Grammy 2026 is full of excitement despite the absence of 'big sister' Taylor Swift

The 2026 Grammy Awards season is approaching with many dramatic predictions. If last year was a fierce confrontation between superstars like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish and Chappell Roan, this year the picture is somewhat different.

Taylor Swift's newly released album The Life of a Showgirl has created a storm, however she will not have the chance to compete with strong opponents like Lady Gaga and Billie Ellish this year - Photo: IGNV

The bad news for Taylor Swift fans is that The Life of a Showgirl will have to wait to compete at next year's Grammy season, as the award period ended in August 2025.

Although last year did not witness many blockbuster products, it opened up opportunities for many new faces and unexpected comebacks.

Kendrick Lamar continues to dominate rap thanks to GNX

The name that is mentioned the most on the "front" is Kendrick Lamar. This year, the album GNX and the duet Luther with SZA continue to make him the number one candidate for the big categories.

Just seven months ago, he took the 2025 Grammys by storm with five wins, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year for Not Like Us - Photo: REUTERS

However, what makes the audience curious is whether the Academy wants to "share" the glory equally with other artists, avoiding Kendrick Lamar dominating another season.

Notably, Kendrick Lamar, despite appearing many times, has never won Album of the Year - something that could create a historic "revenge" if he is honored.

Also on the hip hop circuit this year is Tyler The Creator, the former Rap Album of the Year winner who will almost certainly be in the race for this category again with Chromakopia , due out in October 2024.

Tyler The Creator is likely to choose Chromakopia to compete, as it is a more serious and personal album, highly appreciated by many critics - Video : Columbia

However, Tyler The Creator surprised everyone when he released his second album, Don't Tap the Glass, in July 2025.

This meant his team had to consider carefully: only submit one album to the Grammys, otherwise both would cancel each other's chances.

Female artists still dominate despite the absence of Taylor Swift

In addition, this year female artists continue to be a strong force at the Grammys, with fierce competition between the old generation like Lady Gaga and the new generation like Sabrina Carpenter or Billie Ellish.

The Hollywood Reporter highly appreciates Sabrina Carpenter, she is a young face that has exploded in recent years.

Sabrina Carpenter is considered a formidable challenge to her seniors with the album Man's Best Friend - Photo: IGNV

The album Man's Best Friend, released just before the deadline, further cemented her position following the hit Manchild .

Billie Eilish is no slouch either, with her single Wildflower , which has racked up over 1.5 billion streams on Spotify. While not as big as Birds of a Feather , Wildflower is still enough to put Eilish back on track in the big categories.

Billboard , meanwhile, thinks the scales are tilting in Lady Gaga's favor. Her album Mayhem and explosive tour have brought her back to critical and audience acclaim, making her a special factor at this year's Grammys.

After Chromatica failed to resonate as expected amid the pandemic, Mayhem is considered Gaga's rebirth, opening up the possibility that she could win unexpectedly - Photo: Rolling Stone

Also on the list of potential candidates is Justin Bieber with Swag - a quiet product but could surprise if recognized.

Bad Bunny is also expected to bring back the Latin wave after a lackluster season. Newcomer Alex Warren, with his hit " Ordinary ," is emerging as a commercial phenomenon with the potential to break into the big categories.

In the Album of the Year category, Kendrick Lamar with GNX , Lady Gaga with Mayhem and Sabrina Carpenter with Man's Best Friend are the three most promising candidates.

Veteran names such as Jon Batiste, Coldplay, Elton John featuring Brandi Carlile, and young singer Laufey are also expected to be on this year's nomination list.

For Song and Record of the Year, Kendrick Lamar and SZA's Luther are considered "sure bets" to be nominated. However, Billie Eilish's Wildflower could still turn things around, while Sabrina Carpenter's Manchild and Alex Warren's Ordinary could be surprises.

Rolling Stone newspaper commented that this year's New Artist category is extremely unpredictable, with many talented faces and notable hits.

That diversity makes the 2026 Grammys attractive, not only because of the presence of icons like Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish but also because of the new breeze coming from Sabrina Carpenter or Alex Warren.

The nomination list will be announced on November 7, and the 2026 Grammy Awards ceremony will officially take place on February 1, 2026 in Los Angeles (USA).

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/grammy-2026-day-soi-dong-du-thieu-chi-dai-taylor-swift-20251003160638022.htm