The 2026 Grammy Awards are underway, with global music’s biggest names claiming early honours as winners continue to emerge from the Recording Academy’s pre-telecast premiere ceremony.
Held amid intense anticipation, this year’s Grammys feature 95 categories, the majority of which are decided ahead of the main broadcast. As of Saturday, February 1, several high-profile victories have already shaped the narrative of the night, spotlighting artistic excellence across rap, R&B, pop, dance, and spoken word.
Kendrick Lamar is among the evening’s standout figures so far, securing Best Rap Song for “TV Off” featuring Lefty Gunplay, and winning Best Melodic Rap Performance alongside SZA for “Luther.” His influence was also felt in Best Rap Performance, won by Clipse, Pusha T and Malice featuring Kendrick Lamar and Pharrell Williams for “Chains & Whips.”
Pop icon Lady Gaga claimed Best Dance Pop Recording with “Abracadabra,” while Leon Thomas took home Best R&B Album for Mutt, marking a significant career milestone. In songwriting and production categories, Amy Allen won Songwriter of the Year (Non-Classical), and hitmaker Cirkut emerged as Producer of the Year (Non-Classical).
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The ceremony also celebrated diversity in sound and storytelling. Doechii won Best Music Video for “Anxiety,” and Mad Skillz earned Best Spoken Word Poetry Album for Words for Days Vol. 1. In dance and electronic categories, Tame Impala’s “End of Summer” won Best Dance/Electronic Recording, while FKA twigs claimed Best Dance/Electronic Album with Eusexua.
Nigeria remains firmly represented at the 2026 Grammys, with Burna Boy, Davido and Ayra Starr nominated across various categories, underscoring the country’s sustained global influence. While no Nigerian win has been announced yet, anticipation remains high as categories continue to roll out.
With several major awards still to be presented during the main ceremony, the 2026 Grammys are shaping up as a night defined by creative depth, cross-genre excellence and global representation. This list will be updated as more winners are announced.