Kendrick Lamar has officially etched his name into music history, becoming the most awarded rapper in Grammy Awards history and further cementing his status as one of the greatest artists of his generation. At the 68th Grammy Awards, the Compton-born lyricist surpassed Jay-Z’s long-standing record, setting a new benchmark for excellence in hip-hop.
Entering the ceremony with 22 Grammy wins, Kendrick needed four additional victories to move ahead of Jay-Z’s total of 25. He wasted no time closing the gap during the pre-telecast, where he claimed awards for Best Rap Performance, Best Melodic Rap Performance, and Best Rap Song. Those wins brought his total to 25, tying the historic record and setting the stage for a defining moment later in the night.
That moment arrived when Kendrick won Best Rap Album for GNX. The victory earned him his 26th Grammy, officially making him the most decorated rapper in the history of the awards. By the end of the ceremony, his tally had climbed to 27 Grammy wins from 66 career nominations. This achievement places him fifth on the list of the most awarded artists across all genres, behind only Beyoncé, Sir Georg Solti, Quincy Jones, and Chick Corea.
At the 2026 Grammys, Kendrick’s dominance spanned several major categories. In addition to Best Rap Album for GNX, he secured Best Rap Song for “tv off,” Best Melodic Rap Performance for “Luther” alongside SZA, and Best Rap Performance as a featured artist on Clipse’s “Chains & Whips.” “Luther” also captured Record of the Year, making Kendrick the first rapper ever to win the prestigious award in back-to-back years.
This milestone followed another historic showing at the 2025 Grammy Awards, when Kendrick’s diss track “Not Like Us” swept five awards in a single night, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. The track, released amid his highly publicized feud with Drake, became a global phenomenon and marked the first time a diss record achieved such widespread critical recognition at the Grammys.
While Kendrick has yet to claim Album of the Year, his impact on that category is already unprecedented. With the announcement of the 2026 nominations, he became the first rapper to receive five Album of the Year nominations as a lead artist, and the first solo artist ever to earn five consecutive nominations in the category.
From To Pimp a Butterfly in 2016 to Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers in 2023 and now GNX in 2026, Kendrick Lamar has won Best Rap Album three times, reinforcing his reputation as an artist whose work consistently reshapes hip-hop and pushes the boundaries of musical storytelling.
With his record-breaking Grammy run, Kendrick Lamar has not only surpassed legends before him but has also redefined what long-term artistic excellence looks like in rap music.
