Peaceful Love”
The Cure – “Alone”
Turnstile – “Seein’ Stars”
Wet Leg – “Mangetout”
Hayley Williams – “Parachute”
Best Alternative Music Album
Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE
The Cure – Songs Of A Lost World
Tyler, The Creator – Don’t Tap the Glass
Wet Leg – Moisturizer
Hayley Williams – Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party
Best R&B Album
Givēon – Beloved
Coco Jones – Why Not More?
Ledisi – The Crown
Teyana Taylor – Escape Room
Leon Thomas – Mutt
Best R&B Song
Kehlani – “Folded”
Summer Walker – “Heart Of A Woman”
Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller – “It Depends”
Durand Bernarr – “Overqualified”
Leon Thomas – “Yes It Is”
Best R&B Performance
Justin Bieber – “Yukon”
Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller – “It Depends”
Kehlani – “Folded”
Leon Thomas – “Mutt” (Live From NPR’s Tiny Desk)
Summer Walker – “Heart Of A Woman”
Best Traditional R&B Performance
Durand Bernarr – “Here We Are”
Lalah Hathaway – “Uptown”
Ledisi – “Love You Too”
SZA – “Crybaby”
Leon Thomas – “Vibes Don’t Lie”
Best Progressive R&B Album
Durand Bernarr – Bloom
Bilal – Adjust Brightness
Destin Conrad – Love on Digital
Flo – Access All Areas
Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon – Come As You Are
Best Spoken Word Poetry Album
Queen Sheba – A Hurricane in Heels: healed people don’t act like that (partially recorded live @City Winery & other places)
Marc Marcel – Black Shaman
Omari Hardwick & Anthony Hamilton – Pages
Saul Williams, Carlos Niño & Friends – Saul Williams meets Carlos Niño & Friends At Treepeople
Mad Skillz – Words For Days Vol. 1
Best Rap Album
Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out
GloRilla – Glorious
JID – God Does Like Ugly
Kendrick Lamar – GNX
Tyler, The Creator – Chromakopia
Best Rap Song
Doechii – “Anxiety”
Clipse featuring John Legend and Voices of Fire – “The Birds Don’t Sing”
Tyler, The Creator featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red, and Lil Wayne – “Sticky”
GloRilla – “TGIF”
Kendrick Lamar featuring Lefty Gunplay – “TV Off”
Best Melodic Rap Performance
Fridayy featuring Meek Mill – “Proud Of Me”
JID featuring Ty Dolla $ign & 6Lack – “Wholeheartedly”
Kendrick Lamar with SZA – “Luther”
Terrace Martin and Kenyon Dixon featuring Rapsody – “WeMaj”
PartyNextDoor and Drake – “Somebody Loves Me”
Best Rap Performance
Cardi B – “Outside”
Clipse featuring Kendrick Lamar and Pharrell Williams – “Chains & Whips”
Doechii – “Anxiety”
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