The official nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards have been announced, promising a memorable ceremony. The Recording Academy revealed nominees across 95 categories during a live broadcast on Friday, November 7. A lineup of former Grammy winners and special guests, including Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Doechii, Karol G, Lizzo, Sam Smith, and Mumford & Sons, presented the list.
This year’s awards introduce two new categories: Best Album Cover and Best Traditional Country Album. The Best Album Cover category aims to recognize excellence in visual art for album covers across all genres. It specifically honors the art directors who shape a record’s visual narrative and vision.
The Best Traditional Country Album category will acknowledge works adhering to classic country sound structures. This includes instrumentation featuring fiddles, banjos, and mandolins.
The existing Best Country Album category has been renamed Best Contemporary Country Album. This change sparked discussion earlier in the year. Some fans speculated the split was a response to Beyoncé’s 2025 Best Country Album win.
However, Shelly Maree, awards manager at the Recording Academy, stated the change has been in development for three years. In a Monday, November 3 interview with MusicRow, Maree explained that artists expressed a desire for categories that better reflected their work. She indicated that creators and voting members initiated these changes.
Latin artists received significant recognition across numerous categories. Bad Bunny earned nominations for Record of the Year and Song of the Year with "DTMF." His album Debà Tirar Más Fotos is nominated for Album of the Year, Best Música Urbana Album, and Best Album Cover.
Karol G’s Tropicoqueta is nominated for Best Latin Pop Album. Other nominees in this category include Rauw Alejandro, Natalia Lafourcade, and Alejandro Sanz. J Balvin, Feid, Nicki Nicole, Trueno, and Yandel are recognized in the Best Música Urbana Album category.
Edgar Barrera is nominated for Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical. Several artists are also nominated in Latin jazz, rock, and tropical categories, showcasing a broad spectrum of talent.
Overall, the nominations feature a mix of established global stars and rising artists. Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Kendrick Lamar, and Billie Eilish also secured multiple nominations in major categories.
The 2026 Grammy Awards ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, February 1, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Viewers can watch the broadcast live on CBS and Paramount+.