Kendrick Lamar claimed five trophies at the 2026 Grammy Awards on February 1, becoming the rapper with the most wins in history. His total reached 27, surpassing JAY-Z's 25 and placing him fifth overall behind Beyoncé's 35. The Compton artist swept the hip-hop categories and won Record of the Year for his duet with SZA.
The 2026 Grammy Awards, held on Sunday, February 1, marked a triumphant night for Kendrick Lamar, who emerged as the biggest winner in the rap field. Entering with nine nominations, Lamar secured victories across key categories, pushing his career total to 27 Grammys—two more than JAY-Z and one ahead of Kanye West.
Lamar's standout win came in Record of the Year for “Luther,” his duet with SZA, marking the second consecutive year he claimed the honor. The track, sampling Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s 1982 hit “If This World Were Mine,” beat nominees including Bad Bunny’s “DtMF,” Rosé and Bruno Mars’ “APT.,” and Billie Eilish’s “Wildflower,” which took Song of the Year.
Accepting the award, Lamar reflected on the song's significance: “This is special for me. [Luther Vandross] is one of my favorite artists of all time and they granted us the privilege to do our version of [‘If This World Were Mine’]. When we got that clearance, I promise you we damn near all dropped a tear because we know how much he and Cheryl Lynn poured into that record, and being able to put our vocals over it, it proves that we were somewhat worthy to be just as great as them individuals.”
He also dominated the rap categories, winning Best Rap Album for GNX, which defeated entries from Tyler, The Creator's Chromakopia, Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out, JID’s God Does Like Ugly, and GloRilla’s Glorious. Additional wins included Best Rap Song for “TV Off” featuring Lefty Gunplay, Best Melodic Rap Performance for “Luther,” and Best Rap Performance for “Chains & Whips” with Clipse, earning Pusha T and Malice their first Grammys after over 20 years.
In his Best Rap Album speech, Lamar emphasized hip-hop's enduring presence: “It’s hip-hop as usual, man. It’s an honor to be here. Tyler, the Clipse — these is my brothers in this category. Every time I tell you this: hip-hop is gon’ always be right here. We gon’ be in these suits, looking good. We gon’ be having our folks with us, we gon’ be having the culture with us.”
Elsewhere, Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos won Album of the Year, while Olivia Dean took Best New Artist. The event highlighted a diverse field, with wins spanning pop, R&B, and alternative genres.
