Grammy Burning Questions: Where Are Kendrick Lamar, the Weeknd, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande on the First Ballot?

The initial ballot for the 2026 Grammy Awards was distributed to voting members on Friday, revealing a diverse landscape of promotional tactics employed by artists and their record labels. Kendrick Lamar emerges as a dominant force, entering his album "GNX" and its hit SZA collaboration "Luther" across a multitude of categories. Bad Bunny is also launching a formidable campaign with his politically-charged record "Debí Tirar Más Fotos," a strategic move that coincides with his headline performance at the 2026 Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show. In a notable return, Lady Gaga is in contention with her album "Mayhem," submitting tracks "Abracadabra" and "Disease" for award consideration. While this year lacks the cross-genre submissions that defined 2025—when Beyoncé entered eight works across different fields—several calculated plays are still turning heads. The first round of voting concludes on October 15, with the official nominee list being unveiled on November 7.

Kendrick Lamar, who dominated last year's ceremony with his hit “Not Like Us,” is poised for another impressive run. His latest project, "GNX," is competing for Album of the Year and Best Rap Album, while the SZA-assisted single "Luther" is entered in Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Melodic Rap Performance, and Best Music Video. Another track, "TV Off," is vying for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. Billboard analyst Maria Chen noted, “Lamar’s submission strategy is a textbook example of how to achieve maximum visibility across both general and genre-specific fields, a crucial factor for winning over a wide range of voters.” The rap categories are particularly stacked this cycle, with the critically acclaimed Clipse reunion album "Let God Sort Em Out" also submitted for Best Rap Album, alongside new releases from heavyweights like LL Cool J, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Tyler, the Creator.

A significant development is the full-fledged return of The Weeknd, who had boycotted the Grammys since 2021 over issues of transparency. His surprise appearance at the 2025 ceremony signaled a thaw in relations, and now his album "Hurry Up Tomorrow" is submitted for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. The single "Timeless" is entered in both Record and Song of the Year, with additional submissions spanning pop, R&B, and visual media categories, confirming his complete re-engagement with the awards process. This represents a major reversal for the artist, whose 2020 album "After Hours" was infamously overlooked in major categories—a snub that fueled public debate and was a catalyst for the Recording Academy's subsequent reforms to its voting procedures.

Other artists with past Grammy disputes have charted different courses. Drake, who withdrew his 2022 nominations, appears on this year's ballot primarily as a featured artist, including on PartyNextDoor’s project submitted for Album of the Year and Progressive R&B Album. Conversely, country star Morgan Wallen—whose 2023 album "One Thing at a Time" logged 18 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200—is continuing his distance from the awards by not submitting his new release "I'm the Problem." Justin Bieber, who previously criticized the categorization of his album "Changes," is now strategically placing songs from his new album "Swag" in both pop and R&B fields: "Daisies" in pop categories and "Yukon" for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song.

The pop field is exceptionally crowded with major releases. Ariana Grande’s "Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead" and its single "Twilight Zone" are entered across major categories, while her work on the "Wicked" soundtrack appears in compilation and score fields. Miley Cyrus is also mounting an extensive campaign with her album "Something Beautiful" and multiple singles submitted across record, song, and performance categories. Lady Gaga’s "Mayhem" stands as another heavyweight, with "Abracadabra" entered in five categories including Record of the Year and Best Dance Pop Recording. Last year’s Best New Artist winner Chappell Roan is testing genre boundaries. While her pop single "The Subway" is submitted in general and pop fields, her country-leaning track "The Giver"—which she debuted on Saturday Night Live—is competing in Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song. This dual approach illustrates a clear ambition to expand her Grammy presence beyond a single genre classification.