Entertainment

The music industry’s most anticipated evening has arrived as the Grammy Awards return, once again transforming the spotlights

The competition is intense. Kendrick Lamar’s reign continues at the 2026 Grammy Awards, where he tops the nominations with nine. He’s closely trailed by Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff, and Canadian record producer/songwriter Cirkut, each with seven nominations. Following them are Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Bunny, Leon Thomas, and Serban Ghenea with six each. But who will emerge victorious? Who will make history at the 68th Grammy Awards on Feb. 1?

The 2025 ceremony was entirely redesigned and centered around relief efforts for the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area. In 2026, the spotlight returns to music, with Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, and others competing. Comedian Trevor Noah will host for his sixth and final year, with the potential for history to be made as some of the biggest names in music come together. Here are some key details to know ahead of Sunday’s event at the Crypto.com Arena.

According to the Recording Academy: some new, some old and a lot of excitement. Executive producers Raj Kapoor, Ben Winston and Jesse Collins are returning for a different show from last year, when the event was completely transformed to help those affected by the devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires.

Leon Thomas and Olivia Dean delivered soulful performances, global girl group Katseye and Addison Rae brought electric pop, and Lola Young made a triumphant stage return. These artists, along with The Marías, sombr, and Alex Warren, are the 2026 Grammys' best new artist nominees and headlined Spotify’s annual pre-Grammy party Thursday night in Los Angeles.

After years of unpredictable behavior and strongly antisemitic comments, Kanye West has issued an apology. The rapper and entrepreneur, now 48, published an apologetic open letter titled “To Those I’ve Hurt” as a full-page ad (sponsored by his Yeezy brand) in the Monday, Jan. 26 edition of The Wall Street Journal. He attributed his erratic behavior and antisemitic remarks to bipolar disorder.

January has long been Hollywood’s proving ground for gritty, no-frills genre films, and The Rip arrives squarely in that tradition—though with far more star power than usual. Streaming now on Netflix, the action thriller stars Oscar winners Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, reuniting the longtime collaborators in a project that feels like a throwback to early-2000s theatrical crime dramas.

Showing out at the Critics Choice Awards has never been a foreign concept in Hollywood. Over the years, the ceremony has evolved into one of the most fashion-forward award shows, serving as a proving ground for risk-takers, trendsetters, and style icons who redefine red carpet culture.