Grammys 2026: Predicted Nominees, New Categories & Ceremony Changes

The 2026 Grammys: A Reset Year for the Recording Academy

The 68th Grammy Awards will air in February 2027, covering the eligibility period from September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2026. The ceremony arrives after a sweeping set of reforms from the Recording Academy, including three new categories, a restructured Best Album field, and tighter conflict-of-interest rules for voters.

The telecast will return to Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles with Trevor Noah returning as host for the third consecutive year.

The New Categories

The Recording Academy's board approved three new competitive categories:

1. Best Alternative Music Album — splitting from Best Rock Album, which has been a frequent complaint from artists and labels.
2. Best Spoken Word Poetry Album — separating poetry from audiobooks and political speech.
3. Best Global Music Performance — distinguishing individual songs from full albums in the global music field.

The Academy also confirmed the merger of the previously split Best Pop Vocal Album categories into a single Best Pop Album field, ending the contested "Pop vs. Contemporary Pop" division that has drawn criticism for years.

Predicted Nominees in the Big Four

Based on chart performance, critical reception, and Recording Academy voting trends, here are the current predicted nominees:

Album of the Year

Record of the Year

• "Honey On The Stage" — Taylor Swift
• "Luther" — Kendrick Lamar ft. SZA
• "Espresso" — Sabrina Carpenter
• "Birds of a Feather" — Billie Eilish
• "Die With A Smile" — Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
• "DtMF" — Bad Bunny

Song of the Year (Songwriting)

• "Luther" — Kendrick Lamar
• "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" — Shaboozey
• "Birds of a Feather" — Billie Eilish
• "Die With A Smile" — Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
• "Fortnight" — Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone
• "Espresso" — Sabrina Carpenter

Best New Artist

• Chappell Roan
• Shaboozey
• Tommy Richman
• Benson Boone
• Teddy Swims
• RAYE

The Big Storylines

Beyoncé and the Country Grammys

Beyoncé's *Cowboy Carter* won Album of the Year at the 2025 Grammys, becoming the first Black woman to win in the country-focused category. For 2026, she is expected to dominate the country and Americana fields with the rumored *Cowboy Carter (Act II)*, which industry insiders say will lean further into rock and folk.

Taylor Swift's Awards Sweep Bid

*Midnights* and *1989 (Taylor's Version)* have each set modern Grammy records. *The Life of a Showgirl* is poised to do the same, though the Album of the Year field is unusually competitive this cycle.

The Latin Music Wave

Bad Bunny, Karol G, Peso Pluma, and Rauw Alejandro are all expected to land multiple nominations. The Recording Academy's expansion of the global categories is widely seen as a direct response to streaming data showing Latin music as the fastest-growing genre in the United States.

Voting Reforms That Matter

In April 2026, the Recording Academy implemented the most significant voting reforms in a decade:

• A 10,000-vote threshold for nomination in any of the Big Four categories (down from a previously internal cap).
• Mandatory disclosure of label relationships for voters.
• A new "early nomination review" window to prevent bloc voting.
• Expanded membership invitations to 3,000 new voters, the largest single expansion in Academy history.

The reforms aim to address recurring complaints about bloc voting in the country and hip-hop fields, and to broaden the membership beyond its older, more traditionalist skew.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are the 2026 Grammys?
February 1, 2027, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, airing live on CBS.

When are the nominations announced?
November 7, 2026.

What is the eligibility period?
September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2026.

Who is favored to win Album of the Year?
Taylor Swift's *The Life of a Showgirl* is the current favorite, with Beyoncé as the closest challenger.

What are the new categories?
Best Alternative Music Album, Best Spoken Word Poetry Album, and Best Global Music Performance.