It’s that time of year where each discipline of entertainment holds their respective awards ceremonies, and today we’ll be covering the famed Grammy Awards! Although some people might be hoping to see Taylor Swift make an appearance in this article, she is not nominated this year because The Life of a Showgirl was released after the entry window, meaning she will be eligible for next year’s award ceremony. Today, we’ll be looking at my predictions for the Grammy Awards, which will be hosted on February 1st, 2026. Without further ado, let’s get into the picks!

Record of the Year

Nominees:

DtMF – Bad Bunny

Manchild – Sabrina Carpenter

Anxiety – Doechii

WILDFLOWER – Billie Eilish

Abracadabra – Lady Gaga

luther – Kendrick Lamar with SZA

The Subway – Chappell Roan

APT. – ROSÉ, Bruno Mars

This is quite a selection of records, and I could personally see them all winning—aside from “APT.” and “The Subway,” because neither record comes close to their artists’ best work. Even though Doechii’s “Anxiety” became her most popular record, I’ve always found the production to be lackluster because of the reuse of the Gotye instrumental. Ultimately, I’m most drawn to Kendrick Lamar’s “luther,” or Bad Bunny’s “DtMF,” as both have layered compositions and a heartfelt importance to their respective artists. While both records have impressive commercial success as well, I’m leaning towards Kendrick on this one.

My Pick: luther – Kendrick Lamar with SZA

I feel that Kendrick Lamar has always been one to prove his diversity as an artist, and his recent set of collabs with SZA just affirmed this aspect of his work. The R&B centric track “luther” honors the great Luther Vandross with a healthy sample inspiring the melody through different points in the song. With this added cosmic weight from the legend, the intertwining and melodious vocals from SZA, and the fact that the Academy has recently favored Kendrick Lamar in past ceremonies (spoiler alert, I’m predicting similar dominance from Kendrick this year), it would make sense for the Academy to give Lamar the top honor this year.

Album of the Year

Nominees:

DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS – Bad Bunny

SWAG – Justin Bieber

Man’s Best Friend – Sabrina Carpenter

Let God Sort Em Out – Clipse, Pusha T & Malice

MAYHEM – Lady Gaga

GNX – Kendrick Lamar

MUTT – Leon Thomas

CHROMAKOPIA – Tyler, the Creator

Similar to the previous category, this year’s Album of the Year has very strong entries. While enjoyable to listen to, Lady Gaga and Sabrina Carpenter’s records personally are less interesting pop LPs, as both lack some of the pop innovation that was present in their artists’ past albums. Though if the award were to go in the pop direction, Lady Gaga would definitely win out of the two. Despite all of SWAG’s highs, the most enjoyable songs are generally near the beginning of the record, making the back half a more tedious listen. This inconsistency leads me to value the album less as a whole, despite the major hits of “DAISIES” and “YUKON.” I personally love Tyler’s CHROMAKOPIA, as it conceptually and musically displays all of his growth throughout the years as an artist. However, for me it did not make the cultural influence the way an Album of the Year typically does. Additionally, Clipse’s record was a fantastic listen. While I could potentially see it winning, it probably does not have enough commercial success to be recognized by the Academy this year. Once again, I’m in between Lamar and Bad Bunny: GNX and DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS. An important aspect to note is that if the Bad Bunny album was chosen as the winner, it would be the first LP entirely in a non-English language to win this award.

My Pick: DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS – Bad Bunny

While DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS amassed a huge amount of popularity, the project’s core is a love letter to home. Bad Bunny crosses a variety of styles within this project, and it feels like each song was composed with his early life at the forefront of his mind. Additionally, Bad Bunny is set to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show just a week after the ceremony, which, if picked, would ensure the academy is selecting a relevant winner. Personally, Benito’s melodies and reggaeton beats blend so seamlessly that I was just shocked the first time I listened to the hit single “DtMF.”

Despite my selection of this album, I want to shout out GNX as an incredibly close second in my mind. I have a special connection to Lamar’s album, as it was the first record that allowed me to begin to appreciate Rap and Hip Hop music. Kendrick reportedly created between 80 and 100 songs for the 12-track project, so it was evident to the listener that the album was a labor of love for Lamar.

Song of the Year

I’d like to point out that this is a different category from the Record of the Year, as it honors the songwriter rather than the artist.

Nominees:

Abracadabra – Lady Gaga

Anxiety – Doechii

APT. – ROSÉ, Bruno Mars

DtMF – Bad Bunny

Golden — From KPop Demon Hunters – HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI

luther – Kendrick Lamar with SZA

Manchild – Sabrina Carpenter

WILDFLOWER – Billie Eilish

The majority of songs here are the same as the ones on the Record of the Year list, aside from one track: “Golden.” Despite the relentless overexposure we’ve all had to this song, it is impossible to deny the cultural impact the film and this song in particular had on pop culture. One question I’ve always struggled with is: “Is it possible to enjoy an overplayed song?” Whatever your answer may be, KPop Demon Hunters is a success story that the Academy has been known to love, so I could see the award going to them. Aside from that, we’re left with the same options as the first category—and I think you might be able to guess which record I’m picking from that field.

My Pick: luther – Kendrick Lamar with SZA

I might just be displaying my personal bias towards Kendrick, but I truly think that “luther” feels fresh to my ears every time I listen to it. Specifically for the songwriter aspect to this award, the strings and drums create such excellent swells of emotion at different points in the track that it’s impossible not to nod your head. The composition of this piece is masterful, from the integration of the Vandross sample to the underlying guitar. Despite all of the accolades I’ve given to Lamar so far, Golden should also be taken seriously when it comes to this award, as the sheer reach of HUNTR/X far surpassed anyone’s first expectations.

Best New Artist:

Nominees:

Olivia Dean

KATSEYE

The Marias

Addison Rae

sombr

Leon Thomas

Alex Warren

Lola Young

Many of these new artists have been propelled to fame through social media, and their hold on commercial music is evident. Olivia Dean, sombr, and Alex Warren still have singles in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 List. Additionally, Leon Thomas and KATSEYE have records just outside the top ten. It also could be useful to note that of these new artists, Leon Thomas is the only one with a nomination for one of the other main awards.

My pick: Olivia Dean

Out of the new artists, I found Olivia Dean’s soul-influenced pop to be the most innovative, and truly expanded her reach with the single “Man I Need,” which still presides near the top of charts today. Additionally, the emotion from the artfully composed beats on her new album combined with her sly vocals helped her create her own artistic voice. Because of her general innovation in the field of pop, I felt most attached to her. In close second would be Leon Thomas and sombr, who also have made many contributions to the music industry this past year and equally influenced their own sub-genres.

No matter who wins the most awards or who gets snubbed, the Grammys are always a fun event that celebrates all of the impressive new music from the past year, so as a music lover, I’m just excited to appreciate all of the advancements made in music this year!