Kendrick Lamar has officially cemented his place in music history, surpassing Jay-Z to become the most-awarded rapper in Grammy history. The groundbreaking achievement occurred at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards on February 1, 2026, where Lamar's total Grammy count reached 27, eclipsing Jay-Z's previous record of 25.
Lamar's historic night began early, as he secured the award for Best Rap Album for "GNX". He also won Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, and Best Melodic Rap Performance for "Luther" during the premiere ceremony. Later in the broadcast, Lamar also won Record of the Year for "Luther," featuring SZA. Throughout the night, Lamar secured a total of four Grammy Awards. The "TV Off" rapper now has 27 Grammy career wins and 66 nominations in total.
Before the 2026 ceremony, the record for the most Grammy wins by a rapper was a tie between Jay-Z and Kanye West, both holding 24 trophies. Lamar's dominance in the Rap Field has been consistent since his breakout. His ability to blend commercial success with deep sociopolitical commentary has made him a favorite among Recording Academy voters.
Expressing his gratitude and reflecting on the significance of hip-hop culture, Lamar stated, "Hip hop is gonna always be right here. We're gonna be in these suits, we're gonna be looking good, we're gonna be having our folks with us, we're gonna be having our culture with us".
Adding to the night's memorable moments, SZA, who collaborated with Lamar on "Luther," shared a message of hope, saying, "Please don't fall into despair. I know that right now is a scary time. I know the algorithms tell us that it's so scary and all is lost".
Lamar's journey to becoming a Grammy-winning icon began in 2005 when he signed with Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). His debut studio album, Section.80, released in 2011, garnered a nomination for Best Mixtape at the BET Hip Hop Awards. In 2018, Lamar won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance for his work on the soundtrack album for the superhero film Black Panther. In 2023, Lamar's song "Not Like Us" went on to win five awards at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.
Beyond his Grammy achievements, Lamar's impact on music and culture is undeniable. His album DAMN. became the first non-classical or jazz musical work to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. He is also the most awarded artist in BET Hip Hop Awards history, with 37 wins.
As the night progressed, an awkward moment occurred when Cher presented the award for record of the year. When presenting the award, she announced that the winner was Luther Vandross, who died in 2005. The actual winner was Lamar and SZA for their song Luther, built on a sample of Vandross and Cheryl Lynn's 1982 duet If This World Were Mine. Lamar stated, "This is what this music is about: Luther Vandross. This is special for me because, he is one of my favorite artists of all time".
In addition to his Grammy wins, Lamar has eleven MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year for "Bad Blood" with Taylor Swift and "Humble". With "Humble", he became the first artist to win Video of the Year for a music video he co-directed. He also won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) as a headliner of the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show.