Liputan6.com, Jakarta - The world's most prestigious music awards ceremony, the Grammy Awards, will return in 2026.
This 68th edition is set to deliver a star-studded evening and recognize the best music released during the eligibility period.
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The 68th Annual Grammy Awards are scheduled to take place on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
This will be the final time the ceremony will be held at this iconic venue after 23 years of consistent hosting.
The eligibility period for the 2026 Grammy Awards covers recordings, compositions, and artists whose work was released between August 31, 2024, and August 30, 2025.
2026 Grammy Awards Schedule and Location
The 2026 Grammy Awards will be a historic moment for the global music industry.
With the ceremony taking place on February 1, 2026, all eyes will be on the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, which will witness the presentation of these prestigious awards.
This event also marks the end of Crypto.com Arena's reign as the main Grammy venue, having hosted the ceremony for over two decades.
Music released between August 31, 2024, and August 30, 2025, is eligible for nomination.
Furthermore, the nominations will be announced on Friday, November 7, 2025, via a live stream on the Grammy website and the Recording Academy YouTube channel.
A number of renowned artists helped announce the nominations, including Angélique Kidjo, Brandi Carlile, CeCe Winans, Chappell Roan, David Foster, Doechii, Gayle King, Jon Batiste, Karol G, Little Big Town, Lizzo, Masaki Koike, Mumford & Sons, Nicole Scherzinger, Sabrina Carpenter, and Sam Smith, adding to the excitement of the momentous occasion.
Grammy Awards 2026 Hottest Nominations
The competition at the 2026 Grammy Awards is predicted to be fierce, with several big names leading the nominations list.
Kendrick Lamar leads the pack with nine nominations.
Lady Gaga, Cirkut, and Jack Antonoff are also equally impressive with seven nominations each.
Meanwhile, Bad Bunny, Leon Thomas, and Sabrina Carpenter also put in impressive performances with six nominations each.Here are some of the top nominees for the most prestigious categories:
- Record of the Year: "DtMF" – Bad Bunny; "Manchild" – Sabrina Carpenter; "Anxiety" – Doechii; "Abracadabra" – Lady Gaga; "luther" – Kendrick Lamar with SZA; "The Subway" – Chappell Roan; "APT." – ROSÉ & Bruno Mars; "WILDFLOWER" – Billie Eilish.
- Album of the Year: "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS" – Bad Bunny; "SWAG" – Justin Bieber; "Man's Best Friend" – Sabrina Carpenter; "Let God Sort Em Out" – Clipse, Pusha T & Malice; "MAYHEM" – Lady Gaga; "GNX" – Kendrick Lamar; "MUTT" – Leon Thomas; "Chromakopia" – Tyler, the Creator.
- Song of the Year: "Abracadabra" – Lady Gaga, Henry Walter & Andrew Watt; "Anxiety" – Jaylah Hickmon; "APT." – Amy Allen, Christopher Brody Brown, Rogét Chahayed, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Chae Young Park, Theron Thomas & Henry Walter; "DtMF" – Marco Daniel Borrero, Scott Dittrich, Benjamin Falik, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio.
- Best New Artist: Olivia Dean; KATSEYE; The Marías; Addison Rae; sombr; Leon Thomas; Alex Warren; Lola Young.
Transparent Nomination and Voting Process
Integrity and transparency are key to every awards ceremony, including the 2026 Grammy Awards.
The voting process is divided into two crucial rounds.
The first round took place from October 3 to 15, 2025, in which Recording Academy members cast their votes to select the top nominees in various categories.
The final round of voting will take place from December 12, 2025, to January 5, 2026.
A significant innovation was introduced at this year's Grammys: ballots will be presented in random order, rather than alphabetically as before.
The ceremony will be broadcast live on CBS and streamed on Paramount+ for viewers in the United States.
Rule Changes and New Categories at the 2026 Grammy Awards
The Recording Academy continues to strive to reflect the evolving dynamics of the music industry.
On June 12, 2025, several significant changes to the categories and eligibility rules were announced for the 2026 Grammy Awards.
The primary goal of these changes is to better represent the music community and recognize a wider range of creators, ensuring the awards remain relevant and inclusive.
The two new categories introduced are Best Traditional Country Album and Best Album Cover.
Additionally, the Best Country Album category was renamed Best Contemporary Country Album.
The Best Recording Package and Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package categories were also recombined into a single category, Best Recording Package.
Artists who previously appeared on recordings nominated for Album of the Year are now eligible for Best New Artist, provided their contribution to the album is 20 percent or less.
Composers and lyricists/librettists are also now eligible for Grammy recognition in certain categories in the Classical Field.
The maximum number of lead vocalists who can be honored in the Best Musical Theater Album category was increased from four to six, and eligibility for Best Recording Package, Best Album Covers, and Best Historical Album was expanded to include all physical packages sold directly from the artist or label's website.