The 68th Annual Grammy Awards unfolded on February 1, 2026, inside Crypto.com Arena, with the ceremony broadcast on CBS and available to stream on Paramount+. Rather than centering the night around a single dominant trend, the show leaned into the reality of how popular music now circulates: across borders, languages, and scenes that no longer sit neatly inside traditional genre lines.
That perspective came into sharp focus at the end of the broadcast. Album of the Year was awarded to Debí Tirar Más Fotos by Bad Bunny, making it the first Spanish-language album ever to claim the Grammys’ top prize. The acceptance speech, delivered mostly in Spanish, framed the project as a message to people who leave familiar places behind in order to build something new. The significance of the moment went beyond the history-making headline, signaling that the Academy’s most prestigious category is finally reflecting a global pop landscape that has been evident on charts and playlists for years.
The rest of the general field echoed that shift. Record of the Year went to “Luther,” a collaboration between Kendrick Lamar and SZA that drew attention both for its musical construction and for the lineage behind its sampled elements. The announcement itself became one of the night’s lighter moments after Cher briefly lost her place before confirming the winner. Song of the Year was awarded to “Wildflower” by Billie Eilish, reinforcing her standing as a songwriter whose work resonates at both a commercial and compositional level. Best New Artist went to Olivia Dean, a surprise result that immediately repositioned her as one of the ceremony’s breakout stories.
Performance segments carried much of the show’s momentum. The broadcast favored large-scale, visually ambitious sets and artist pairings that emphasized crossover appeal rather than strict genre separation. A tribute honoring Ozzy Osbourne, led by Post Malone, embodied that approach by merging classic rock legacy with contemporary pop-rap sensibilities. The emphasis throughout was on connection and continuity rather than nostalgia.
Across the genre awards, the results avoided sweeping dominance by any single artist or sound. Rap categories reflected how central collaborations and producer-driven networks have become to the genre’s mainstream identity. Rock and alternative awards favored music that felt grounded in live performance and physical energy, while pop categories balanced established names with newer artists whose appeal is rooted in distinct visual and sonic identities.
Taken together, the 2026 Grammys read less like a definitive judgment and more like a snapshot of an industry in motion. With a landmark Album of the Year win, high-profile collaborative victories, and outcomes that mixed expectation with surprise, the ceremony suggested an awards institution continuing—sometimes gradually, sometimes decisively—to adjust its definition of what popular music looks and sounds like now.
Winners only
Song of the Year
Billie Eilish – Wildflower
Record of the Year
Kendrick Lamar feat. SZA – Luther
Album of the Year
Bad Bunny – Debí Tirar Más Fotos
Best New Artist
Olivia Dean
Best Pop Vocal Album
Lady Gaga – Mayhem
Best Pop Solo Performance
Lola Young – Messy
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande – Defying Gravity
Best Dance/Electronic Recording
Tame Impala – End of Summer
Best Dance/Electronic Album
FKA twigs – Eusexua
Best Dance Pop Recording
Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Laufey – A Matter of Time
Best Latin Pop Album
Natalia Lafourcade – Cancionera
Best Música Urbana Album
Bad Bunny – Debí Tirar Más Fotos
Best Rock Performance
Yungblud feat. Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman & II – Changes (Live From Villa Park) Back to the Beginning
Best Rock Song
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – As Alive as You Need Me to Be
Best Rock Album
Turnstile – Never Enough
Best Alternative Music Album
The Cure – Songs of a Lost World
Best Alternative Music Performance
The Cure – Alone
Best Metal Performance
Turnstile – Birds
Best Rap Performance
Clipse, Pusha T & Malice feat. Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams – Chains & Whips
Best Melodic Rap Performance
Kendrick Lamar with SZA – Luther
Best Rap Song
Kendrick Lamar feat. Lefty Gunplay – TV Off
Best Rap Album
Kendrick Lamar – GNX
Best Country Solo Performance
Chris Stapleton – Bad As I Used to Be
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
Shaboozey & Jelly Roll – Amen
Best Country Song
Tyler Childers – Bitin’ List
Best Contemporary Country Album
Jelly Roll – Beautifully Broken
Best R&B Performance
Kehlani – Folded
Best R&B Song
Kehlani – Folded
Best R&B Album
Leon Thomas – Mutt
Best African Music Performance
Tyla – Push 2 Start
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Cirkut
Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical
Amy Allen
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