Source Photos: Jim McHugh © 1994, Gladys Vega/ Getty Images, Marco Ovando, Jean Paul Aussenard/Wireimage.com, Flo Ngala

Listen to GRAMMY.com's Hispanic Heritage Month 2022 Playlist: Featuring Latin Music Hits & Classics From Anitta, Selena, Bad Bunny, Shakira & More
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, GRAMMY.com highlights the riveting, celebratory sounds of Latin music in a genre- and era-spanning playlist featuring iconic songs from Jennifer Lopez, Karol G, Maná, Marco Antonio Solís, and many more.
Latin music isn't a genre — it's a culture. And 80 years of thriving Ibero-American sounds spanning across the Americas, the Caribbean, Spain, and Portugal are evidence of its ever-growing prominence. That's reflected in our 61-track playlist celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month 2022.
Unbeknownst to nearly no one, Latin music, in both the Hispanophone and Lusophone styles, exploded onto the global mainstream in the last five years. When Luis Fonsi's and Daddy Yankee's GRAMMY-nominated global hit "Despacito" broke the internet, the sound crossed into international borders — and markets — like never before. Today, Bad Bunny is one of the biggest stars on the planet, with his glorious, record-breaking, chart-topping, and hit-making streak still going strong.
Read More: 11 Essential Bad Bunny Collaborations: Drake, Rosalía, Cardi B, Bomba Estéreo & Others
Yet formidable contributions Stateside have continued since the golden age of boleros: New York's Mexican/Puerto Rican trio Los Panchos pioneered the romantic, nylon-driven ballad style in the '40s. In 1958, 17-year-old Ritchie Valens turned a son jarocho song into a rockabilly classic ("La Bamba"); Carlos Santana has played a key role in the evolution of Latin rock since Woodstock in the late-'60s; New York Latin troupe Fania All-Stars globalized salsa and Caribbean-rooted rhythms in the late '60s. Lest anyone forget Tejano icon Selena and her techno cumbia or the so-called "Latin explosion," led by Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Shakira, and Marc Anthony, both in the '90s.
Although reggaeton and música urbana superstars like Bad Bunny, J Balvin and Karol G continue to reign almighty on the global Latin pop scene, there is a growing number of promising, diverse voices within the Latin music soundscape bubbling up today. Honduran-born SoundCloud creator Isabella Lovestory is spearheading a provocative neo-reggaeton style of her own; Colombia's Ela Minus is giving her defiant electronic sound an exciting darkwave edge; and Mexican viral rapper Santa Fe Klan is resurrecting cumbia sonidera within the rap en español circuit.
The Latin beat goes on, and you can explore its ongoing sonic evolution in our Hispanic Heritage Month 2022 playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Pandora. Playlist powered by GRAMMY U.

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Latin Recording Academy
2025 Latin GRAMMYS: Bad Bunny Wins Album Of The Year For 'DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS'
"Never stop dreaming and being yourselves; never forget where you come from. There are many ways to serve your country; we chose music," the superstar said while accepting his first Album Of The Year Latin GRAMMY.
Bad Bunny finally conquered the coveted Album Of The Year category at the 2025 Latin GRAMMYS — and did so with his most political album to date.
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS earned the Puerto Rican singer his fifth and final win of the night, bringing Benito to a career total of 17. Following the Biggest Night in Latin Music, Bad Bunny is now one of the most-awarded artists in Latin GRAMMYS history.
On DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS ("I Should Have Taken More Photos"), the artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio pays tribute to his native Puerto Rico — not only through an array of genres, such as salsa, but also through the figure of the jíbaro, a Puerto Rican cultural symbol.
"I want to dedicate this award to all the children and young people of Latin America, and especially those from Puerto Rico," said Bad Bunny upon receiving the award, also dedicating the Latin GRAMMY to a new generation of Puerto Rican artists such as Rai Nao, Dei V, Omar Courtz, Chuwi, among others.
"Never stop dreaming and being yourselves; never forget where you come from. There are many ways to serve your country; we chose music," he added.
The LP includes tracks like the namesake "DtMF," a deeply nostalgic viral hit that resonated not only among Puerto Ricans but also throughout Latin America. The song also received the Latin GRAMMY for Best Urban/Urban Fusion Performance and Best Urban Song.
Bad Bunny arrived at the 2025 Latin GRAMMYS as the artist with the most nominations of the night, with 12 categories. He also took home the award for Best Reggaeton Performance for "Voy a Llevarte Pa' PR." In between his wins, Benito performed "WELTiTA" with Chuwi — another song from DeBÍ TiRAR.
Other nominees included Rauw Alejandro (Cosa Nuestra), CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso (PAPOTA), Gloria Estefan (Raíces), Vicente García (Puñito De Yocahú), Joaquina (al romper la burbuja), Natalia Lafourcade (Cancionera), Carín León (Palabra de To's – Seca), Liniker (CAJU), Elena Rose (En las Nubes – Con Mis Panas) and Alejandro Sanz (¿Y Ahora Qué?).

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Latin Recording Academy
2025 Latin GRAMMYS: Karol G Wins Song Of The Year For "Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido"
The chart-topping 'Tropicoqueta' hit earned the Colombian superstar her first Song Of The Year victory.
Karol G added two more golden gramophones to her collection at the 2025 Latin GRAMMYS thanks to "Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido," one of which marked a milestone for the singer/songwriter: her first win for Song Of The Year.
The smash single also won Best Tropical Song — Karol G's first win in that category, too — but she wasn't able to accept that award. So when she stepped onto the Latin GRAMMYS stage to receive her Song Of The Year trophy, she delivered a heartfelt speech about what the moment meant for her.
"The only thing I want to say is that lately everyone has an opinion, lately there are so many people giving their opinions about what people should or shouldn't do, what they should wear, what they shouldn't wear, how they should come, how they should do whatever," the now eight-time Latin GRAMMY winner said in Spanish. "And in a way, I started to feel that everything I was doing stopped being right, that I was losing my magic, that I was losing my charm."
As the singer shared, she was able to tune out the negativity to create Tropicoqueta, which features "Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido": "The only thing that was left from all that for me was going back to my roots, back to the intention and the purpose — that I do what I do because I love it, because I enjoy it, and because I was born to do it.
"This award is giving me the opportunity to say it," she added. "I'm not saying it for myself, I'm saying it because there are so many people at home thinking they're not good enough or not professional enough to do what they want to do."
Inspired by the vibrant energy of the Dominican Republic and paying tribute to merengue and mambo, "Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido" is a lyrical reflection on how life might have been if love had arrived sooner. But while the song asks "What would have been If I had met you before?," Karol G urged those listening to trust their instincts and take chances.
"Forget about the world, forget about the noise, and when you stop worrying about other people's opinions, the only things left are love and passion — beyond talent, passion and obsession for what you've done," she declared.
And as if receiving the Song Of The Year honor wasn't special enough, as Karol G pointed out, this year's category included "impressive people." "Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido" won over Bad Bunny's "BAILE INoLVIDABLE" and "DtMF," CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso's "El Día del Amigo" and "#Tetas," Natalia Lafourcade's "Cancionera," Mon Laferte's "Otra Noche de Llorar," Andrés Cepeda's "Bogotá," "Palmeras en el Jardín" by Alejandro Sanz, and Liniker's "Veludo Marrom."

Graphic courtesy of the Recording Academy
Feats & Firsts From The 2026 GRAMMYS Nominations: 'KPop Demon Hunters,' Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar, ROSÉ And More
Nominations for the 2026 GRAMMYS have officially been announced. Read on for nomination firsts, interesting facts and potentially history-making moments that could happen on Music's Biggest Night.
The 2026 Grammys take place Sunday, Feb. 1, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, broadcasting live on the CBS Television Network and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+. Watch highlights and exclusive GRAMMYS content from the 2026 Grammys all year long on live.grammy.com.
Let the GRAMMYS season begin! The 2026 GRAMMYs nominations have arrived, honoring some of the year's most exciting artists and releases.
Across 12 Fields and 95 Categories, there are several first-time nominees — including ROSÉ, Tate McRae, YUNGBLUD, PinkPantheress, and even actor Timothée Chalamet — and artists who are celebrating their first nominations for different awards. And with two new Categories added for the 2026 GRAMMYS, this year's nominations list also includes inaugural nominees for Best Album Cover and Best Traditional Country Album.
Kendrick Lamar is this year’s most nominated artist with nine nominations. He's followed by Cirkut, Jack Antonoff and Lady Gaga, who each earned seven nods; Bad Bunny, Leon Thomas, Sabrina Carpenter, and Serban Ghenea, with six nominations each; and Andrew Watt, Clipse, Pusha T & Malice, Doechii, Sounwave, SZA, Turnstile, and Tyler, The Creator, who each earned five.
Below, check out some of the other interesting firsts and major feats to come out of the 2026 GRAMMYS nominations — and some of the history-making moments that could happen on Music's Biggest Night.
Notable Firsts
While Album Of The Year is always one of the night's most anticipated Categories, it's especially thrilling this year, as there are a number of ways GRAMMYS history could be made (more on that later). The nominations themselves are historic; for the first time ever, three albums are nominated simultaneously in Album Of The Year and Best Rap Album: Clipse, Pusha T & Malice's Let God Sort Em Out; Kendrick Lamar's GNX; and Tyler, The Creator's CHROMAKOPIA.
Lamar's Album Of The Year nomination lands him another first, as he's the first solo artist to receive Album Of The Year nods for five consecutive studio albums.
Also nominated for Album Of The Year is Bad Bunny's DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, which helped the reggaeton star add to his GRAMMYS legacy. Along with the AOTY nomination, “DtMF” earned Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year nods, marking only the second time in GRAMMYS history that an all-Spanish-language album and all-Spanish-language songs are nominated in those Categories. He is also the first Spanish-language artist to be nominated in all three Categories simultaneously.
K-pop joins the history-making fun thanks to ROSÉ and KPop Demon Hunters. ROSÉ's hit collaboration with Bruno Mars, "APT.," and HUNTR/X's chart-topping KPop Demon Hunters smash, "Golden," are the first songs by K-pop artists to be nominated for Song Of The Year, with "APT." also becoming the first song by a K-pop artist to be nominated for Record Of The Year. Both songs are also up for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, marking another milestone: the first time two songs by K-pop artists have been nominated in that Category in the same year.
The inaugural Best Traditional Country Album Category spawned an interesting GRAMMY moment for Willie Nelson, who is nominated for his tribute to Rodney Crowell, Oh What A Beautiful World. With his son Lukas Nelson also receiving a nomination in the Category for American Romance, it's the first time Willie is nominated alongside one of his seven children.
Over in the Rock, Metal & Alternative Music Field, Paramore's Hayley Williams received her first nods as a solo artist for her own work, with four nominations this year: Best Rock Performance ("Mirtazapine"), Best Rock Song ("Glum"), Best Alternative Music Performance ("Parachute"), and Best Alternative Music Album ("Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party"). (She previously received one solo nomination as a featured performer on B.o.B's "Airplanes, Pt. II" at the 2011 GRAMMYS, and has won three GRAMMYS for her work with Paramore.)
Perhaps the most surprising first of the 2026 GRAMMYS nominations goes to none other than the Dalai Llama himself. Meditations: The Reflections Of His Holiness The Dalai Lama earned a nomination for Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording, marking the first time a Dalai Llama has received a GRAMMYS nomination.
Potential History-Making Moments
In addition to all of the first-time feats among the 2026 GRAMMYS nominations, there are a number of wins that could land in the GRAMMYS history books, too.
With his nine nominations Kendrick Lamar could become the rapper with the most wins at the 2026 GRAMMYS. As of press time, he has 22 wins, ranking third among rappers behind Jay-Z (25) and Kanye West (24), meaning he needs four wins to take the top spot.
If Lamar were to win Record Of The Year or Song Of The Year, it would be his second year in a row winning in those Categories, as he took home golden gramophones for both for "Not Like Us" at the 2025 GRAMMYS. If he were to win Album Of The Year for GNX, it would add another milestone to his GRAMMY resume: he'd become the first solo male rapper to win in the Category.
Bad Bunny could also make history if DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS is crowned Album Of The Year, as it would be the first all-Spanish-language album to win the coveted Category.
Notably, no matter who wins Album Of The Year, it will be their first victory in the Category. While Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, and Tyler, The Creator have all previously received Album Of The Year nominations, none of them have won; Clipse, Pusha T & Malice and Leon Thomas are first-time nominees in the Category.
With so many exciting firsts and possible big moments, the 2026 GRAMMYS are undoubtedly going to be a ceremony to remember. Be sure to tune in on Feb. 1, 2026 when the 68th GRAMMY Awards air live on CBS and Paramount+!

Photos: Eric Rojas; Cassy Athena/Getty Images; Bryce Anderson; Cian Moore; NBC/Noam Galai/NBC via Getty Images; Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Recording Academy; Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty Images; Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
2026 GRAMMYS Nominations: Album Of The Year Nominees
Whoever takes home the golden gramophone will be a first-time Album Of The Year winner — whether Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Clipse, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Leon Thomas, or Tyler, The Creator.
The 2026 Grammys take place Sunday, Feb. 1, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, broadcasting live on the CBS Television Network and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+. Watch highlights and exclusive GRAMMYS content from the 2026 Grammys all year long on live.grammy.com.
Releasing an album isn’t just about putting a set of songs out into the world.
It’s about sharing a cohesive piece of the artist’s inner world, opening a portal that anyone can enter and discover something completely new. Each LP reveals a depth of creativity and spirit that just doesn’t exist very often in everyday life. For the artist, it’s an act of transformation; for listeners, it’s an invitation into something raw and resonant, the kind of experience that can shift how we feel, how we think, how we live.
The Recording Academy is proud to present the 2026 GRAMMYS nominees for Album Of The Year: Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Clipse, Pusha T and Malice, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Leon Thomas, and Tyler, The Creator. Their eight LPs each brim with unparalleled artistic and technical skill.
This year’s potential winners include several previous Album Of The Year nominees who have yet to take home the award, as well as a few first time nominees. No matter who takes home the golden gramophone, the winner will be a powerful first.
Learn more about the nominees below and read the full 2026 GRAMMYS nominations list ahead of Music's Biggest Night on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026.
Bad Bunny — DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
From his upcoming performance at the Super Bowl halftime show to yet another in a long string of genre-defining and -defying albums, Bad Bunny remains at the center of the pop conversation. With his DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, the Puerto Rican megastar returns to the Album Of The Year Category for the first time since 2023's Un Verano Sin Ti was nominated.
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS ("I Should Have Taken More Photos") immediately establishes a new, confident chapter in Bunny’s creative journey. Both a creative reset and a homecoming, this deeply Puerto Rican record holds onto its roots with a depth and sincerity that’s both personal and political.
The 17-track project finds Bad Bunny sounding grounded, reflective, and newly centered, embracing maturity without losing his edge. DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS blends traditional Puerto Rican sounds — salsa, bomba, plena, and early reggaeton — into lush, forward-looking blends thanks in part to trusted collaborators such as MAG, Tainy, and La Pacienca.
A polychrome, far-reaching set, the album feels intimate even at its most extreme, weaving through love, loss, and cultural memory. But DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS is more than diaristic expression; it’s a powerful outward statement and reclamation. Recorded entirely in Puerto Rico with local collaborators, it’s a proud assertion of identity and defiance. And while Bad Bunny has always been a proud proponent of Puerto Rico, its musical traditions and its people, the full-throated bravado and expression of strength on DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS will make it a landmark album for the country for years to come. In returning home, Bad Bunny has crafted his most spiritually and sonically rooted work yet.
Justin Bieber — SWAG
Considering he’s been entrenched in the heart of the music industry for decades, it’s tempting to think of Justin Bieber alongside a tier of aging pop stars — and by that virtue, expect him to be trying out some harebrained reinvention scheme. But in reality, he’s only recently entered his 30s, and the radiant SWAG shows that he’s still in his pop prime.
Bieber’s seventh album glides between genre touchstones without losing footing, a 20-track album equal parts confidence and confession. Featuring the likes of Gunna, Sexyy Red, and Lil B (and production assists from Dijon, Daniel Caesar, Mk.gee, and longtime collaborator Eddie Benjamin), SWAG leans into the the titular energy of hip-hop without sacrificing soul.
Throughout the mix, Bieber’s voice remains the anchor, tender when it needs to be, silky when it wants to be, and always unmistakably Biebs. Whether touching on smooth R&B, glossy pop, gospel, or even new jack swing, those vocals keep things distinctly warm and human. Tracks like "Go Baby," "Devotion" and "Yukon" are lived-in love songs that transcend cliche and shimmer with emotional clarity. Elsewhere, he plays with texture and tempo, balancing romantic sincerity with the playful energy that first made him a star.
This is Bieber's third nomination for Album Of The Year, with 2022's Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe) his most recent run at the award. And where that record buoyed and bopped, SWAG has a smoother confidence, the work of someone at peace with their talent and looking to see where it might go next. To that end, the album represents a truly personal reset: it’s Bieber’s first since parting ways with former manager/guru Scooter Braun and his first as a new father.
About a decade and a half since his GRAMMYS debut, Bieber continues to reinvent what pop stardom looks and sounds like. SWAG proves that sometimes evolution comes down to discovering the confidence to sound exactly like yourself.
Sabrina Carpenter — Man’s Best Friend
After conquering pop with Short n’ Sweet, Sabrina Carpenter is already back for another bite. Less than a year after her GRAMMY-winning breakout, the former child star dropped Man’s Best Friend — a sharp, cheeky and emotionally unguarded follow-up that proves lightning can strike twice.
Some stars may have ridden the pop high of Short ‘n Sweet for years, so when Carpenter announced her followup it came as quite the shock. But considering the whirlwind year that accompanied its predecessor, it’s no surprise that the singer decided she had enough inspiration for new material. And despite being inspired by the hectic energy of celebrity life and a public breakup, Man’s Best Friend features an effortless energy that pulses through every synth shimmer and sly one-liner. "I felt so at ease making Man’s Best Friend," she told fans in an email about the record. "This one felt like riding a bike."
Reuniting with writer/producers Jack Antonoff, Amy Allen and John Ryan, Carpenter leans into her signature blend of flirtation and finesse. Across 12 tracks, she unpacks her emotional core with the wit of someone who’s survived love and loss and then tried again. Whether in disco dreamscape, country-pop catharsis or neon pop glow, Man’s Best Friend carries the authenticity, easy charm, and fluid energy of its creator.
The LP carries the sass and sparkle of Short n’ Sweet but balances it with a deepened vulnerability, Carpenter exploring her soft spots without losing her bite. But even at her most vulnerable, there’s always room for a punchline or jab; Carpenter remains delightfully, defiantly herself. With Man’s Best Friend, Carpenter is cementing her place as one of pop’s sharpest tongues: sassy, self-aware, and entirely unstoppable.
Clipse, Pusha T & Malice — Let God Sort Em Out
A lot has happened in the eighteen years since Clipse’s last album, but not the steely intensity of Pusha T and Malice. The brothers’ new album, Let God Sort Em Out, isn’t a reunion tour, it’s a fiery exclamation point reinforcing their place as rap royalty.
Nearly two decades after Til the Casket Drops, Clipse returned to their throne, supported once again by longtime collaborator Pharrell Williams. The result is an uncompromising masterclass that reasserts Clipse’s dominance while peeling back the mask on fame, faith and grief.
Over Pharrell’s stripped-down, diamond-edged production, Clipse show no sign of rust or reunion cash-grab laziness. The album opens with a gut-punch meditation on the loss of their parents and explodes outward, building from a confessional platform to the coke rap bravado that made them legends.
From there, it’s all fire and precision, Pusha and Malice delivering bars with iron fists while Pharrell balances Hell Hath No Fury minimalism with his trademark cinematic flair. Not to mention, the guest list is absolutely stacked, with spots from John Legend, Kendrick Lamar, Nas, The-Dream, and Tyler, The Creator, among others
Let God Sort Em Out proves no one delivers truths quite like Clipse. An Album Of The Year GRAMMYS nomination further establishes their status as one of rap's most incisive acts.
Lady Gaga — MAYHEM
Seven official studio records in, Lady Gaga is still finding ways to bring massive ideas and expression into the pop sphere. Yet MAYHEM works in a controlled chaos unlike anything else in Gaga's catalog. With four Album Of The Year nominations under her belt, the Little Monsters are hoping that MAYHEM will add to her impressive 14 GRAMMYS wins.
MAYHEM shows Gaga deftly wrangling sonic chaos that would fell a lesser artist: She maintains a strong hold on her pop roots, while incorporating dance-floor and disco experimentation of her previous releases. She added that the record is an "integration of who I am in real life and who I am on stage, and how I really started to celebrate bringing those two things together." Rather than characters, MAYHEM feels like a team of Gagas inhabiting the same space, each true and tied to her heart while retaining the frenetic energy of her performative style. The fashion choices surrounding MAYHEM reflected Gaga's harnessing of her varied parts, with the usually color-blasted pop star donning asymmetrical black.
MAYHEM is also a showcase of Gaga’s collaborative alchemy. Her fiancé, Michael Polansky, is listed as an executive producer, while high-profile board whisperers like D'Mile, Andrew Watt, and Cirkut join in the fun. Add to that features from Bruno Mars and Gesaffelstein and you get an album that unites past, present, and future across an impressive 53-minute run-time. Balancing intimate balladry, playful provocation, and electrifying theatrics, MAYHEM celebrates every Gaga out there, both within herself and her listeners.
Kendrick Lamar — GNX
Few people in history have had as good a time at the GRAMMYS as Kendrick Lamar did just last year, with "Not Like Us" netting five golden gramophones. That brought his career total to 22. And now with GNX, surprise-released as 2024 drew to a close, Kenny may already be on the way to growing that total.
The followup to the superb Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, GNX takes its name from a car model akin to the one that Lamar's father drove when the rapper was a baby. Equally telling, GNX is the first album released by pgLang, the company Lamar founded, without collaboration from his former label home TDE. All said, GNX moves from the outward-pointing Drake feud energy of "Not Like Us" and back into the soul of its author.
GNX isn't without its nimble daggers, finding all the right words to cut at competitors and boast of his superiority. And with the old-school swagger, iconic bars, and expressive production, that superiority feels earned. Lamar also brings along a crew of features from around his Compton home, most notably SZA, Roddy Ricch, and Lefty Gunplay. Production comes courtesy of Sounwave, Kamasi Washington, and even Jack Antonoff. Whether pushing g-funk-indebted synths or more Mustard-y string section goodness, GNX is a celebration, a victory lap, a next step forward, and a building block for even greater things to come.
Leon Thomas — MUTT
No one could have scripted the route that took Leon Thomas to this an Album Of The Year nomination. But after years of shining in whatever project he happens to be in — whether on Broadway, kids' sitcoms, animation or music — Leon Thomas fully stepped into the spotlight with MUTT. His second solo album, MUTT is a bold declaration of artistic autonomy.
After a childhood career in Broadway and Nickelodeon, Thomas announced his foray into solo musicianship in 2012, releasing a promising mixtape that also featured former co-star Ariana Grande. In the years that followed, he amassed a catalog of writing and production credits with Freddie Gibbs, Post Malone, Rich the Kid, Jack Harlow, SZA, Drake, and many more. But Thomas deftly tackled transitioning from in-demand producer back to headlining artist, with MUTT's title track dominating charts.
An impressively cohesive and confident record, MUTT is a fusion of jazz, neo-soul, and rock, rooted in Thomas’ lifelong influences: a wide range from Art Blakey and Miles Davis, to Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. Across 14 tracks, Thomas blends lush instrumentation and stacked vocals to forge a sound that’s both expansive and intimate. More broadly, MUTT represents the artist’s journey of embracing creative control, breaking genre rules, and owning the narrative of his career.
While Thomas entered the year with a GRAMMY under his belt for his work on SZA's "Snooze," the 2026 GRAMMYS could fully ensconce Thomas as a star in his own right as an R&B visionary capable of rich, genre-defying statements.
Tyler, the Creator — Chromakopia
After entering the public consciousness with the reputation of a button-pushing outsider, Tyler, the Creator has truly blossomed into one of the most unique voices in rap — including Best Rap Album wins for both 2019's Igor and 2021's Call Me If You Get Lost. His Album Of The Year nomination for the hypercharged Chromakopia further solidifies Tyler's ascendancy as hip-hop royalty.
Chromakopia is propelled by self-scouring lyricism, with Tyler revealing emotional depths that so many others are afraid to face — let alone expose to the world. It takes a special kind of artist to do a self-diss track, after all. Throughout the album, Tyler, the Creator and Tyler Okonma (his government name) seem to be in fluid conversation, with Tyler's mother, Bonita Smith, offering diaristic narration. A blend of jazz and soul stylings lends an added dimensionality to that exploration, Tyler knowing when to push thoughtful calm and when to ramp up the intensity.
While Tyler naturally remains the center of the conversation, he brings together an impressive guest list including GloRilla, Doechii, Lil Wayne, Schoolboy Q, and Sexxy Red. Tyler masterfully brings those big personalities together in his own narrative, turning them into a cohesive chorus in support of his vision.
If Tyler's early days were highlighted by controversial aggression and the second era of his life was headlined by wild-eyed, technicolor emotionality, Chromakopia signifies a more precise, introspective take — though, of course, without losing an ounce of the razor-sharp lyricism. It’s tempting to say this isn’t the same Tyler of Odd Future, but the beauty of Chromakopia comes in showing the many facets of Tyler’s brain, coexisting under the microscope.










