GRAMMYs 2026: What’s to be expected at this year’s most important night in the music industry
The GRAMMYs 2026 are near! At least almost. Although the actual awards will be given out on February 1st, 2026, next week, on November 7th, 2025, music fans will get the first taste of the annual award show with the nominees for the upcoming GRAMMY Awards being announced.
Established in 1959, the GRAMMYs are considered the highest achievement in the music industry, making it a spectacle and one of the most important nights for musicians, writers, and composers.
As a pop music enthusiast myself, you will find my predictions for the nominees as well as possible wins in the GRAMMYs’ big four categories for the upcoming ceremony in 2026.
Album of the Year
Perhaps the most important award given out at the ceremony is the “Album of the Year” trophy. Last year (as always), it was no easy decision, as a huge variety of highly anticipated albums were released during the eligibility period from GRAMMY darlings such as Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish. Simultaneously, artists such as Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX, and Chappell Roan all had big moments in music and pop culture themselves. In the end, however, it was none other than Beyoncé who took the trophy home with her most recent record "COWBOY CARTER", the second act of her trilogy project following her highly successful album "RENAISSANCE". It marked her first “Album of the Year” in her career and further extended her record as the artist with the most GRAMMY Awards — she now has 35.
Compared to last year, this year has been much quieter regarding new projects. And although the self-titled “Monster on the Hill,” Taylor Swift, did release her record-breaking twelfth studio album "The Life of a Showgirl" this year, she won’t be considered at the 2026 GRAMMYs ceremony, as the release happened after this year’s deadline. This year’s eligibility period was between August 31, 2024 - August 30, 2025.
Man’s Best Friend – Sabrina Carpenter
With the eligibility period being within reach, last year’s GRAMMY winner Sabrina Carpenter released her seventh studio album "Man’s Best Friend" on August 29th, 2025, therefore making her newest project eligible for the upcoming ceremony. Her previous album "Short n’ Sweet" earned Carpenter her first two GRAMMY Awards just at the beginning of the year, and "Man’s Best Friend" might even add another one for “Album of the Year.” A nomination in the biggest category of the night? Very likely. With hits such as "Tears", "Nobody’s Son"(which she just performed on SNL), or album highlight "House Tour", Sabrina once again mixed great beats with fun and playful lyrics like "Do you want the house tour? We can take it to the first, second third floor [...] but never enter through the backdoor." — which are all totally not metaphoric, right?
Hurry Up Tomorrow – The Weeknd
Who would’ve thought that Abel Tesfaye (the artist known as The Weeknd) would make a comeback to the GRAMMYs last year? Back in 2020, Tesfaye announced that he would boycott the GRAMMYs due to a lack of transparency (and after receiving zero nominations for his wildly successful project "After Hours"). His surprise performance last year was kept under wraps until he hit the stage. The voting body being revamped over the last five years, after being criticized for years before, might be one reason The Weeknd decided to come back. With his latest album "Hurry Up Tomorrow", the singer finished yet another trilogy project — another album very likely to be nominated for AOTY this year.
MAYHEM – Lady Gaga
After releasing "MAYHEM" at the beginning of the year, it quickly became a career highlight for Lady Gaga. The closing song "Die With A Smile" was so successful that it already earned itself a GRAMMY for “Best Pop Duo/Group Performance” at last year’s ceremony. Other highlights on this album include "Vanish Into You", "Garden of Eden", and "Perfect Celebrity". Additionally, Gaga headlined this year’s Coachella with a show, which has now made its way onto stages all over the world as the singer is currently on tour. Another career highlight for Gaga? Her free MAYHEM concert at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro drew an estimated 2.5 million attendees, making it the highest-attended concert held by a female artist of all time. It seems like she is unstoppable — let’s see if that continues at the 2026 GRAMMYs.
Song of the Year
Every year, while watching the GRAMMYs (or even the nominations), there always seems to be some sort of confusion regarding the two major categories “Song of the Year” and “Record of the Year.” What really helps one understand the difference (and never forget it) is in the name itself. While the award for “Record of the Year” honors the recording of a song — therefore recognizing the artist, producers, engineers, and mixers — “Song of the Year” focuses on the composition of a song, thus honoring and recognizing the songwriters.
WILDFLOWER – Billie Eilish
You might be thinking: “Wait, wasn’t the album already nominated last year?” And yes, it was! However, as Billie Eilish did not take any GRAMMYs for her album "HIT ME HARD AND SOFT", and "WILDFLOWER" was released as an official single within this year’s eligibility period, it can be nominated this year.
twilight zone – Ariana Grande
In between the two Wicked movies, Ariana Grande released the deluxe version of her critically acclaimed album "eternal sunshine", titled "eternal sunshine: brighter days ahead", at the beginning of the year. Six additional songs were added, including "twilight zone", which was included in Grande’s VMA-winning short film.
Messy – Lola Young
The UK artist Lola Young got her first #1 in her home country this year with her hit song "Messy". Not only the song, but she herself was everywhere this year: concerts, festivals, interviews — gig after gig. The catchy earworm defined 2025 like almost no other song. As an artist, it can all be a lot, which is why Young decided to take a break after a medical incident that took place at one of her concerts. We wish Lola all the best and hope that she gets the rest she deserves.
Record of the Year
ABRACADABRA – Lady Gaga
Surprisingly debuting the song with its music video during a commercial break at last year’s GRAMMYs, Lady Gaga took the internet and charts by storm with her smash hit "Abracadabra" — a return to form. Whether the visually pleasing music video or the catchy hook, this song was a must-have on everyone’s playlist this year, as well as on the “Record of the Year” nominations list for the upcoming GRAMMY Awards.
Manchild – Sabrina Carpenter
Speaking of catchy hooks: not even a year after dropping her highly successful and critically acclaimed album "Short n’ Sweet", the 5-foot singer decided to make the album title reality by starting a new album cycle with "Manchild" as a lead single in June 2025. Earning herself another #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, this song instantly became a summer hit and possibly a nomination for Sabrina Carpenter at this year’s GRAMMYs for “Record of the Year.”
That’s So True – Gracie Abrams
Will this year be the one where Gracie Abrams wins her first-ever GRAMMY? After being nominated for “Best New Artist” as well as “Best Pop Duo/Group Performance” for "us." with superstar Taylor Swift, the singer released her career-defining hit "That’s So True" with the deluxe version of her album "The Secret of Us" last year. With a bridge that invites one to just scream along, this song quickly became a fan favorite and a likely contender in this category.
Best New Artist
One of the most interesting and competitive categories last year was “Best New Artist.” Nominees such as Benson Boone, Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, RAYE, Chappell Roan, or Shaboozey all had unique breakout moments and a huge impact on the industry. Midwest-Princess Chappell Roan was able to take home her first-ever GRAMMY and, at the same time, continued the streak as the seventh woman in a row to win “Best New Artist.” However, she was not the only one of last year’s BNA nominees to take home an award. Doechii was awarded for her mixtape "Alligator Bites Never Heal" in the category “Best Rap Album,” and Sabrina Carpenter was crowned as the winner in “Best Pop Vocal Album” as well as “Best Pop Solo Performance” for her album "Short n’ Sweet" and smash hit "Espresso".
1. Addison Rae
This year, Addison Rae proved: she is here to stay. Her self-titled debut album "Addison" as well as her ongoing tour show her great artistic vision. With her songs "Diet Pepsi", "Headphones On", and "Fame is a Gun", she cemented herself on people’s playlists this year — and possibly on this year’s “Best New Artist” nominations list.
2. sombr
A very likely contender to break the female-winning streak for “Best New Artist” at the GRAMMYs might be sombr. And if not, there will at least (very likely) be a nomination for the 20-year-old. Whether it’s stealing fans’ hearts with his quirky personality or his relatable heartbreak songs like "back to friends" or "we never dated" from his debut album "I Barely Know Her", sombr really made a name for himself this year.
3. Audrey Hobert
After writing songs (like "That’s So True") with GRAMMY nominee Gracie Abrams for years, Audrey Hobert released her own album "Who’s the Clown?" this year. It is certainly one of the most interesting and cohesive projects of the year, containing songs such as "Sue Me" or "Thirst Trap", which perfectly show how Audrey has already found her artistic identity. One should definitely keep an eye and ear open for her and what’s to come.
As nominations are out November 7th, 2025 make sure make your own predictions and to tune in to see how many nominees you guessed right!
WRITTEN BY
Andy
(Live) music is one of my biggest passions, which is why I enjoy exploring pop culture in my writings. From analyzing albums to reviewing concerts. I'm especially interested in fandom culture, which often comes through in my work.
