Kendrick Lamar has officially cemented his place at the very top of hip-hop history, surpassing Jay-Z to become the most-awarded rapper in Grammy Awards history. The milestone was achieved at the 2026 Grammy Awards, where Lamar enjoyed a dominant night.
Jay-Z, long regarded as one of rap’s most decorated figures, had held the title for years.
Lamar’s latest wins push him ahead, making him the most decorated rapper the Recording Academy has ever recognized — a rare distinction in a genre that has often struggled for full institutional recognition.
Lamar entered the 2026 Grammys as one of the most nominated artists of the year and left as its biggest rap winner. His victories across multiple rap categories — as both a solo artist and collaborator — elevated his career Grammy tally beyond Jay-Z’s longstanding record.
Kendrick Lamar led the 2026 Grammy Awards with nine nominations, the most of any artist this year, and walked away with five wins, capping a dominant night for the rapper.
His victories pushed his career Grammy tally to 27 awards, officially surpassing Jay-Z’s 25 wins and making Lamar the most-awarded rapper in Grammy history.
The wins were spread across key rap and general categories. Unlike many artists who dominate a single lane, Lamar’s Grammy success had versatility, spanning traditional rap performance, songwriting, and crossover appeal.
In his acceptance remarks, Lamar thanked his collaborators and acknowledged hip-hop’s cultural roots. “This is bigger than me,” he said, noting that the recognition belonged to the wider rap community that continues to push boundaries and tell authentic stor
Since his early breakout in the early 2010s, he has built a catalogue that balances commercial impact with conceptual ambition.
Albums like good kid, m.A.A.d city, To Pimp a Butterfly, and DAMN. reshaped expectations for mainstream rap, blending social commentary with chart-topping success.
Unlike many of his peers, Lamar has avoided oversaturation, releasing music selectively and allowing each project to define an era.
That approach has paid off with sustained Grammy recognition over more than a decade.
Music critics often point to Lamar’s consistency as his defining trait. While trends in hip-hop shift rapidly, Lamar’s work has remained rooted in storytelling, cultural critique, and technical excellence.
Jay-Z remains one of the most nominated and celebrated artists in Grammy history across all genres, with a career that spans music, business, and cultural leadership.
In fact, Jay-Z himself has been openly critical of the Grammys’ treatment of hip-hop in the past, arguing that the institution has often failed to fully understand or reward the genre’s innovation.
Once marginalized by major award institutions, the genre is now producing artists whose bodies of work are not only commercially successful but repeatedly recognized at the industry’s most prestigious awards.
At 38, Lamar shows little sign of slowing down. While he has kept his future plans largely private, his influence is far from peaking.