Kendrick Lamar becomes most-awarded rapper in Grammy history with 27 gramophones

Kendrick Lamar has now solidified his position in history, shattering the record for the most Grammy Awards won by a rapper at the 2026 Grammy Awards. Kendrick, who entered the night with 22 awards, needed four more to break the record of 25, which had been held by Jay-Z for so long. At the end of the night, he had won five awards, putting his total at an astonishing 27.

Kendrick Lamar breaks Jay-Z’s Grammys record

The 38-year-old superstar started his historic night at the premiere ceremony, where he won three awards: Best Rap Performance for his guest appearance on Chains & Whips by Clipse, Best Melodic Rap Performance for Luther and Best Rap Song for tv off. But it was during the live broadcast that Kendrick officially claimed the throne.

As GNX was declared the winner of the Best Rap Album award, the crowd went wild. In a humble acceptance speech, Kendrick spoke about the longevity of the genre. “"I’m not good at talking about myself, but I express it through the music,” he told the crowd. “Hip hop is going to always be right here. We are going to be in these suits, looking good and having the culture with us." He also shared a heartfelt moment with fellow nominees, calling Pusha T and Malice of Clipse his "brothers."

Kendrick later rounded out the evening with a fifth victory for the night with the Record of the Year award for Luther, which includes SZA. This comes after a successful 2025 in which his anthem Not Like Us took home five awards in total following his solo Super Bowl Halftime Show performance.

Though Bad Bunny took home the Album of the Year award for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, Kendrick was still the man of the night. With 66 nominations throughout his career, his story from being snubbed in 2012 for good kid, m.A.A.d city to being the most decorated artiste in his genre is now complete. As Trevor Noah marked the end of his final year as host, it was clear that the message was that Kendrick has set a new standard for excellence in music.

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