Gone are the days of Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Ariana Grande dominating the Grammys. The 2026 nominations ushered in a new class of pop stars dominating the charts and receiving critical acclaim, with a towering list full of rising stars topping the biggest awards of the night.
While there are still some 2010s standout artists nominated this February — namely Kendrick Lamar with the most nominations, nine, of the year, and Jack Antonoff leading in the producer categories — new names like Olivia Dean, KATSEYE and Chappell Roan are some of the most celebrated artists to date. As well, international artists such as Bad Bunny and ROSÉ are nominated for the prestigious Record of the Year.
“The six nominations for Bad Bunny, the impending Super Bowl halftime showman, came as good news for anyone who was worried that Latin music might be shut out of the big categories, as it often has been, and relegated to the Latin Grammys,” Variety said in its annual Grammy nominee roundup.
The runner-up for the most nominations this year is Leon Thomas, nominated for Best New Artist alongside five other awards. Though Thomas is not a household name, he has made a career in the music industry as a producer. And, if you were tuned into Nickelodeon in the early 2010s, you might have seen him appear as Andre Harris in the teen sitcom “Victorious.”
“Thank you, God, my team, every collaborator, every producer, family, friends and most especially my fans,” Thomas said, taking to Instagram to share his gratitude. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
While Sabrina Carpenter took the world by storm with her hit single “Espresso,” her climb to super-stardom continues with multiple 2026 Grammy nominations. Carpenter is nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Pop Solo Performance and the biggest award of the night, Record of the Year, for her summer single, “Manchild.”
Another newcomer to the Grammys is Doechii, nominated for Record of the Year with “Anxiety,” a sleeper hit that took over the charts after her stunning win for Rap Album of the Year in 2025.
“This is your sign to drop the song. Post the video. Finish the painting,” Doechii said on X, after announcing “Anxiety” is nominated for five Grammys.
Out of the Best New Artist category, there are two clear front-runners: Lola Young and Addison Rae. Both performers experienced overnight success after their music went viral on social media. Rae is a former TikTok star-turned-popstar, and Young’s single “Messy” has over one billion streams after trending online last January.
Rae’s music is influenced by late 00s and early teens Britney Spears and Madonna, as well as more modern electronica like Charli xcx. Young, who is represented by the same manager as the late Amy Winehouse, creates a blend of R&B, indie and rock with brutally honest lyrics and emotion.
Rae has a long history with another Best New Artist nominee, Alex Warren, who also got his start on TikTok with Rae.
“It’s perhaps the last thing consumers of their viral TikTok and YouTube content would have expected in 2019,” Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone said, reflecting on the rise of a new generation of pop stars. “But it’s the perfect example of how strange and unexpected the industry works today, where some of the most interesting stars can be born from the most unlikely spaces.”
The Grammys look and sound different from before, with a diverse set of artists leading the major categories. But one thing is for sure: when Grammy night comes on Feb. 1, 2026, everyone will remember their names.
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