The 2026 Grammy for Album of the Year went to GNX by Kendrick Lamar.

Quick Scoop: Who won Best Album Grammy 2026?

Here’s the key info in one place:

  • The category you’re asking about is Album of the Year , often called “best album” in casual conversation.
  • Winner: Kendrick Lamar – GNX.
  • Other major nominees included albums by Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, Leon Thomas, Tyler, the Creator, and more.

Why this win is a big deal

  • Kendrick Lamar was already seen as one of the defining rap artists of his generation, so this win further cements his status as a major album-focused storyteller, not just a singles artist.
  • The 2026 Grammys leaned heavily toward artistically ambitious projects in the big categories (record, song, album), and GNX fit that trend with its dense themes and production.

Mini timeline context

  • The 2026 Grammy Awards took place in Los Angeles and reflected releases from the eligibility year leading up to early 2026.
  • On the same night, Billie Eilish and Finneas took a major Song of the Year prize, while Kendrick Lamar also featured prominently in Record of the Year with SZA, showing how central he was to the ceremony overall.

If you’ve been seeing “who won best album grammy 2026” trending, it’s largely fans reacting to Kendrick’s win with debates about whether pop acts like Sabrina Carpenter or Justin Bieber were snubbed in favor of a more critically-driven choice.

Extra: quick fact bullets

  • Category: Album of the Year (general field).
  • Winner: GNX – Kendrick Lamar.
  • Show year: 2026 ceremony, covering releases in the prior eligibility year.

TL;DR: Kendrick Lamar’s GNX won the 2026 Grammy for Album of the Year, edging out big pop and global contenders and fueling a lot of online discussion about artistry vs. mainstream pop.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.