Grammy 2026: Olivia Dean, Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga claim early wins

Olivia Dean, Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga each claimed early Grammy wins on Sunday as music’s biggest night got under way in Los Angeles, with dozens of awards handed out ahead of the televised ceremony.

Lamar surged into an early lead with three trophies in the rap categories, while Lady Gaga won best dance pop recording and Bad Bunny picked up a gramophone for best global music performance.

All three artists are vying to make history by winning Album of the Year for the first time.

British singer-songwriter Olivia Dean won the Grammy for best new artist, marking a major milestone in her rising career. Known for her soulful voice, Dean gained acclaim with her sophomore album The Art of Loving, featuring tracks like Man I Need and So Easy (To Fall In Love).

She beat out nominees including KATSEYE, The Marías, Addison Rae and Leon Thomas, joining a prestigious list of past winners such as The Beatles, Adele and Lauryn Hill. The award recognises performers who achieve a “breakthrough into the public consciousness,” and eligibility rules have been updated this year to allow more emerging artists to compete.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper entered the night with nine nominations — the most of any artist — driven by the success of his album GNX.

The 38-year-old California native, who won five Grammys last year for his hit diss track Not Like Us, is also nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year for Luther, featuring R&B singer SZA.

Lady Gaga and Puerto Rico’s Bad Bunny are also competing across all three top categories.

Other Album of the Year nominees include pop star Sabrina Carpenter, R&B singer-songwriter Leon Thomas, Tyler, the Creator, hip-hop duo Clipse (Pusha T and Malice), and pop superstar Justin Bieber, nominated for his first studio album in four years.

Lady Gaga, Bieber, Carpenter and Bruno Mars are set to lead a glittering line-up of performers, alongside Lauryn Hill and a tribute to late rocker Ozzy Osbourne featuring Post Malone.

Most of the Grammys’ 95 awards are handed out during a pre-gala ceremony before the main broadcast.

Golden from the Netflix animated hit KPop Demon Hunters won best song written for visual media, while Oscar frontrunner Sinners picked up two soundtrack awards.

Folk legend Joni Mitchell won best historical album and was among several attendees wearing “ICE OUT” pins, protesting US President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown. The main ceremony begins at 5:00 pm local time (0100 GMT Monday).

Standing in Lamar’s path for Album of the Year is Bad Bunny, currently on a world tour supporting Debí Tirar Más Fotos (I Should Have Taken More Photos), following a hugely successful residency in San Juan.

The 31-year-old global star — born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — is nominated for six awards and will headline the Super Bowl halftime show a week after the Grammys.

His 2022 album Un verano sin ti was the first Spanish-language record nominated for Album of the Year. A win would further cement his place in Grammy history.

Lady Gaga, 39, returned to touring with Mayhem, a dark-edged pop album embracing her theatrical roots. She has seven nominations this year.

An Album of the Year win would complete her hat trick of top Grammy honours. She previously won Record and Song of the Year for Shallow from A Star Is Born, which also earned her an Oscar.

This year’s Song of the Year race is particularly competitive, including Golden, which would become the first bilingual song to win the category.

Nominees for Best New Artist include Alex Warren, girl group Katseye, Britain’s Olivia Dean, TikTok star Addison Rae, The Marías, Sombr, Lola Young and Leon Thomas.

Musicologist Lauron Kehrer said the rise of rap, reggaeton and K-pop in top categories reflects shifts within the Recording Academy’s voting body.

More than 3,800 new members have been added, with half aged 39 or younger and 58 per cent people of colour. Invitations were also extended to members of the Latin Recording Academy.

“The Grammys are more reactionary than anything else,” Kehrer told AFP. “These wins reflect the cultural climate rather than an attempt to shape it.”

The ceremony is hosted by comedian Trevor Noah.