Kendrick Lamar Could Set These Records at 2026 Grammys

Kendrick Lamar had a big night at the 2025 Grammys on Feb. 2, winning in all five categories he was nominated in with his smash single and video “Not Like Us.”  Next year's Grammys could be another big one for Lamar. He could become the first solo male rapper to win album of the year, for his sixth solo studio album, GNX.  OutKast and Lauryn Hill are the only rap artists to have won in that category since OutKast won in 2003 for Speakerboxxx/The Love Below in 1999. If Lamar wins three Grammys, he would tie Jay-Z for the most career Grammys won by a rapper (25).  If he wins four, he’ll set a new record (unless Jay also adds to his Grammy collection).  The standings among rappers are currently: Jay-Z (25), Ye, formerly Kanye West (24) and Lamar (22).

 We mentioned in a previous post that if Lamar wins record and/or song of the year for "Luther" or "Squabble Up," following his victories in those categories with "Not Like Us," he will set a new record. He would become the fourth artist to win back-to-back awards for record of the year, following Roberta Flack, U2 and Billie Eilish, and just the second songwriter to win back-to-back awards for song of the year.  D’ Mile won in 2021 for co-writing H.E.R.’s “I Can’t Breathe” and in 2022 for co-writing Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open.”

 If Lamar wins for best rap performance, he would win for the eighth time, making him the artist with the most wins in that category. However, Lamar has the potential to make history even before the Grammy Awards are presented next year. If GNX is simply nominated for album of the year – which seems almost certain – Lamar would make Grammy history.  He would set these records.  (The years shown are the years of the Grammy ceremonies.)

 First Rapper to Land Five Album of the Year Nods as a Lead Artist

 Lamar was nominated for album of the year for good kid. m.A.A.d. city (2014), To Pimp a Butterfly (2016), DAMN.(2018) and Mr.  The Big Steppers and Morale (2023). If he is nominated for a fifth time, he would pull ahead of Ye, who has received four album of the year nods as a lead artist – for The College Dropout (2005), Late Registration (2006), Graduation (2008) and Donda (2022).

 First Black Male Artist to Land Five Album of the Year Nods as a Lead Artist

 If he is nominated for a fifth time, he would become only the second Black artist to receive five album of the year nods as a lead artist.  Beyoncé was nominated for I Am…Sasha Fierce (2010), Beyoncé (2015), Lemonade (2017), Renaissance (2023) and Cowboy Carter (2025), winning for the latter album.  This would obviously make Lamar the first Black male artist to achieve this feat.

 As noted, Ye has received four album of the year nods as a lead artist.  Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, H.E.R., and André 3000 (counting two albums with OutKast) are among the Black or biracial artists who have received three lead artist nominations for albums of the year. With five consecutive studio albums, he became the first solo artist to be nominated for Album of the Year. With five studio albums in a row, Lamar became the first solo artist from any genre to be nominated for album of the year. Donald Fagen was nominated for album of the year with five consecutive studio albums — but that combined solo albums and albums he recorded as half of Steely Dan.  He was nominated with Steely Dan’s Aja (1978) and Gaucho (1982), then his first two solo albums, The Nightfly (1983) and Kamikiriad (1994), and finally Steely Dan’s Two Against Nature (2001), which won.  He issued no other studio albums in those years, so these five nominated albums were consecutive releases.

 We need to quickly add that album release patterns were very different in the 1960s.  Artists frequently released multiple albums in a single year. In that era, it’s best to look at consecutive years with an album of the year nomination instead of consecutive studio albums to be nominated.

 The Beatles are the only performer in Grammy history to be nominated for album of the year five times in a row. They were selected to receive the Help! soundtrack from 1966; Revolver from 1967; and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (which won in 1968), the soundtrack to Magical Mystery Tour (1969), and Abbey Road For the past four years, Barbra Streisand has been up for album of the year nominations. She was a contender for The Barbra Streisand Album (1964, which won), People (1965), My Name Is Barbra (1966) and Color Me Barbra (1967).  People competed in 1965 with the original cast album from Streisand’s Broadway triumph, Funny Girl.  (The composers of the score received that nomination.)