Kendrick Lamar continues to define modern artistry on his own terms, and this week, he made history doing it.
The Recording Academy announced the nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards, and Lamar leads the field with nine nominations, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year.
This marks the third time Kendrick has been nominated in all three major general categories in the same year, a feat almost unheard of in contemporary music.
Lamar has officially cemented his place in music history as the first rapper and the first Black male artist to earn five nominations for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards.
Even more impressively, he is the first solo artist in any genre to have five consecutive studio albums recognized in this prestigious category, an achievement that underscores not only his creative consistency but also his unmatched cultural impact across more than a decade of music.
Each of Lamar’s five studio albums has arrived with cultural weight, lyrical depth, and sonic innovation, placing him in a category of his own when it comes to consistency and influence.
It began in 2012 with good kid, m.A.A.d city, a cinematic coming-of-age story rooted in the realities of Compton. The project was hailed as an instant classic, positioning Lamar as both storyteller and street poet.
In 2015, he followed up with To Pimp a Butterfly, an experimental jazz-rap opus that tackled identity, race, mental health, and liberation, all while pushing the genre’s boundaries.
Then came DAMN. in 2017, a leaner but no less potent project that became the first rap album in history to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. Its mix of mainstream appeal and conscious lyricism proved Kendrick could dominate the charts without sacrificing depth.
In 2022, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers brought introspection front and center, offering a raw exploration of trauma, healing, fatherhood, and personal growth. And in 2025, he returned with GNX, a genre-blending blockbuster that critics and fans alike hailed as one of the most acclaimed albums of the year.
Five albums. Five eras. One artist.
If GNX wins Album of the Year, it would be only the third rap album to ever earn the Grammy’s highest honor, following Outkast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below in 2004, and Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1999. But even if he doesn’t take the prize, Lamar has already made history: no artist in any genre has ever had five consecutive studio albums nominated for Album of the Year.
As of this year, Lamar now holds 66 Grammy nominations and 22 Grammy wins and the story is still being written.
Whether GNX takes home Album of the Year in February remains to be seen. But regardless of the outcome, the milestone has already been cemented.
Kendrick Lamar has etched his name deeper into the history books, and more importantly, he’s still raising the bar for what comes next.
