By: Nora Scarbro

The Grammys have always been a point of interest and controversy in pop culture. The two categories with the most competition — song and album of the year — features artists that have been regulars in the category as well as new nominees. 

Some returning artists for album of the year are Bad Bunny; Tyler, the Creator; and Lady Gaga. An artist to make their first appearance in the category is Leon Thomas for his album “Mutt.” 

The person with the most nominations this year is Kendrick Lamar with nine. Billboard reported, “Lamar’s career Grammy nomination total has now reached 66, including 22 wins.”  

A category that has received a lot of attention is the nominations for best new artist of the year. The artists that have been nominated are Olivia Dean, KATSEYE, The Maria, Addison Rae, Somber, Leon Thomas, Alex Warren, and Lola Young.

Each of these artists offer something different and unique to Grammys. The Grammys offer a similar perspective when handling the nominations for 2026: “The nominees might be TikTok-raised stars or late bloom veterans, what matters most is their musical trajectory and impact in the current year.”

There has been a really unique addition to the nomination pool this year, that being the multiple nominations of the movie K-Pop Demon Hunters for their song “Golden.” This song reached record-breaking spots on the charts and has proven itself to go beyond the movie and enter the music industry itself. 

The way that an artist gets nominated and wins a Grammy is based on a series of voting processes. The final voting comes from the academy, which is where a lot of the controversy lies. There are many factors that go into the choices made by the academy such as the artist’s past performances, their influence on the state of pop culture, and their overall talent.

The song “Anxiety” by Doechii was nominated for many awards. This song was relatively popular in social media and made it onto the charts multiple times. Some say the song got repetitive in its use while others love it.

There is a lot of talent in each category this year; however each fan has their favorites. “I think The Marias should win new artist of the year, definitely,” Bellbrook senior Lizzie Visgar said. “And Chromokopia should win album of the year. That album is so good.”