Music critics agree: This is their clear pick to win a Grammy for album of the year
Here’s who is the shoo-in for a Grammy at the upcoming awards.
As the 68th Grammy Awards approach, the conversation around Album of the Year has intensified among critics, industry experts, and music fans alike.
This year’s nominees represent a stunning range of sounds and styles, from Puerto Rican urban star Bad Bunny to unrivalled rap from Kendrick Lamar and a unique pop statement from Lady Gaga.
With the ceremony set for February 1, 2026 at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, analysts are largely coalescing around one frontrunner as the likely winner.
At the centre of this year’s buzz is Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos, a personal record that blends Puerto Rican musical heritage with contemporary urban production. Critics say the album has not only had huge commercial success but also resonated culturally on a global scale, topping streaming charts and igniting conversations about identity and representation in modern music.
Below, Joe Coscarelli from The New York Times’ Popcast calls the album “the one that defined music” last year, adding that “it moves the needle” and “tries something new.”
Several music outlets and award predictors are tipping Bad Bunny as the most likely victor in the Album of the Year category. If Bad Bunny wins, it would mark the first time a Spanish-language album has taken home the Recording Academy’s top prize.
Critics also acknowledge stiff competition. Kendrick Lamar’s GNX is widely praised for its lyrical complexity and genre-bending approach, something we’ve become accustomed to with K-Dot. A Lamar win would be historic as well, potentially crowning him the first solo male rapper to win Album of the Year.
Listeners will get their answer on Grammy night, when the awards are broadcast live on CBS and Paramount+ live from Los Angeles, with a host of performances and surprises likely to punctuate a record-setting ceremony.
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