LOS ANGELES: The 2026 Grammy Awards concluded in the early hours of Monday, with American rapper Kendrick Lamar emerging as the night’s biggest winner after clinching five awards, including Record of the Year for his collaboration with SZA, Luther.
While Kendrick dominated overall wins, the major categories were spread across several artistes. Bad Bunny secured Album of the Year with Debí Tirar Más Fotos, Billie Eilish won Song of the Year for Wildflower, while Olivia Dean was named Best New Artist.
The Recording Academy presented awards across 95 categories, most of which were announced during the pre-telecast premiere ceremony ahead of the main televised event.
Nigerian artistes ended the ceremony without a win. Burna Boy lost nominations in the Best African Music Performance and Best Global Music Album categories, while Davido, Ayra Starr, Wizkid and Omah Lay also missed out in the African music category.
The Best African Music Performance award went to South African star Tyla for Push 2 Start, marking her second win in the category after her previous victory with Water when the award was first introduced.
Major Category Winners
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Record of the Year: Luther — Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA
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Album of the Year: Debí Tirar Más Fotos — Bad Bunny
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Song of the Year: Wildflower — Billie Eilish
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Best New Artist: Olivia Dean
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Best Rap Album: GNX — Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar also picked up awards for Best Rap Song, Best Melodic Rap Performance, and featured in the Best Rap Performance winner, further cementing his dominance at the ceremony.
Other Notable Winners
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Best Pop Vocal Album: Mayhem — Lady Gaga
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Best Global Music Performance: EoO — Bad Bunny
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Best R&B Album: Mutt — Leon Thomas
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Best Dance/Electronic Recording: End of Summer — Tame Impala
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Best Reggae Album: BLXXD & FYAH — Keznamdi
In the gospel and Christian music categories, CeCe Winans, Israel & New Breed, and The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir recorded major wins, while Amy Allen claimed Songwriter of the Year (Non-Classical).
Unlike previous editions dominated by a single act, the 2026 Grammys reflected a broad spread of winners across genres, with pop, rap, global music, gospel and classical artistes all enjoying moments of recognition.
Despite the strong presence of African and Nigerian nominees, the night ultimately underscored the competitive nature of the awards, as Nigeria’s top stars fell short in their respective categories.
