Kendrick Lamar leads as the most recognized artist with nine nominations across all categories, followed by Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter and Leon Thomas

Olivia Dean, Katseye, Leon Thomas and Lola Young nominated in the Best New Artist category

UMPG songwriters contributed to all eight nominations in the Song of the Year category

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, today received Grammy nominations for its family of recording artists, songwriters, publishing company, record labels and distributed partners spanning every genre. UMG artists were recognized across all major award categories, led by this year's most nominated artist Kendrick Lamar (Interscope/UMPG), who received nine nominations, Lady Gaga (Interscope) received seven nominations, with Sabrina Carpenter (Island Records/UMPG) and Leon Thomas (Motown) each earning six nominations. Lamar, Gaga and Carpenter were all nominated in the Record, Song and Album the Year categories.

UMPG songwriters Jack Antonoff and Cirkut both received seven nominations, while Bad Bunny received six, with each nominated for Record, Song and Album of the Year respectively. 

In the prestigious Best New Artist category, UMG labels received four nominations for Olivia Dean (Island Records), Katseye (HYBE x Geffen), Leon Thomas (Motown) and Lola Young (Island Records), reflecting UMG's longstanding commitment to developing the very best emerging talent, across all genres.

UMG artists swept the Best Pop Solo Performance category, including an additional nomination for Lola Young for "Messy", and last year's Best New Artist winner Chappell Roan (Island Records) for "The Subway", while Katseye were also nominated in the Best Pop Duo/Group performance category for "Gabriela."

Kendrick Lamar received nominations in the Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Melodic Rap Performance categories for "luther". His album GNX is also nominated in the Album of the Year and Best Rap Album categories with "tv off" featuring Lefty Gunplay also receiving nods for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance. Lamar also received two Best Pop Duo/Group Performance nominations for feature performances on "30 For 30", his collaboration with SZA and Best Melodic Rap Performance for "Chains & Whips" with Clipse & Pharrell Williams.

Lady Gaga received multiple nominations for "Abracadabra" including Record of the Year, Song of the Year & Dance Pop Recording and Best Pop Solo Performance for "Disease". Her album MAYHEM, received nominations including Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. Additionally, Harlequin was nominated for Best Traditional Pop Album.

Sabrina Carpenter received Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for Man's Best Friend, while "Manchild" was nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Music Video.

Leon Thomas added to his Best New Artist nomination, with additional nods in the Album of the Year and Best R&B Album for MUTT, Best Traditional R&B Performance for "VIBES DON'T LIE", Best R&B Performance for "MUTT" (Live from NPR's Tiny Desk), Best R&B Song for "YES IT IS."

Having picked up her first Grammy win last year, Doechii (Capitol) received five nominations for "Anxiety" in Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song and Best Music Video.

Justin Bieber (Def Jam Recordings) received Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album nominations for SWAG, while "Daisies" was nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance and "YUKON" for Best R&B Performance.

The Soundtrack to KPop Demon Hunters (Various Artists) (Republic Records) was nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, while the track "Golden", taken from the film and performed by HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna & REI AIMI (Republic Records) was nominated for Song of The Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Song Written for Visual Media.

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) songwriters contributed to eight of the eight nominations in the Song of the Year category: "Abracadabra" (Cirkut), "Anxiety" (Doechii), "APT" (Cirkut & Omer Fedi), "DtMF" (Bad Bunny & Roberto José Rosado Torres), "Golden" [From "KPop Demon Hunters"] (Joong Gyu Kwak, Hee Dong Nam, Yoo Han Lee, Jeong Hun Sea & Hong Jun Park), "luther" (Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Jack Antonoff & Scott Bridgeway), "Manchild" (Sabrina Carpenter & Jack Antonoff) and "WILDFLOWER" (Billie Eilish).

UMPG writers also contributed to seven of the eight nominees for Record of the Year: DtMF" (Bad Bunny, Roberto José Rosado Torres), "Manchild" Sabrina Carpenter (Sabrina Carpenter, Jack Antonoff), "Anxiety" (Doechii), "WILDFLOWER" (Billie Eilish), "Abracadabra" (Cirkut), "luther" (Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Jack Antonoff), "APT" (Cirkut, Omer Fedi).

In the Album of the Year category, UMPG represents four of the main artists nominated with Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter & Kendrick Lamar, and also represents a nominated artist/songwriter/producer on six of the eight albums selected.

UMPG was also represented in other prestigious categories, with Cirkut nominated for Producer of the Year, Tobias Jesso Jr.  nominated for Songwriter of the Year and The Marias nominated for Best New Artist. 

This year, UMPG has nominations across major song categories, including Best Rock Song, Best R&B Song, Best Rap Song, Best Gospel Performance/Song, Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song, Best Song Written for Visual Media and Best Instrumental Composition.

In the Visual Media categories, Wicked (Republic Records) was nominated for both Best Compilation Soundtrack and Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, with nominations for composer Stephen Schwartz (UMPG) and for "Train To Emerald City" in Best Instrumental Composition. Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande's "Defying Gravity" (Republic Records) was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, with Erivo also nominated for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella for "Be Okay".

"As Alive As You Need Me To Be" by Nine Inch Nails – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (Interscope), taken from TRON: Ares was nominated for both Best Rock Song and Best Song Written for Visual Media.

Elton John & Brandi Carlile's "Never Too Late" (EMI/Mercury/Interscope), from the documentary film Elton John: Never Too Late was also nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media, in addition to their nomination for Who Believes In Angels? For Best Traditional Pop Vocal album.

In the Country performance categories Chris Stapleton (MCA) was nominated for Best Country Solo Performance for "Bad As I Used To Be", alongside Miranda Lambert (Big Loud/Republic Records) on "A Song To Sing" for Best Country Song and Best Country Duo/Group Performance, a category which also saw him nominated alongside George Strait (MCA) for "Honky Tonk Hall of Fame." That category also saw nominations for Margo Price & Tyler Childers (Concord) for "Love Me Like You Used To Do" and Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert & Lainey Wilson for "Trailblazer" (MCA).

In the Rock categories, YUNGBLUD (Capitol) received three nominations in Best Rock Song for "Zombie", Best Rock Album for Idols and Best Rock Performance for "Changes" (Live From Villa Park). Amyl and The Sniffers (ATO/Virgin Music Group) were also nominated for Best Rock Performance for "U Should Not Be Doing That", while The Cure (Polydor/Capitol) picked up a Best Alternative Album nomination for Songs Of A Lost World and Best Alternative Music Performance for "Alone."

The Grammys recognized UMG's family of artists in Best Album categories spanning all genres. These also included:

Best R&B Album: Coco Jones (Def Jam Recordings) for Why Not More?, Teyana Taylor (Def Jam Recordings) for Escape Room.
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Jennifer Hudson (Interscope) for The Gift Of Love.
Best Rap Album: GloRilla (CMG/Interscope) for GLORIOUS, J.I.D. (Dreamville/Interscope) for God Does Like Ugly.
Best Traditional Country Album: Charley Crockett (Island Records) for A Dollar A Day, Margo Price (Concord) for Hardheaded Woman.
Best Contemporary Country Album: Jelly Roll (Republic Records) for Beautifully Broken, Eric Church (MCA) for Evangeline Vs. The Machine, Miranda Lambert (Big Loud/Republic Records) for Postcards From Texas.
Best Americana Album: Jon Batiste (Verve Label Group/Interscope) for BIG MONEY.
Best Jazz Vocal Album: Samara Joy (Verve Label Group) for Portrait.
Best Latin Pop Album: Karol G (Interscope) for Tropicoqueta.
Best Música Urbana Album: Feid (Universal Music Latino) for FERXXO VOL X: Sagrado, J. Balvin (Capitol) for Mixteip.
Best Música Mexicana Album: Carín León (Island/VMG) for Palabra De To's (Seca), Bobby Pulido (FONO/Universal Music Mexico) for Bobby Pulido & Friends Una Tuya Y Una Mia – Por La Puerta Grande (En Vivo).
Best Progressive R&B Album: FLO (Republic Records/Island Records UK) for Access All Areas. Best Global Music Album: Siddhant Bhatia (Universal Music India) for Sounds of Kumbha.
Best Musical Theater Album: Death Becomes Her – Original Broadway Cast (Concord).

UMG Artists, UMPG songwriters, composers, labels and distributed labels were also well represented across Best performance and album categories including: Best Melodic Rap Performance, Dance/Electronic Performance, Dance Pop Recording, R & B Performance, Traditional R& B Performance, Jazz Performance, Jazz Instrumental Album, Large Jazz Ensemble Album, Alternative Jazz Album, Metal Performance, Contemporary Instrumental Album, American Roots Performance, Americana Performance, Bluegrass Album, Traditional Blues Album, Contemporary Blues Album, Folk Album, Gospel Performance/Song, Contemporary Christian Music Performance, Gospel Album, Contemporary Christian Music Album, Roots Gospel Album, Tropical Latin Album, African Music Performance, Score Soundtrack for Video Games/Interactive Media, Album Notes, Historical Album, Engineered Album (Non-Classical), Engineered Album (Classical), Arrangement for Instruments and Vocals, Orchestral Performance, Opera Recording, Classical Instrumental Solo and Remixed Recording among others.

In addition, UMG signed and distributed recording artists including John Legend (Republic Records), Jelly Roll, GloRilla, 6lack (Interscope) and Lil Wayne (Republic) received additional category nominations for feature recordings and performances.

Dan Auerbach (Easy Eye/Concord) and Blake Mills (Verve Label Group) were both recognized in the Producer of the Year category, while MCA executive Jessie Jo Dillon was recognized in the Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical category.

The 68th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on CBS and streamed live and on-demand on Paramount+.

About Universal Music Group
At Universal Music Group, we exist to shape culture through the power of artistry. UMG is the world leader in music-based entertainment, with a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising and audiovisual content. Featuring the most comprehensive catalogue of recordings and songs across every musical genre, UMG identifies and develops artists and produces and distributes the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music in the world. Committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship, UMG fosters the development of services, platforms and business models in order to broaden artistic and commercial opportunities for our artists and create new experiences for fans.

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SOURCE Universal Music Group