With the 68th Annual Grammy Awards set to take place on Feb. 1, 2026, nominations for the awards were announced on Nov. 7, 2025. It has sparked various reactions worldwide, and viewers eagerly anticipate the results.
The Grammy Awards, one of the most significant music award shows, honors the best artists, recordings, and compositions each year. It recognizes achievements from a wide range of genres and is hosted by the Recording Academy. Awards are given across many categories, such as pop, rock, and jazz.
For this event, several changes and eligibility rules have been updated; the Best Traditional Country Album and Best Album Cover were just introduced, totaling 95 categories.
“I’m really excited about next year’s awards, because I think the new categories showcase much more diverse techniques and artists,” said freshman Ashley Ye.
Kendrick Lamar is the leading nominee in Album, Record, and Song of the Year with nine nominations, followed by Lady Gaga, Cirkut, and Jack Antonoff with seven. Other top artists include Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Bunny, Doechii, and Justin Bieber. Their accomplishments are mainly due to factors like commercial success, a critically acclaimed and long career, and a consistent output of quality music that appeals to many people. On the other hand, some argue that different artists should be in the spotlight, like Sombr or Raven Lenae.
“I couldn’t believe that Sombr was only given one nomination. ‘Back to Friends’ broke so many records, and I hear people streaming it all the time. I honestly think that it deserved to be displayed more,” said freshman Howard Lang.
This year marks a historic step forward in celebrating music apart from U.S.-centric styles. K-pop has been widely featured, with Rosé receiving multiple nominations and the fictional group HUNTR/X from Netflix’s best-selling film “K-pop Demon Hunters” being nominated for their song “Golden.” These developments signify K-pop’s global reach and lessen the criticism the Grammys have faced for their previous partiality towards Western pop.
“I had a great time watching ‘K-pop Demon Hunters,’ and I’m incredibly happy to see that ‘Golden’ is representing the movie at the Grammys. I listen to it all the time, and for a band that doesn’t even exist in real life, this is truly extraordinary,” said sophomore Cindy Moe.
In all, the 2026 Grammy Nominations are much different from the ceremonies in the past. They reflect a streaming, globalized music evolution in which international artists are given opportunities to compete. The final choices of the Recording Academy Voting Members and other professionals will demonstrate whether this shift is for the better, and many intently await the decisions to be made in February.
