Kendrick Lamar Surpasses Jay-Z As Rapper With Most Grammy Awards

Kendrick Lamar has etched his name into music history, becoming the most awarded rapper at the Grammy Awards after a dominant showing at the 2026 ceremony held on Sunday, February 1.

The Compton-born rapper entered the night with 22 Grammy wins and walked away with five additional trophies, taking his career total to 27.

In doing so, the 38-year-old rapper surpassed Jay-Z’s long-standing record of 25 Grammy wins, while also pulling ahead of Kanye West, who has 24, to claim the title of the most decorated rapper in Grammy history.

The milestone was sealed early in the night when Lamar won Best Rap Album for GNX, his third victory in the category following To Pimp a Butterfly in 2016 and Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers in 2023.

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The win pushed him past Jay-Z’s tally mid-ceremony, drawing reactions from fans and the music industry.

Lamar went on to dominate the rap categories, winning Best Rap Song for Tv off featuring Lefty Gunplay, Best Rap Performance for Chains & Whips alongside Clipse, and Best Melodic Rap Performance for Luther, his collaboration with SZA.

He also secured one of the night’s top honours, Record of the Year, for Luther, marking his second consecutive win in the general field following his 2025 triumph with Not Like Us.

With that victory, Lamar became the first rapper to win Record of the Year back-to-back, underlining his rare crossover appeal beyond hip-hop categories.

Although GNX was also nominated for Album of the Year, and Luther received a nod for Song of the Year, Lamar did not take home those awards.

Still, his five wins from nine nominations made him the most successful artist of the night.

During his acceptance speech for Best Rap Album, Lamar reflected on perseverance, cultural responsibility and the power of storytelling.

The 2026 wins bring Lamar’s career Grammy record to 27 awards from 66 nominations, a trajectory that highlights consistent dominance across rap categories and growing recognition in the Grammys’ general fields.

His Grammy journey spans more than a decade, from early wins for ‘i and Alright’ to recent sweeps with Not Like Us’ and ‘GNX.’

The record-breaking moment has fuelled fresh debate about generational shifts in hip-hop, with many pointing to Lamar’s sustained artistic evolution and cultural impact as key to his rise.

The achievement comes amid a strong run for the rapper, following the release of GNX in late 2024 and a highly publicised feud with Drake, both of which kept Lamar at the centre of hip-hop discourse.

With his latest Grammy triumph, Kendrick Lamar’s status as one of the most influential figures in modern music appears firmly secured, and, at 27 wins, his record may yet stretch even further.