Kendrick Lamar breaks record as rapper at Grammy 2026
Los Angeles, February 2
Rapper Kendrick Lamar now holds the title of the most awarded rapper at the Grammys, reported The Hollywood Reporter.
The 'Luther' rapper shattered the record previously set by Jay-Z at the 2026 Grammy Awards. The 'Empire State of Mind' rapper has 25; Lamar now has 26 Grammys under his belt with the Grammy unfolding later in the night.
During the non-televised Grammys premiere ceremony, Lamar won three awards, including rap performance (for "Chains & Whips," which he was a featured artist on); melodic rap performance (for "Luther" with SZA); and rap song ("tv off"). During the main 2026 Grammys telecast, his first win came in the rap album category, tied to his 2024 record GNX, reported The Hollywood Reporter.
Best rap album was the first Grammy given out during the main show, meaning Lamar still has time to collect a few more wins in notable categories, including record, song and album of the year.
Heading into Sunday night's awards ceremony, Lamar was the most-nominated artist, with nine nominations in most of the major categories. The "Not Like Us" rapper notably has a whopping 66 Grammy nominations across his entire career, reported The Hollywood Reporter.
Trevor Noah returned as host for his sixth consecutive (and final) year.
The 2026 Grammys are produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy. Ben Winston, Raj Kapoor, Jesse Collins and Noah are executive producers.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great to see talent recognized, but I do wish the Grammys would look beyond the same established names more often. So many incredible underground and international artists, including from India's own hip-hop scene, never get a look in.
Wow, 26 Grammys! That's some legacy. Respect to Jay-Z as well for holding the record for so long. The fact that an Indian-origin producer, Raj Kapoor, is an executive producer for the show is also a proud moment for us. ✨
His collaboration with SZA was beautiful. It's interesting how global music is becoming. Our own Indian rappers like Divine and MC Stan are making waves, maybe one day they'll be on that stage too. A girl can dream!
66 nominations is insane! That itself shows the consistent quality of his work over the years. True legend status. Trevor Noah hosting for the last time will be missed, he always brought a great vibe.
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