By MARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — The 2026 Grammy Award nominations are almost here. And the competition will be stiff.
Nominees will be announced during a video livestream on the Grammy website and the Recording Academy’s YouTube channel on Friday at 8 a.m. Pacific and 11 a.m. Eastern.
A host of talent is on deck to announce the nominees, including Gayle King, Doechii, Karol G, Lizzo, Mumford & Sons, Nicole Scherzinger, Sabrina Carpenter, Sam Smith, Angélique Kidjo, Brandi Carlile, CeCe Winans, David Foster, Jon Batiste, Little Big Town, Masaki Koike and last year’s best new artist winner, Chappell Roan.
Only recordings commercially released in the U.S. between Aug. 31, 2024 through Aug. 30, 2025 are eligible for nominations, so don’t expect to see Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” included. But do expect to see Carpenter’s “Man’s Best Friend” among the nominees; it was released just under the wire on August 29.
That might have a little something to do with the new addition of a stand-alone category for best album cover. Carpenter sparked considerable discourse when its artwork was revealed; it shows the pop star kneeling on the ground in a dog-like pose while an unseen person pulls her by the hair.
There are plenty of unknowns going into the nomination announcements, too. The most obvious contenders for album of the year did not release new full-lengths within the eligibility window — artists like Swift, Beyoncé and Adele. But there have been a few heavy hitters, like Kendrick Lamar’s “GNX,” Lady Gaga’s “Mayhem” and Bad Bunny’s “Debí Tirar Más Fotos.” If any of them took home the top prize, it would be for the first time.
Perhaps most mysterious of all is a change made to the best country album category. Following Beyoncé’s historic win of best album and best country album at the 2025 Grammy Awards for “Cowboy Carter,” the latter category has been divided into two, with the creation of a best traditional country album category. The existing best country album category has been renamed best contemporary country album.
The 2026 Grammy Awards will air Feb. 1 live on CBS and Paramount+ from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
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