“We have artists creating complex narratives who are doubling down on musicianship and legacy. That’s the overall theme this year, and I strongly leaned in to the legacy of it all.” (From left: Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, and Kendrick Lamar.)
Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Getty Images
There’s a turf war going down at the Grammy Awards that hasn’t necessarily been as pronounced until now. As one anonymous voter — who’s in their second year as a member of the Recording Academy — puts it, it’s fueled by the inevitable evolution of how music is being discovered and consumed, which often takes the form of video crudité. “There are two sides,” the voter explains. “We’re looking at the ‘virality artists’ who are intentionally creating TikTok hits, making songs to go viral, and are very catchy with the algorithm and meant for that type of platform. The 15-second hooks, if you will.” The opposing side upholds a weightier industry standard, at least for this voter. “We have artists creating complex narratives, like Kendrick Lamar and Billie Eilish, who are doubling down on musicianship and legacy,” they say. “That’s the overall theme this year, and I strongly leaned in to the legacy side.”
Lamar, who leads the 2026 Grammy-nominations list with nine noms, is closely followed by Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, Clipse, and Lady Gaga, all of whom hope to take home some brass and triumph like Steely Dan did in 2001. (It airs this Sunday on CBS.) So, whose chances might rank higher than the others? And shouldn’t we have fun and speculate more often? While it wasn’t tenable, time-wise, to go through every single Grammy category — even our Rock Hall ballot chats tend to exceed an hour, and that shortlist rarely surpasses 15 names — the anonymous voter was happy to go through the categories that always tend to be televised and provide the rationale for their selections. “When I talk to my fellow friends and colleagues who have voting privileges, everyone is so jaded about everything,” they explain. “I still have some romanticism with it. But check back with me in five years.”
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, Bad Bunny
SWAG, Justin Bieber
Man’s Best Friend, Sabrina Carpenter
Let God Sort Em Out, Clipse
MAYHEM, Lady Gaga
GNX, Kendrick Lamar
MUTT, Leon Thomas
CHROMAKOPIA, Tyler, the Creator
I voted for Kendrick Lamar’s GNX. It’s a master class in narrative tension. He’s one of the most unique artists in music history. I can’t find any parallels. He didn’t just release an album — he created a cultural document and the production of the album is uncompromising. It’s a high-definition sonic tour of Los Angeles that feels like a cross between a victory lap and a film. The sound is built on a heavy, dense rhythm. The narrative is about navigating the fallout of a very public rap battle that everyone was talking about. But instead of staying in the mud, he’s using it as building a monument to his own legacy. And because of that, he’s inspiring us to also be above the fray and look at the bigger pictures in our own lives. It didn’t beg for radio play, but it still dominated the year. To me, that’s pretty badass.
“DtMF,” Bad Bunny
“Manchild,” Sabrina Carpenter
“Anxiety,” Doechii
“WILDFLOWER,” Billie Eilish
“Abracadabra,” Lady Gaga
“luther,” Kendrick Lamar and SZA
“The Subway,” Chappell Roan
“APT.,” ROSÉ and Bruno Mars
I care about the breath in a recording. I really love the space between the notes. I picked Billie Eilish for that reason. The more you listen to it, it’s a high-fidelity miracle. The dynamic range from a whisper to a wall of sound is impressive. Record of the Year is all about engineering and performance, and “WILDFLOWER” exemplifies exactly that. It was a photo finish, though. As you may have already realized, I’ve become a big fan of Kendrick Lamar. I came close to voting for “luther” because of its beautiful groove.
“Abracadabra,” Lady Gaga
“Anxiety,” Doechii
“APT.,” ROSÉ, Bruno Mars
“DtMF,” Bad Bunny
“Golden,” EJAE and Mark Sonnenblick
“luther,” Kendrick Lamar and SZA
“Manchild,” Sabrina Carpenter
“WILDFLOWER,” Billie Eilish
I apply what I call “the Bluebird Cafe test” to this category. If you strip a song down to a single acoustic guitar in a little room in Nashville, and it still haunts you, then it gets the vote. I think about timeless, simple, and devastating writing that doesn’t rely on production. So I went with Billie Eilish again. “WILDFLOWER” is just that good. It relies on a melody that feels like it has existed forever. I’m a little resistant to what’s been happening in the industry with the hooks and all that, so I’m careful to protect those who are keeping the vanguard alive.
I did, admittedly, think to myself why Sabrina Carpenter was nominated. I may get banned from a lot of cities with this comment, but seriously, why was “Manchild” there? It has sharp lyrics and is conversational, but I don’t think it has a sound structure. It’s not a song we’ll be talking about in 40 years. But we’ll still be talking about “WILDFLOWER” in 40 years.
Olivia Dean
KATSEYE
The Marias
Addison Rae
Sombr
Leon Thomas
Alex Warren
Lola Young
This is an exciting selection of nominees. Someone like Lola Young reminds me of an early Amy Winehouse — she’s a pure, unfiltered talent who sounds phenomenal. But I ended up voting for Leon Thomas. He’s an architect. For those that may not know much about him, he’s a seasoned musician who has been a secret weapon in the studio for people like Ariana Grande for years. This past year he finally stepped into his own. A lot of people in the industry are excited for him because it’s a boost for the longevity of the craft over the fleeting nature of the viral moment.
But it begs the question: How does one define a “new” artist? It boils down to three things for me. The first is, I vote for the person who has done the work or who has worked behind the scenes for some time. Chappell Roan, last year’s winner, was the perfect example. She didn’t come out of nowhere. She had a beautiful narrative. Secondly, I like a hero’s journey coming from a down to an up. The artist has to have a lightning bolt, a cultural impact, who shifted the energy of the year. Lastly, who’s building the aesthetic condition for music — a sound that didn’t exist before? I feel like Leon was the only one who accomplished all three.
“DAISIES,” Justin Bieber
“Manchild,” Sabrina Carpenter
“Disease,” Lady Gaga
“The Subway,” Chappell Roan
“Messy,” Lola Young
Lady Gaga. This is Gaga returning to her vocal-powerhouse roots, which is the Gaga we all fell in love with. It’s gritty, it’s dark, and it’s kind of a legacy reminder that she can still out-sing almost anyone in the room when she decides to go there. I considered Chappell Roan, just for the vocal range she displayed with “The Subway.” We all know about it — it’s raw, it’s camp, and it’s technically impressive. But Lady Gaga deserves some hardware for the great year she’s had. This was it.
“Defying Gravity,” Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
“Golden,” HUNTR/X
“Gabriela,” KATSEYE
“APT.,” ROSÉ and Bruno Mars
“30 For 30,” SZA and Kendrick Lamar
This was a harder category than I anticipated. I decided to go with ROSÉ and Bruno Mars. It’s a masterpiece of pop architecture. It’s a rare kind of hit that’s infectious and technically impeccable on a global scale. Bruno Mars is a Grammy darling, but it’s for a reason. He knows how to fuse that vintage sound with modern vocals. There was a point I was leaning toward HUNTR/X, because of the K-pop sound structure and how it exposed so many new listeners to the genre. I think they could actually win the category, but “APT.” edged it out for me. When it comes to a good duo, I always think of that “third voice” — the vocal blend. When two distinct voices come together, do they create a new, unique texture and something we haven’t heard before? Does it seem like they’re reacting to each other in real time?
A great duet feels like a dialogue, like when one artist’s phrasing influences the other’s response. Spontaneity is also essential to me. That spontaneous-session energy captured in the recording. Does it sound like people were just sending a Dropbox file back and forth, or does it sound like they were in the room trading smiles and catching that lighting in a bottle? ROSÉ and Bruno nailed it for all of those reasons.
SWAG, Justin Bieber
Man’s Best Friend, Sabrina Carpenter
Something Beautiful, Miley Cyrus
MAYHEM, Lady Gaga
I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2), Teddy Swims
The majority of these albums were heavy-hitting reinventions. They had total-package cohesion, branding, and production. That’s what ultimately guided me to vote for Lady Gaga. Not to say that her previous chapters didn’t impress me, but this took me back to that Lady Gaga when I was in high school and college, dancing to those freaky first hit singles. The album is a perfect ten for theatrical pop. She’s never chasing a trend. She took full ownership as a producer and songwriter, and she created a chaotic and cohesive world in an America where pop can often feel sanitized or kind of bland. She brought back that high-art spectacle.
I’ll also give Justin Bieber a shout-out. Mad respect to what he did with SWAG. He stripped away the machine and made a soulful, R&B-leaning record that proved the Justin Bieber of 2026 is completely different from anything people may think they know about him.
Private Music, Deftones
I Quit, Haim
From Zero, Linkin Park
NEVER ENOUGH, Turnstile
Idols, Yungblud
I voted for Deftones because I’m sticking to my principles of rewarding high-fidelity standards. I mean, this is their tenth album. They’re an established rock act. But they managed to do something impossible, which is becoming a viral sensation for a new generation without losing a shred of the dark industrial aura that they’ve always had. Private Music is an atmospheric, punishing, and beautifully produced album. They kept their principles in 2026. Now did I almost vote for Turnstile? Did I basically have to flip a coin? I sure did. They’re the most important band in rock right now. They’re bringing a community back to the genre. They’re headlining Bonnaroo. I think one year from now we could be talking about a stadium act. But Deftones took it for me just on the vanguard side.
Patterns, Kelsea Ballerini
Snipe Hunter, Tyler Childers
Evangeline vs. the Machine, Eric Church
Beautifully Broken, Jelly Roll
Postcards From Texas, Miranda Lambert
I’m happy there’s now a contemporary category because, obviously, there was a lot of drama last year with Beyoncé. But I also think that the genres are evolving, and it’s great to see them represented with different generations. It makes sense to separate “contemporary” from “traditional.” This vote was actually an easy one. It was Tyler Childers. He came from Kentucky about ten years ago and has been on a steady rise to the top. He commands the mainstream, but he’s also completely untethered by it and by the natural machinery by Music Row. He’s kind of a lyrical genius. He started with bluegrass and he’s already reinvented his sound a bunch of times. With Snipe Hunter, he took his Appalachian roots and funky Kentucky lyricism and put it into high-end, experimental production. He’s already at the top of country music, but he’s going to continue to keep rising.
EUSEXUA, FKA Twigs
Ten Days, Fred Again
Fancy That, PinkPantheress
Inhale / Exhale, RÜFÜS DU SOL
F*CK U SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!! , Skrillex
Full disclosure, this category isn’t my forte, but I put the work into learning all about these five artists. Just in my music adventures of the past couple of years, I’ve found myself side-stage and enjoying the music of Fred Again. I’ve seen the power that he wields live. Ten Days, his full dance album, is more beautiful than I could have imagined. Each one of the songs is a specific vignette. You go in there expecting that it’s going to be full of crazy party tracks, but each one is a quiet conversation that slowly turns into anthems — it was a nice collection of ten cinematic and vulnerable pieces. Coupled with how I’ve seen how he moves tens of thousands of people at his shows? He got my vote.
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