As the 2026 Grammy Awards draw near, music enthusiasts and industry insiders are eagerly speculating about which artists will secure the most prestigious honors on this grand musical occasion. The 68th Annual Grammy Awards, scheduled for February 1, 2026, in Los Angeles, will be hosted by the charismatic Trevor Noah, celebrating exceptional accomplishments across a wide array of musical genres. This year's competition is exceptionally fierce, featuring a mix of international icons and emerging stars vying for accolades in categories spanning from Album of the Year to Best New Artist and many more.
Grammy Awards 2026 Predictions for Key Categories
Album of the Year
Front-runner: Bad Bunny
Strong challenger: Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga
Record of the Year
Front-runner: Kendrick Lamar & SZA
Strong challenger: Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish
Song of the Year
Front-runner: Golden
Strong challenger: Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Kendrick & SZA
Best New Artist
Front-runner: Olivia Dean
Strong challenger: Leon Thomas, Sombr
Pop Solo Performance
Front-runner: Sabrina Carpenter — 'Manchild'
Strong challenger: Lady Gaga — 'Disease' or Justin Bieber — 'Daisies'
Pop Vocal Album
Front-runner: Lady Gaga — “Mayhem”
Strong challenger: Sabrina Carpenter — “Man’s Best Friend”
Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Front-runner: Elton John & Brandi Carlile — “Who Believes in Angels?”
Strong challenger: Laufey — “A Matter of Time”
Pop Duo/Group Performance
Front-runner: Rosé & Bruno Mars — “APT.”
Strong challenger: KPop Demon Hunters — “Golden”
Visual Media Song
Front-runner: “Golden” — “KPop Demon Hunters”
Strong challenger: “I Lied to You” — “Sinners”
Visual Media Compilation
Front-runner: 'KPop Demon Hunters'
Strong challenger: 'Wicked', 'F1'
Musical Theater Album
Front-runner: 'Maybe Happy Ending'
Strong challenger: 'Death Becomes Her'
Music Film
Front-runner: “Music by John Williams”
Strong challenger: “Raye: Live at the Royal Albert Hall”
Music Video
Front-runner: Doechii — 'Anxiety'
Strong challenger: Sabrina Carpenter — 'Manchild'
Latin Pop Album
Front-runner: Karol G — “Tropicoqueta”
Strong challenger: Natalia Lafourcade — “Cancionera”
Country Album
Front-runner: Kelsea Ballerini — “Patterns”
Strong challenger: Tyler Childers — “Snipe Hunter”
Rap Album
Front-runner: Kendrick Lamar — “GNX”
Strong challenger: Tyler, the Creator — “Chromakopia”
Progressive R&B Album
Front-runner: FLO — “Access All Areas”
Strong challenger: Durand Bernarr — “Bloom”
R&B Album
Front-runner: Leon Thomas — “MUTT”
Strong challenger: Teyana Taylor — “Escape Room”
Rock Album
Front-runner: Deftones — “Private Music”
Strong challenger: Yungblud — “Idols”
Best Album Cover
Front-runner: “Debí Tirar Más Fotos”
Strong challenger: “Chromakopia”
Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical
Front-runner: Amy Allen
Strong challenger: Tobias Jesso Jr.
Overall, the predictions for this year's Grammy Awards highlight the remarkable diversity present in today's music landscape, reflecting the increasing global impact of various musical styles and artistic voices. While categories such as Album of the Year and the General Field—which encompasses Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist—typically attract the most spotlight, the complete roster of awards acknowledges outstanding contributions in an extensive range of areas, including musical theatre, Latin Pop, visual media song, and music film.
With prominent favorites like Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Olivia Dean, and Sabrina Carpenter at the forefront of the competition, the 2026 Grammy Awards are poised to deliver an enthralling exhibition of musical excellence and innovation.
