Kendrick Lamar Eclipses Jay-Z, Bad Bunny Makes History and Clipse Finally Win in Culture-Shifting Grammy Night

Kendrick Lamar accepts the award for best rap album for “GNX” during the 68th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

The 68th Annual Grammy Awards wasn’t just a ceremony; it was a coronation, a correction, and — thanks to a confused Cher — a reminder that the establishment still stumbles even when it tries to get it right. On a night where history was rewritten, Kendrick Lamar didn’t just take home hardware; he took the throne.

Lamar is now officially the most-awarded hip-hop artist in Grammy history. With a five-win sweep that included best rap album for “GNX” and best rap song for the Lefty Gunplay-assisted “TV Off,” the Compton visionary brought his career total to 27, surpassing the long-standing record of 25 held by Jay-Z.

His victory lap was anchored by the night’s heavy hitter, record of the year, for “Luther.” The track, a soulful collaboration with SZA built around a sample of Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s “If This World Were Mine,” provided the evening’s emotional center — and its most meme-able error. Presenting the award, icon Cher seemed to glitch, announcing the winner simply as “Luther Vandross,” momentarily confusing the room into thinking the late crooner had won from the afterlife. Lamar took the slip-up in stride, keeping his acceptance speech brief and reverent: “Luther forever.”

But beyond Lamar’s statistical dominance, the night belonged to the global expansion of the sound. In a moment that finally shattered the industry’s thickest glass ceiling, Bad Bunny took home album of the year for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” becoming the first artist to win the top prize with a Spanish-language album.

Visibly moved, the Puerto Rican superstar used his time at the podium to deliver a pointed message to the diaspora. Before thanking God, he started his speech with a sharp directive: “ICE out.” Dedicating the trophy to “anyone worldwide who has ever needed to leave their home or somewhere they love in order to achieve their dreams,” he reminded the room that “we are humans, we are not aliens.”

While the telecast focused on the current kings, the Academy also finally bowed to the ancestors. In a special presentation, the lifetime achievement award was bestowed upon Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti during Grammy Week’s Special Merit Awards. The Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, who spoke truth to power until his death in 1997, became the first African artist to receive the honor. His son, Femi Kuti, accepted the award, offering a quote that bridged the gap between the man and the myth: “The older I get, I see that he wasn’t the conventional father, he was everybody’s father.”

Back on the main stage, the night delivered a long-overdue check to the street rap architects. After decades of grinding and defining the “luxury realism” of the genre, Clipse finally claimed their first-ever Grammy. Pusha T and No Malice won best rap performance for “Chains & Whips,” a standout from their reunion album “Let God Sort Em Out.”

The track, which features Lamar and production from Pharrell Williams, was a validation of a legacy that has influenced everyone from Tyler, the Creator to the very man who broke the record that night.

R&B also saw a changing of the guard, as Leon Thomas — the songwriter-turned-star — capped off a breakout year by winning best R&B album for “Mutt.” In true chaotic creative fashion, Thomas arrived just in time to collect the trophy, proving that the genre’s future is in safe hands.

Ultimately, the 2026 Grammys will be remembered as the night the “outsiders” became the standard bearers. From Compton to Puerto Rico to Lagos to Virginia Beach, the culture wasn’t just in the building— it was running the show.

The Culture Scoreboard: 2026 Grammy Highlights

• Album of the Year “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” Bad Bunny
• Record of the Year “Luther,” Kendrick Lamar and SZA
• Best Rap Album “GNX,” Kendrick Lamar
• Best Rap Performance “Chains & Whips,” Clipse featuring Kendrick Lamar and Pharrell Williams
• Best Melodic Rap Performance “Luther,” Kendrick Lamar and SZA
• Best Rap Song “TV Off,” Kendrick Lamar featuring Lefty Gunplay
• Best R&B Album “Mutt,” Leon Thomas
• Best R&B Performance “Folded,” Kehlani
• Lifetime Achievement Award Fela Kuti
• Dr. Dre Global Impact Award Pharrell Williams

View Full Winners List →