Grammy Awards: Kendrick Lamar tops nominations with nine as he dominates major categories, Drake earns only one

Kendrick Lamar is once again making waves at the Grammy Awards, leaving Drake trailing behind with just a single nomination. The 2026 Grammy nominations highlight Lamar’s continued dominance in the music industry, recognizing his work more than any other artist this year.

The trend shows no signs of slowing, with Kendrick Lamar continuing his winning streak at this year’s Grammys, while Drake, alongside Weeknd, faces what many are calling a surprising snub. As Kendrick climbs to the top of the most-nominated list, Drake finds himself near the bottom.

The 38-year-old rapper leads the pack with nine nominations, including three of the biggest categories: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year. Most of these nods stem from his chart-topping album GNX and its hit single Luther. Kendrick’s performance of Luther with SZA also lands him a nomination in the Best Melodic Rap Performance category, the same category in which Drake is nominated for his collaboration Somebody Loves Me with PartyNextDoor.

The rivalry between Kendrick and Drake

The 2026 Grammy Awards could mark the first face-to-face encounter between Kendrick Lamar and Drake since their rivalry reignited last year with the release of Not Like Us. Their feud originally began in August 2013, when Kendrick called out Drake in a verse on Big Sean’s track Control.

In the verse, he mentioned Drake alongside other artists such as J. Cole and Meek Mill, adding, "I got love for you all, but I'm trying to murder you."

Drake addressed the diss in a Billboard interview, saying, “I didn’t really have anything to say about it. It just sounded like an ambitious thought to me, that’s all. I know good and well that [Lamar]’s not murdering me, at all, in any platform. So when that day presents itself, I guess we can revisit the topic.”

Despite the tension, the two previously maintained a positive working relationship, collaborating on Drake’s 2011 album Take Care, and Kendrick even served as the opening act for Drake’s Club Paradise tour.

The 2026 Grammy Awards are scheduled to be held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, promising another star-studded evening of music, accolades, and perhaps more sparks between the two chart-topping artists.