Kendrick Lamar had a big night at the 67th annual Grammy Awards in February, winning all five categories in which he was nominated, including record and song of the year for “Not Like Us.” Expect him to make another strong showing at the 68th Grammys on Feb. 1, 2026, where he could become the first male solo rapper to win album of the year.

First, though, there are the nominations, which are set to be announced Nov. 7. Ten years ago, when Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly was released, the rapper received a career-best 11 nods (just one shy of the record held jointly by Michael Jackson and Babyface). Lamar’s tally this year could be close to that.

Ahead of the end of the eligibility period on Aug. 30, here are the early top contenders in the four highest-profile categories — album, record and song of the year plus best new artist — which are commonly referred to as the Big Four.

Album of the Year

We’ll find out if Bad Bunny, Lorde and The Weeknd can return to the album of the year finals after missing out with their previous sets. We’ll also see if Kendrick Lamar can become the first solo artist in Grammy history to receive album of the year nods for five consecutive studio projects and if Morgan Wallen finally lands his first nod in a Big Four category.

Bad Bunny, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS

Three years ago, Un Verano Sin Ti became the first Spanish-language album to receive an album of the year nod. Bad Bunny’s 2023 follow-up wasn’t nominated in this category, but his latest may put him back on track and make him the only artist with two Spanish-language albums nominated in the top category. Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (four weeks).

Justin Bieber, SWAG

This surprise drop on July 11 could bring Bieber his third nod in this category following Purpose (2017) and Justice (2022). The alternative R&B album features artists such as Gunna and Sexyy Red alongside Dijon and Eddie Benjamin. Grammy voters have long been Beliebers — four of his six previous studio albums were nominated for best pop vocal album.

Sabrina Carpenter, Man’s Best Friend (Aug. 29)

Carpenter was nominated in this category last year for Short n’ Sweet. She is vying to become just the third artist in the past decade — following H.E.R. and Taylor Swift — to be nominated in this category in back-to-back years. If she is, Carpenter will match the Carpenters (no relation), who had consecutive album of the year nods in 1971 and 1972.

Elton John & Brandi Carlile, Who Believes in Angels?

This would be John’s fourth nod in the category — his first since Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy 50 years ago — and the third for Carlile. This would give John a 55-year span of album of the year nominations, a record topped only by Tony Bennett, whose nods spanned 59 years. Billboard 200 peak: No. 9 (one week).

Lady Gaga, MAYHEM

This would be Gaga’s fifth nomination in this category and her first for a contemporary pop album since Born This Way in 2012. Gaga has amassed 14 Grammys, but she has yet to win in a Big Four category. She and Bruno Mars memorably performed “California Dreamin’ ” to boost Los Angeles wildfire relief at the 2025 Grammys. In April, she headlined the first night of Coachella. Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (one week).

Kendrick Lamar, GNX

Lamar could become the first rapper to receive five nominations in this category as a lead artist. He’s currently tied with Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), with four nods. In addition, he would become the first solo artist from any genre to be nominated for the award with five consecutive studio albums. Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (three weeks).

Tyler, the Creator, Chromakopia

The rapper was nominated in this category 13 years ago as a featured artist on Frank Ocean’s debut studio album, Channel Orange. He has since won two Grammys as a lead artist for best rap album for Igor and Call Me If You Get Lost. Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (three weeks).

The Weeknd, Hurry Up Tomorrow

The superstar was nominated for album of the year 10 years ago with Beauty Behind the Madness, but was passed over with his next four studio projects. When he wasn’t nominated in any categories at the 2021 ceremony for his megahit “Blinding Lights,” he announced a Grammy boycott, but he made a surprise, bury-the-hatchet appearance at the 2025 Grammys, where he performed two songs. Will voters extend the rapprochement with a nod here? Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (one week).

Within Reach: Bon Iver, SABLE, fABLE; Clipse, Let God Sort Em Out; Coldplay, Moon Music; HAIM, I Quit; Jelly Roll, Beautifully Broken; Lorde, Virgin; Tate McRae, So Close To What; Playboi Carti, MUSIC; Kali Uchis, Sincerely,; Morgan Wallen, I’m the Problem.

Record of the Year

Artists may receive two nominations in this category, provided at least one is with a co-nominee. Thus, Kendrick Lamar could get the nod for his solo smash “Squabble Up” and one of his hit duets with SZA, most likely “Luther.” However, the smart strategy is to enter your strongest single and not risk vote-splitting. Artists can enter different works for record and song of the year, as Sabrina Carpenter did last year, but it’s usually best to play your strongest card across the board.

Gracie Abrams, “That’s So True”

Abrams teamed with Aaron Dessner and Julian Bunetta to produce this single, which became her first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Bunetta was nominated in this category last year for producing Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso.” This would be Abrams’ second nod in a Big Four category after her best new artist nomination two years ago. Hot 100 peak: No. 6.

Sabrina Carpenter, “Manchild”

Carpenter, who was nominated for this award last year with “Espresso,” could return to the finals with this amusing lead single from Man’s Best Friend. She teamed with Jack Antonoff to produce the smash, which became her second No. 1 on the Hot 100. This would be Antonoff’s fourth nod in this category. Hot 100 peak: No. 1 (one week).

Doechii, “Denial Is a River”

Doechii performed this song in February on the Grammy telecast, where she won best rap album and was nominated for best new artist. She has two eligible singles in this category. “Anxiety,” which samples Gotye’s 2013 record of the year winner, “Somebody That I Used To Know,” was a bigger hit, but “Denial Is a River” is a more original and distinctive work. Hot 100 peak: No. 21.

Billie Eilish, “Wildflower”

This would be Eilish’s sixth nod in this category in the past seven years. Her brother, FINNEAS, has produced or co-produced all of these records. Like 2024’s nominated “Birds of a Feather,” “Wildflower” has been a fixture on the Hot 100 for more than a year. The siblings are masters of slow-burning hits. Hot 100 peak: No. 17.

Lady Gaga, “Abracadabra”

This would be Gaga’s fourth nomination in this category following “Poker Face,” “Shallow” (with Bradley Cooper) and “I Get a Kick Out of You” (with Tony Bennett). Gaga produced the single with Cirkut (who was nominated in this category last year for co-producing Charli xcx’s “360”) and Andrew Watt (nominated four years ago for the Justin Bieber smash “Peaches”). Hot 100 peak: No. 13.

Kendrick Lamar & SZA, “Luther”

Lamar and SZA are vying to become the first occasional duet partners to receive two nominations in this category. They were nominated seven years ago for “All the Stars.” This would be Lamar’s fifth nod for this prize, which would establish a new record for a hip-hop artist. It would be SZA’s fourth. Hot 100 peak: No. 1 (13 weeks).

ROSÉ & Bruno Mars, “APT.”

This would be a history-making nomination: Blackpink’s ROSÉ would become the first K-pop artist to receive a Big Four nod. It doesn’t hurt that she is teamed with Mars, a six-time nominee in this category. He co-produced the single with Cirkut, Omer Fedi and Rogét Chahayed, all of whom are also past nominees in this category. Hot 100 peak: No. 3.

Alex Warren, “Ordinary”

This power ballad has been a global smash, topping the Official U.K. Singles Chart for 13 weeks and the Billboard Global 200 for 10. Its extra-“Ordinary” success may be capped off by a nomination in this category. Co-writer Adam Yaron also produced Warren’s single. Hot 100 peak: No. 1 (six weeks).

Within Reach: BigXthaPlug featuring Bailey Zimmerman, “All the Way”; Miley Cyrus, “End of the World”; Drake, “Nokia”; Tate McRae, “Sports Car”; Ed Sheeran, “Azizam”; sombr, “Undressed”; Teddy Swims, “Bad Dreams”; Tyla, “Push 2 Start”; Morgan Wallen featuring Tate McRae, “What I Want”; The Weeknd and Playboi Carti, “Timeless.”

Song of the Year

In each of the last two years, five record of the year nominees were also nominated for this songwriter’s award. Our early projection is that six will double up in 2026. Songs that sample or interpolate previous hits, such as “Luther” (Luther Vandross & Cheryl Lynn’s “If This World Were Mine”), “APT.” (Toni Basil’s “Mickey”) and “Anxiety” (Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know”), are eligible, but the writers of the sampled/interpolated songs are not.

“Denial Is A River”
Songwriters: Doechii, James Ian Anderson, Joey Hamhock

This loosely autobiographical song could potentially bring Doechii her first nomination in a songwriting category and her co-writers their first Grammy nods ever. The clever, sitcom-themed video (co-directed by Carlos Acosta and James Mackel) is also a strong contender for a best music video nod.

“The Giver”
Songwriters: Chappell Roan, Dan Nigro

Roan and Nigro were nominated in this category last year for co-writing “Good Luck, Babe!” Nigro was previously nominated here for co-writing Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license” and “vampire.” If this cheeky song is nominated, this would be the second year in a row that a non-country artist received a nod in this category for co-writing a country-flavored song. Beyoncé was nominated last year for “Texas Hold ’Em.”

“Luther”
Songwriters: Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Atia “INK” Boggs, Samuel Dew

This would be Lamar’s fifth nomination in this category — establishing a new record for a rapper — the fourth nod here for SZA and the second for Boggs, who was nominated last year for co-writing Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ’Em.” Luther Vandross, the song’s namesake, won this category in 2004 for co-writing “Dance With My Father.”

“Manchild”
Songwriters: Sabrina Carpenter, Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff

This songwriting trio was nominated in this category last year for co-writing “Please Please Please.” This would be Antonoff’s seventh nod in this category, which would put him behind only his frequent collaborator Taylor Swift, who has amassed eight nods. Allen is the reigning winner for songwriter of the year, non-classical.

“Ordinary”
Songwriters: Alex Warren, Adam Yaron, Cal Shapiro, Mags Duval

Stately power ballads have been perennial favorites in this ­category, with the winners’ list including such songs as Paul Simon’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (1971), Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” (2015) and Adele’s “Hello” (2017). The lattermost smash is the most recent power ballad to win. It’s too early to know if “Ordinary” will take the prize, but a nomination seems likely.

“That’s So True”
Songwriters: Gracie Abrams, Audrey Hobert

This would be Abrams’ first nomination in a songwriting category and Hobert’s first nod ever. It would also be the first collaboration by two women to be nominated in this category since the expanded version of “All Too Well,” co-written by Taylor Swift and Liz Rose, was nominated two years ago.

“When This Old World Is Done With Me”
Songwriters: Brandi Carlile, Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Andrew Watt

This poignant ballad would be Carlile’s fifth nomination in this category, the third for John and the second for Watt (following “Die With a Smile” last year). Taupin has never been nominated for song of the year — meaning not one Elton & Bernie collaboration has been nominated in this category. If only to correct that oversight, a nod would be welcome.

“Wildflower”
Songwriters: Billie Eilish, FINNEAS

This would be the siblings’ sixth song of the year nomination in just seven years. No other songwriters have piled up so many nods so quickly. Lionel Richie scored his six nods in a comparatively leisurely eight years. Eilish and FINNEAS won for “bad guy” in 2020 and the Barbie smash “What Was I Made For?” in 2024.

Within Reach: “Abracadabra” (artist: Lady Gaga), “APT.” (Bruno Mars and ROSÉ), “Azizam” (Ed Sheeran), “Bad Dreams” (Teddy Swims), “Nokia” (Drake), “Push 2 Start” (Tyla), “Relationships” (HAIM), “Timeless” (The Weeknd and Playboi Carti), “Undressed” (sombr), “twilight zone” (Ariana Grande).

Best New Artist

The Marías were featured on Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti, an album of the year nominee in 2022. That would have previously made them ineligible here, but the Recording Academy tweaked its rules in June so that artists who are featured on less than 20% of the playing time of an album of the year nominee don’t lose their future best new artist eligibility. But Leon Thomas appears to be out of luck: He won a Grammy — an automatic disqualifier — two years ago for co-writing SZA’s “Snooze.”

Ella Langley

Langley’s hit duet with Riley Green, “you look like you love me,” arrived prior to the eligibility period, so it’s not in the running for record or song of the year nods. There’s usually more flexibility in this category, however. Langley, 26, was the top winner at the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards in May. Her five trophies included new female artist of the year.

The Marías

The four-member indie pop band from Los Angeles is best-known for the ballad “No One Noticed,” which was released in the previous eligibility year. The quartet, fronted by María Zardoya, is vying to become the first group with a woman lead singer to be nominated in this category since Wet Leg three years ago.

Mariah the Scientist

Mariah the Scientist, 27, wrote her breakthrough hit, the soulful ballad “Burning Blue,” which reached No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. The artist born Mariah Buckles could be the second Mariah to be nominated in this category: Mariah Carey won in 1991. “Burning Blue” co-producer Nineteen85 was nominated for producer of the year, non-classical in 2017.

Myles Smith

Smith, 27, may become the first male English artist to be nominated in this category since Fred again.. two years ago. He was up for best new artist at the BRIT Awards in March. Smith followed “Stargazing,” a top 20 hit on the Hot 100, with the spirited “Nice To Meet You,” which also charted.

sombr

Born Shane Michael Boose, sombr is the sole writer of his breakthrough hits “Undressed” and “Back to Friends.” The songs have a maturity and depth that belie sombr’s age — he turned 20 on July 5. He could potentially be the youngest nominee in this category in four years. The Kid LAROI and Olivia Rodrigo were both 18 when they were nominated in 2021. (Billie Eilish was just 17 when she was nominated in 2019 but had turned 18 by the time she won in 2020.)

Zach Top

Top, 27, has garnered much praise for his neotraditional country/bluegrass sound. He won new male artist of the year at the ACM Awards in May and was nominated for new artist of the year at 2024’s Country Music Association Awards. He may well be nominated in that category again at this year’s CMA Awards. (Artists have two shots in the new artist categories at country awards shows.)

Alex Warren

Warren, 24, followed breakout single “Ordinary” with “Bloodline” (with Jelly Roll). His first Hot 100 hit was “Burning Down” featuring Joe Jonas — who, as part of the Jonas Brothers, was nominated in this category in 2009. Warren’s first EP, You’ll Be Alright, Kid (Chapter 1), reached No. 13 on the Billboard 200. His debut full-length, also titled You’ll Be Alright, Kid, arrived July 18.

Lola Young

“Messy,” which Young co-wrote, reached No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart and No. 14 on the Hot 100. The song was released prior to this eligibility year. Young, 24, could become the second woman artist from England to be nominated in this category in as many years. RAYE was a finalist in 2024.

Within Reach: Addison Rae, BigXthaPlug, Reneé Rapp, Ravyn Lenae, Ken Carson, October London, Jessie Murph, Gigi Perez, Sleep Token, The Red Clay Strays.

This story appears in the July 19, 2025, issue of Billboard.

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Usher is now a brand ambassador for Ralph Lauren Fragrances. The Grammy-winning artist who has brought many iconic hits over the years such as “Yeah!,” “U Got It Bad,” “My Boo” and “Confessions,” is now the face of Ralph’s Club New York Eau de Parfum. This new partnership surprisingly serves as Usher’s first fragrance campaign and Ralph Lauren Fragrances’ first partnership with a major award-winning music artist.

Similar to Ralph’s timeless appeal, the new campaign aims to capture the glamour of Manhattan’s golden age, celebrating the city’s modern energy, authenticity and enduring excellence. Usher, who’s known for his Southern upbringing, has always been inspired by the city that never sleeps, which played a major role in the singer’s career early on. The Atlanta native recorded his first album in NYC in 1997, while Ralph Lauren founded his brand in Manhattan 30 years earlier in 1967, making it appropriate for both men to celebrate the Big Apple.

“I have the greatest respect and admiration for what Mr. Lauren has accomplished and I could not be more happy and proud to join Ralph Lauren Fragrances,” Usher said in a statement. “This is a brand that represents the best of who I want to be as an entrepreneur, a creator, and a man. I’m inspired and energized — this partnership feels like coming home.”

The campaign sees the “Yeah!” singer as the face for Ralph’s Club New York Eau de Parfum. Starting at $110, the fragrance debuted Wednesday (July 16), and is available to shop online on the brand’s site, as well as in store at Macy’s. The fragrance channels the same confident spirit that Usher has long embodied both on and off the stage. With notes of lavender and bourbon and a grounding base of sandalwood, the fragrance is both classic and unexpected.

“We creating something that was a bit more sweet, with black currant being a very high note, and bergamot being something that you smelled at the top, and then lavender and sandalwood being something that was grounding the bottom,” Usher tells Billboard. “This is a very unique scent that would allow you to feel comfortable wherever you are.”

To bring the campaign to life, Usher set out to compose an original song to accompany the fragrance, an effort inspired by the sophistication and spirit of Frank Sinatra’s iconic “Theme From New York, New York,” which peaked at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1980. Speaking with Billboard, Usher opens up his love for New York City, reimagining Sinatra’s iconic song, picking out fragrances and what drew him to Ralph Lauren.

From fashion shows to the recent Met Gala to this Ralph Club New York campaign, can you explain your relationship with the Ralph Lauren brand?

If you’re from the South, you know, being polo down is obviously an expression of culture. We were all borrowing this idea based off of the cultural relevance of polo sport. I can remember the first time I bought a puffy vest, or if you had a skull cap and the goggles up on the right side of your hat, these were all things that we saw in terms of marketing, but also understanding the imprint of Ralph Lauren at that time.

Fast forward, wearing double RL, going to a ton of tennis events and seeing some of that swag, getting prepared for a formal event, you always look to purple label or Ralph to make certain that you got it right. Whether it was for summer, resort wear, all of those things, he was always there to accommodate something that you wanted to be immersed in. Even going to the stores, nine times out of 10, you feel as though you were immersed in this world. You don’t even have to necessarily purchase anything. You can literally go to the store, just to have a coffee and actually feel as though you were in the the idea of his thought.

So to organically now make this moment happen and be a part of now the family and an ambassador of this fragrance, I’m very happy. This is a very bold chapter of my life, but also a very bold chapter in the history and the legacy that Ralph has made. And Ralph Club New York is that introduction.

Can you explain the significance that the city of New York has played throughout your career?

You either get lost in New York, or you find yourself in New York. It is the birthplace of so many cultural moments, rather contemporary, musical, style, architecture, all of these things you find in the melting pot that is New York City. It’s the kind of the place where all cultures are accepted and all ideas can fly. My career started in New York City, even though I’m not originally from New York. Even this campaign for me was my love letter to New York and all of what it has offered me and has meant to me as an observer in history and times.

New York is a city that welcomes the entire world with open arms. I remember as a kid finding out so much about life being in this melting pot and understanding the daily hustle, as well as, the nightlife and what it offers and what it creates in terms of a cultural imprint that many cities all around the world try to adopt.

How does it feel to be able to reimagine an iconic song like “New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra?

This is a very iconic anthem that Frank Sinatra did before I was even born in 1977, which immortalizes this kind of concept that, if you make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. It is the very idea that that embodies a very bold spirit that is about a city that never sleeps. But it also gave us a song that is about this ambitious goal to be innovative and reinvent yourself, and make it big, man.

So for me, to be able to have Frank Sinatra spirit in the middle of all of what I’m creating, and look at even some of the photographs when we were creating it, and then reimagine it in my own way. Pun intended “my way.” I had this opportunity to re-engineer this idea with the energy of something that is timeless and classic, honoring him, honoring Ralph.

What do you look for when picking out your scent? How does a fragrance stand out to you?

Well, many people approach fragrance and their selection differently. For me, it all starts with the fragrance. Most people would look at a fragrance as an accessory. How I feel starts with the way I smell. So, when I get out of the shower and I did all the things that I needed to do to get myself ready. I spray this. It now puts me in a certain mindset, and now I go and I create from that place.

I think that they wanted to create something by way of the design of the bottle, to create something that was masculine and sophisticated. In terms of the scent, Ralph wanted to create something that was timelessly elegant, that was bold, but had a modern spirit.

What would you like for fans to take away from this campaign?

I hope that fans are ready to take a journey. I think that that’s the one thing that you look forward to with Ralph Lauren, that you feel as though you were immersed in an idea and you’re brought to a different place. Well, that place is New York. That place is club New York.

Us being able to work in the short amount of time that we did, with a very incredible group of people to create memorable, creative, iconic photographs, as well as a video piece that is a commercial. For me, it is a next chapter. It’s a next chapter of my season, and it’s the next chapter in my story. I feel like this is a really, really grand moment for me in terms of where I am, iconically and fashionably, it is something that feels very special in terms of the collaboration between myself and Ralph.

The act of making music is a worthy undertaking for the soul, but when it connects the musician to an audience, the experience deepens.

At least 15 country artists have their first album or EP set for release during the last half of 2025, and many are already receiving the kind of feedback that confirms they’re making a connection.

“I got these young kids, they’re like 14 years old and their favorite song is ‘Weak,’ and their mom is sending me videos of them trying to play the solo,” notes Valory newcomer Preston Cooper. “That’s the most heartwarming thing ever, because they’re loving it and they’re growing up with that music. That’s important to me.”

That’s a sign that the hand-me-down nature of music – where the sound of one generation is incorporated and reinterpreted by the next – is alive and well.

Cooper, Hudson Westbrook and Chase McDaniel have fashioned what they’ve learned from their predecessors in a way that has each of them currently charted on Country Airplay, giving them an informal leadership role in a class of artists that’s more than willing to test the boundaries of the format. That’s particularly true of the seven women, several of whom fold in a fair amount of western, folk and Americana influence.

Here’s a look at the 15 country artists with their first album or EP arriving between July 1 and Dec. 31:

UPDATE (July 16): Diplo has been added to the lineup for the iHeartRadio Music Festival Lineup in Las Vegas on Sept. 19 and 20, ensuring that dance music will be well-represented at the annual all-genre event. Justice, the French electronic duo which won a Grammy earlier this year for “Neverender,” its hit collab with Tame Impala, was already on the bill.

PREVIOUSLY (June 3): Jelly Roll, Tate McRae, Mariah Carey, Maroon 5 and Ed Sheeran are among the artists set to perform at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Festival. Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, the event will be held on Sept. 19 and Sept. 20 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The lineup will also include performances by Bryan Adams, Feid, GloRilla, John Fogerty, Justice, Lil Wayne, LL COOL J, Sammy Hagar, The Offspring and Tim McGraw, with more to be announced.

On each of those two nights, the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Festival presented by Capital One will broadcast live via iHeartMedia radio stations throughout the country across more than 150 markets. Hulu will be the official streaming destination of the festival, with performances livestreamed each night exclusively to all Hulu subscribers. Additional information about the livestream will be posted across Hulu’s platform and social media channels.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on AXS.com beginning Friday, June 13, at 2 p.m. ET/ 11 a.m. PT.

Eligible Capital One cardholders will have priority access to presale tickets for the iHeartRadio Music Festival beginning Wednesday, June 11, at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET through Friday, June 13, at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET or while presale tickets last. Cardholders will also be able to add a Capital One Access Pass to their purchase to enjoy an exclusive pre-show party with LL COOL J on Friday or Jelly Roll on Saturday, which includes food, drinks and a private performance. Pre-sale info and tickets will be available at iHeartRadio.com/CapitalOne.

In addition, throughout a summerlong on-air and online promotion, iHeartMedia station listeners across the country will have chances to win exclusive trips to Las Vegas.

The iHeartRadio Music Festival will be executive-produced by John Sykes, Tom Poleman and Bart Peters from iHeartMedia and Diversified Production Services (DPS). iHeartMedia will also executive-produce the livestream and VOD special on Hulu.

For more details about the iHeartRadio Music Festival, visit iHeartRadio.com/festival. iHeart notes that artists and/or the event are subject to change or cancellation without notice.