Grammy Awards 2026: Your Complete Viewing Guide and Nomination Breakdown
The music industry's most prestigious night is set to return with the 68th annual Grammy Awards ceremony, scheduled for 1 February 2026 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. This year's event promises a return to traditional glamour following last year's adaptation for wildfire relief efforts, with organisers forecasting "history-making moments" throughout the evening.
Broadcast Details and Streaming Options
For audiences across the United States and international viewers, the main Grammy ceremony will be broadcast live on CBS television network beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on 1 February. Multiple streaming alternatives will be available for cord-cutters, including live TV services such as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and FuboTV which all carry CBS in their channel lineups.
Paramount+ subscribers will have varied access depending on their subscription tier. Premium members can stream the ceremony live as it happens, while essential tier subscribers will be able to watch on-demand from the following day. The traditional premiere ceremony, where numerous technical and special category awards are presented, commences earlier at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time (12:30 p.m. Pacific) from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles.
This preliminary event will be streamed exclusively on the Recording Academy's official YouTube channel and through GRAMMY.com. Additionally, fashion enthusiasts can enjoy comprehensive red carpet coverage through The Associated Press, which will stream a four-hour pre-show programme featuring artist interviews and fashion analysis on both YouTube and APNews.com.
Trevor Noah's Final Hosting Appearance
Comedian and television personality Trevor Noah will helm the Grammy Awards for the sixth consecutive year, though this will mark his final appearance as host. Executive producer Ben Winston expressed both excitement and regret about Noah's departure, stating: "I am beyond thrilled to welcome Trevor Noah back to host the Grammys for his sixth, and sadly, final time. He's been the most phenomenal host of the show. He's so smart, so funny, and such a true fan of the artists and music."
Noah joins an exclusive group of multiple-time Grammy hosts, with only musical artists Andy Williams (seven shows) and John Denver (six shows) having presided over more ceremonies. He previously tied with LL Cool J's five hosting appearances. Interestingly, Noah himself is nominated this year in the audiobook, narration, and storytelling recording category for his children's story Into The Uncut Grass, marking his fourth Grammy nomination overall.
Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. praised Noah's unique contributions: "He's really helped define the show and make the show what it's become over the last six years." Regarding Noah's decision to step down, Mason added: "Every person at some point in their career decides they want to do something else. And we're so appreciative of the years that we got from Trevor."
Major Nominees and Categories
The 2026 Grammy nominations showcase both established superstars and emerging talent across numerous categories. Leading the field is Kendrick Lamar with an impressive nine nominations, including the prestigious trifecta of record, song, and album of the year. This marks Lamar's third occasion receiving simultaneous nominations in these major categories.
Lamar's additional nominations span:
- Pop duo/group performance
- Melodic rap performance
- Rap song
- Rap album
- Two separate nominations in the rap performance category
Following closely behind are Lady Gaga, producer Jack Antonoff, and Canadian record producer Cirkut, each with seven nominations. The six-nomination group includes Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Bunny, Leon Thomas, and mixing engineer Serban Ghenea.
Artists receiving five nominations each include:
- Andrew Watt
- Clipse
- Doechii
- Sounwave
- SZA
- Turnstile
- Tyler, the Creator
Emerging Talent and First-Time Nominees
The best new artist category features an intriguing mix of breakthrough acts, including Leon Thomas, global girl group Katseye, Olivia Dean, indie pop band The Marías, and social media star turned musician Addison Rae. Completing this category are sombr, Alex Warren, and Lola Young.
This year's ceremony also welcomes numerous first-time Grammy nominees, reflecting the evolving music landscape. Notable debut nominations include:
- Tate McRae
- Zara Larsson
- PinkPantheress
- JID
- Even actor Timothée Chalamet receives his first nomination
As the music industry prepares for this celebratory evening, anticipation builds for what Harvey Mason Jr. describes as "some really exciting results" from "a new crop of talent coming through the system this year." The combination of established icons, breakthrough artists, and Trevor Noah's final hosting performance promises to make the 68th Grammy Awards a memorable event in music history.
