Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Kendrick Lamar won Best Rap Album for GNX at the 2026 Grammy Awards on Sunday night, extending his remarkable Grammy dominance just one year after sweeping Music’s Biggest Night with “Not Like Us.”
The win marks Lamar’s 17th Grammy Award overall and continues a historic run that has seen him nominated for nine awards tonight—more than any other artist at the 2026 ceremony. GNX beat out strong competition including Tyler, the Creator’s CHROMAKOPIA, Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out, GloRilla’s GLORIOUS, and JID’s God Does Like Ugly.
GNX has already made Grammy history as Lamar’s fifth consecutive studio album to be nominated for Album of the Year—a feat no other solo artist has achieved. The surprise-release album, which dropped in November 2024 without warning, features the hit single “luther” with SZA and showcases Lamar’s continued evolution as one of hip-hop’s most important voices.
The album was produced primarily by Sounwave, who served as lead producer, with Jack Antonoff coming aboard as co-producer. Sounwave previously told Rolling Stone that he knew the album was complete when he cried: “If I don’t shed a tear by the last second of the album, it is not ready. Once that last second of the last song stopped, 6 a.m. in the morning, I shed a tear.”
Lamar dominated the 2025 Grammy Awards with “Not Like Us,” winning both Record of the Year and Song of the Year for the Drake diss track that became a cultural phenomenon. Tonight’s Best Rap Album win demonstrates that his Grammy success extends beyond viral moments to recognition of complete artistic projects.
GNX remains in contention for Album of the Year, which would make Lamar the first solo male rapper to ever win the category. The album is also nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “luther” featuring SZA, giving Lamar multiple opportunities to add to his trophy count as the night continues.
With nine nominations total, Lamar’s night is far from over. Beyond the major categories, he’s also nominated in Best Rap Performance (twice), Best Rap Song, and Best Melodic Rap Performance. “luther,” his collaboration with SZA that samples Luther Vandross, has emerged as one of the night’s most nominated tracks.
The Best Rap Album category showcased hip-hop’s strength at this year’s Grammys, with three of the nominated albums—GNX, CHROMAKOPIA, and Let God Sort Em Out—also nominated for Album of the Year. It’s the first time in Grammy history that three albums have been nominated for both Best Rap Album and Album of the Year simultaneously.
Lamar’s win caps off another dominant year for the Compton rapper, whose influence on hip-hop and popular culture continues to grow with each release. Whether GNX can convert its Album of the Year nomination into a win—making Lamar the first solo male rapper to achieve that honor—remains to be seen as the 2026 Grammy Awards continue.
SOURCE: forbes.com