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The nominees for Record Of The Year at the 2026 GRAMMYS reflect some of the biggest hits from the past year.
Pop darlings Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan were omnipresent in playlists all over the world, each with their own unique twist to the genre. The Mother Monster of pop, Lady Gaga, also made a triumphant, unexpected return. Meanwhile, Doechii and Kendrick Lamar (with SZA) brought forward the power of rap, while Bad Bunny and BLACKPINK's ROSÉ (with Bruno Mars) showed that cultural diversity only adds to the magic of music.
Coming from artists in the most different walks of life, these eight standout tracks make for a heady competition. Although only one will claim the golden gramophone Record Of The Year — which is awarded to the Artist and the Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s) and/or Mixer(s) and Mastering Engineer(s) — all of them were essential in shaping the music of 2025.
Learn more about the nominees below and read the full 2026 GRAMMYS nominations list ahead of Music's Biggest Night on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026.
Bad Bunny — "DtMF"
Scotty Dittrich, Hydra Hitz, La Paciencia, JULiA LEWiS, MAG & Tyler Spry, producers; Antonio Caraballo, Josh Gudwin, Roberto Rosado & Tyler Spry, engineers/mixers; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer
The title track off Bad Bunny's sixth studio album, "Debí Tirar Más Fotos," or "DtMF," marks one of his most vulnerable and mature offerings yet. Blending Puerto Rico's native plena music with video-game beats and a homemade feel, the now 31-year-old superstar reflects on some of the most important things in life.
"Debí tirar más fotos de cuando te tuve/ Debí darte más beso' y abrazo' las vece' que pude" ("I should've taken more pictures when I had you/ I should've given you more kisses and hugs whenever I could"), he sings in the chorus, reminiscing about all the people who aren't in his life anymore. "Ya no estamo' pa' la movie' y las cadena/'Tamos pa' las cosa' que valgan la pena" ("We're no longer about the flashy stuff and chains/We're here for the things that are truly worth it"), he continues later on.
The bittersweet feelings of the single struck a chord with fans, who used it on over 100.000 TikTok compilation videos as a tribute to lost loved ones. Upon seeing the overwhelming response, Benito himself was moved and shared a teary-eyed reaction. Unsurprisingly, "DtMF" became one of his biggest hits — reaching No. 1 on four Latin charts and Billboard's Global 200 tally — marking 2025 with expertly crafted nostalgia and reaching far beyond his own regrets. The track is also nominated for Song Of The Year at the 2026 GRAMMYS.
Sabrina Carpenter — "Manchild"
Jack Antonoff & Sabrina Carpenter, producers; Jack Antonoff, Bryce Bordone, Jozef Caldwell, Serban Ghenea, Sean Hutchinson, Oli Jacobs, Michael Riddleberger & Laura Sisk, engineers/mixers; Ruairi O'Flaherty, mastering engineer
Following Sabrina Carpenter's skyrocketing 2024, which saw the delightful "Espresso" dominate summer playlists and Short n' Sweet earn her two GRAMMYS, she released "Manchild" as the lead single for her seventh LP, August's Man's Best Friend — and launched another round of irresistibly witty pop.
Through country-inspired synth-pop melodies, Carpenter pokes fun at immature men with her sharp quill: "Why so sexy if so dumb?/ And how survive the Earth so long?/ If I'm not there, it won't get done/ I choose to blame your mom."
Upon releasing the track, the Pennsylvania native referred to "Manchild" as a soundtrack for "the very confusing and fun young adult years of life." She also perfectly described its playful allure: "It sounds like the song embodiment of a loving eye roll and it feels like a never ending road trip in the summer!"
Co-written and co-produced with pop maven Jack Antonoff, with additional songwriting by Amy Allen, "Manchild" marked Carpenter's first No. 1 debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It attests to the pop star's staying power and expertise in creating funny, addictive chronicles of women's lives. "Manchild" is also nominated in the Song Of The Year Category.
Doechii — "Anxiety"
Doechii, producer; Jayda Love, engineer/mixer; Nicolas De Porcel, mastering engineer
After winning Best Rap Album for Alligator Bites Never Heal at the 2025 GRAMMYS, Doechii landed an unexpected hit with "Anxiety." Originally uploaded to YouTube in 2019 as part of her COVEN MUSIC sessions, the track was first sampled by rapper Sleepy Hallow in 2023's "A N X I E T Y." Two years later, Doechii's original version resurfaced thanks to a viral TikTok trend.
Noticing the renewed attention, the Florida-born artist re-recorded and officially released "Anxiety" as a single — and it soon became one of the year's most remarkable sleeper hits. Built on a sample of Gotye's 2011 GRAMMY-winning smash, "Somebody That I Used to Know" (which itself samples Luiz Bonfá's 1967 instrumental "Seville"), the track channels the slightly haunting instrumental into an ominous portrait of the titular feeling.
The re-release became Doechii's first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and was later added as a bonus track to the deluxe edition of Alligator Bites Never Heal. A full-circle moment, "Anxiety" showcases Doechii's multifaceted talents as a singer, rapper, songwriter, and cultural strategist. Her nomination for Record Of The Year is a testament to all of the above — as is the track’s simultaneous nomination in the Song Of The Year Category.
Billie Eilish — "WILDFLOWER"
FINNEAS, producer; Jon Castelli, FINNEAS & Aron Forbes, engineers/mixers; Dale Becker, mastering engineer
Like a gift that keeps on giving, Billie Eilish's 2024 LP HIT ME HARD AND SOFT continues to deliver hit after hit. Such is the case of "WILDFLOWER," the album's fourth single, which has slowly bloomed into her longest-charting song in Billboard's Hot 100 chart. With a 72-week run (and counting), it surpassed even Eilish's beloved, omnipresent ballad "BIRDS OF A FEATHER."
Co-written with her brother and longtime collaborator FINNEAS, "WILDFLOWER" is a delicate folk-pop track about consoling a heartbroken friend — only to fall for the very person who hurt them. It's a guilt-laced confession that doesn't downplay the emotional wreckage left behind, and depicts Eilish leaning into her mistakes with painful honesty.
"WILDFLOWER" is a prime example of why Billie Eilish is a one-of-a-kind artist. Delivered with her signature sensibility, it proves how she can turn even the most selfish feelings into deeply human moments. "WILDFLOWER" also received a nod in the Song Of The Year Category.
Lady Gaga — "Abracadabra"
Cirkut, Lady Gaga & Andrew Watt, producers; Bryce Bordone, Serban Ghenea & Paul LaMalfa, engineers/mixers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer
2025 marked the year that Lady Gaga made a triumphant return to form. With the release of her sixth solo record, MAYHEM, the Mother Monster showed she is still one of pop's most interesting and inspiring figures, capable of reinventing herself throughout the decades.
A big part of her renewed success came from the dark club anthem "Abracadabra" — an irresistibly hypnotic track that fuses her "Bad Romance" and "Born This Way" eras into something even more thrilling. The single debuted in a commercial break during the 2025 GRAMMYS, where Gaga won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for the Bruno Mars duet "Die With A Smile."
In an interview with Elle magazine, Gaga explained that "Abracadabra" is about "facing the challenge of life and the challenge of the night and finding the magic in it all." Iterating a sample from Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Spellbound," the song's mix of pulsing synths, fervent vocals, and surreal imagery earned critical acclaim and plenty of fan buzz. It debuted at No. 8 on Spotify's daily global chart and climbed to No. 5 on the Billboard Global 200.
By leaning back into her signature maximalist absurdity — now sharpened by years of acting and artistic evolution — Gaga delivered one of her best singles in years, minted with a Record Of The Year nomination and simultaneous nod in the Song Of The Year Category.
Kendrick Lamar With SZA — "Luther"
Jack Antonoff, Bridgeway, M-Tech, roselilah, Sounwave & Kamasi Washington, producers; Jack Antonoff, Ray Charles Brown Jr., Hector Castro, Oli Jacobs, Jack Manning, Sean Matsukawa, Dani Perez, Tony Shepperd, Laura Sisk & Johnathan Turner, engineers/mixers; Ruairi O'Flaherty, mastering engineer
With "Luther," longtime friends (and collaborators) Kendrick Lamar and SZA reunite to deliver an instant classic. Sampling Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn's 1982 version of "If This World Were Mine," the track spans from classic soul to hip-hop and contemporary R&B, crafting an unforgettably tender ballad.
Released as the third single from Lamar's 2024 album GNX, "Luther" was co-produced by Sounwave, Jack Antonoff, Kamasi Washington, and others. In its mix, orchestral strings and booming 808s dance in a dreamy lullaby of Lamar's introspective verses and SZA's emotionally resonant vocals — providing a stunning soundscape for the song's impassioned narrative.
"Luther" quickly became a commercial force, spending 13 consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 — the longest for either artist, and the second longest No. 1 run for any hip-hop song in history, only behind Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road." The song is also nominated for Song Of The Year.
Chappell Roan — "The Subway"
Daniel Nigro, producer; Chris Kaysch, Mitch McCarthy & Daniel Nigro, engineers/mixers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer
Chappell Roan's mercurial rise is a testament to how she can turn even the most ordinary experiences into cinematic reveries. "The Subway" is a perfect example of that skill, where a fleeting encounter with an ex-lover is transformed into a dazzling alt-pop piece.
"'Til I don't look for you on the staircase/ Or wish you thought that we were still soulmates/ But I'm still counting down all of the days/ 'Til you're just another girl on the subway," she sings, poignantly reviving the pain of running into your past on public transit.
However, Roan was initially hesitant to release a studio version for the track. In an interview on iHeart Radio's Las Culturistas, the star explained that "I've been banging my head against the wall with 'The Subway,' because … some songs just work live. Certain things work live, and they don't work in the studio." Roan seemingly figured it out, and "The Subway" debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming her highest-charting single to date.
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars — "APT."
Rogét Chahayed, Cirkut, Omer Fedi & Bruno Mars, producers; Serban Ghenea
No one expected a Korean drinking game to be the inspiration behind one of 2025's catchiest hits. But that's precisely what ROSÉ of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK did when she paired up with Bruno Mars on "APT.," the bubbly lead single of her debut solo album, rosie.
"'APT.' is actually my favorite Korean drinking game that I play with my friends back home," ROSÉ told The Korea Times. "It's so simple, puts a smile on your face, and breaks the ice at any party. One night in the studio, I taught my crew how to play the game. Everyone was fascinated, especially when I started the chant, so we played around with it, and I said we should make a song out of it ... and after Bruno joined the track, the rest became history!"
In that same spirit, "APT." is an infectious sing-along that will get any party going. The song interpolates Toni Basil's "Mickey," and blends pop-punk, new wave and indie rock into an irresistibly bright anthem.
Attesting to its crossover potential, "APT." topped charts in over 50 countries, spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200, and made ROSÉ the highest-charting female K-pop soloist in the U.S. Now, she's poised to make history again as the first K-pop artist nominated for Record Of The Year. "APT." is also nominated for Song Of The Year.