Grammys 2026: Kendrick Lamar dethrones Jay-Z to become the most awarded rapper at the Grammy Awards; wins best Rap Album of the Year

Apart from winning Rap Album of the Year, Kendrick also took home Best Rap Song for his ‘TV Off’ from the same album, Best Melodic Rap Performance for ‘Luther’ with SZA, and Best Rap Performance for his feature in the song ‘Chains and Whips’ by hip-hop duo Clipse. This brings his total to 26, just one more than the Brooklyn rapper Jay and two more than Kanye West. More awards are yet to be announced, and Kendrick might end up piling on to that tally.

ALSO READ:  Grammys 2026: Yungblud poses with Sharon Osbourne; Sabrina Carpenter and Lady Gaga steal the show

Kendrick usually keeps his acceptance speeches short and precise, using the platform to give a shout-out to his heroes and the whole genre itself. While receiving the Best Rap Album award, Kendrick said, “It is hip-hop as usual, man. I’m not good at talking about myself, but I express it through the music. It’s an honour to be here. … Hip-hop is going to always be right here. We are going to be in these suits, looking good, having our folks with us. We are going to be having the culture with us. So I appreciate you all. God is to glory. Love you all.”

The ‘Damn’ rapper is continuing his dream run at the Grammy Awards and now has a total of 66 nominations. Last year, his track ‘Not Like Us’, which was a diss track pointed at Drake, won in 5 categories. He has won Best Rap Album in the past for To Pimp A Butterfly (2016), Damn (2018), and Mr Morale and the Big Steppers (2023). Even before getting the Grammy, GNX got mostly positive reviews from critics. While the win isn’t a big surprise, many expected Clipse to take home Best Rap Album for Let God Sort Em’ Out. ‘ Other nominees included Tyler, the Creator for Chromakopia, JID for God Does Like Ugly, and GloRilla for Glorious.