Grammys 2026: Kendrick Lamar, SZA win Record of the Year
What's the story
Kendrick Lamar and SZA's hit track Luther bagged the coveted Record of the Year award at the 68th Grammy Awards on Sunday night (local time). This victory marks Lamar's second consecutive win in this category, following his triumph in 2025 with Not Like Us. With this achievement, he joins an elite group of artists, Billie Eilish, U2, and Roberta Flack, who have won back-to-back Grammys for Record of the Year.
Song details
More about the winning track
Luther, which is part of Lamar's sixth studio album GNX, features a prominent sample from Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn's 1982 duet If This World Were Mine. The track was produced by Jack Antonoff, Bridgeway, M-Tech, Roselilah, Sounwave, and Kamasi Washington. It spent an impressive 13 weeks at the top of Billboard's Hot 100 chart in 2025, the longest for any single that year, according to LA Times.
Streaming success
The song was streamed over 1.3 billion times
Luther's success wasn't just limited to radio play; it also dominated streaming platforms. The track has been streamed over 1.3 billion times on Spotify alone. Cher announced the winner after accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award, initially only reading off Vandross's name. Lamar accepted the award by saying, "Luther forever."
Nominees
Other nominees in the category
Luther was up against a strong lineup of contenders for the Record of the Year award. Other nominees included Bad Bunny's DTMF, Sabrina Carpenter's Manchild, Doechii's Anxiety, Billie Eilish's Wildflower, Lady Gaga's Abracadabra, Chappell Roan's The Subway, and Bruno Mars and Rose's Apt.