Grammys 2026: Kendrick Lamar Breaks Jay-Z's Record, Makes History As Most-Awarded Rapper

Kendrick Lamar has officially become the most awarded hip-hop artist in Grammy history. Not Like Us rapper won best rap album for “GNX,” best rap song for “TV Off,” melodic rap performance for “Luther,” and rap performance for his feature on Clipse’s “Chains & Whips” at the 68th Grammy Awards. These wins took his total to 26 Grammys. He breaks Jay-Z’s record of 25 awards, and Kanye West follows with 24. Lamar could extend his record further, as major categories such as song of the year, record of the year, and album of the year are yet to be announced.

Lamar went into the night with 22 Grammy wins and 57 nominations. He was nominated for nine Grammys this year, including for album of the year, song of the year and record of the year. He was the third-most awarded rapper prior to Sunday’s 68th annual fete, and he won three awards before the live telecast on CBS.

Last year, Lamar dominated the Grammys with his hit single “Not Like Us”, a diss track aimed at Drake, and won five awards in one night. He has also claimed the Best Rap Album award three times for “To Pimp a Butterfly” (2016), “DAMN.” (2018), and “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers” (2023). His 2012 breakout album, “good kid, m.A.A.d city”, lost to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “The Heist”, which sparked heavy criticism and led Macklemore to send a message admitting, “You got robbed.”

Hollywood’s biggest music night returns with the 68th Grammy Awards on February 1 (ET). The Grammys rank among Hollywood’s top three award ceremonies, alongside the Academy Awards and the Tonys. Viewers around the world can watch the ceremony live on multiple streaming platforms. In India, the Grammy Awards 2026 will stream on Jio Hotstar, as with several other major Hollywood events.