Previous winners including Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan announce nominees as Recording Academy introduces categories for traditional country and album art
The Recording Academy rolled out its nominees for the 68th annual Grammy Awards on Friday morning, enlisting some of music’s brightest young stars to reveal which artists will compete for the industry’s most prestigious honors. The ceremony itself won’t arrive until Feb. 1, but anticipation has been building for months as fans and industry insiders speculate about which performers will earn recognition.
This year’s nomination announcement took on special significance as the Recording Academy tapped recent winners to share the news. Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Doechii were among the artists taking the stage to unveil nominees across all 95 categories, creating a sense of continuity between last year’s triumphant moments and this year’s fresh crop of contenders.
The format allowed fans to watch their favorite artists participate directly in the nomination process, adding an extra layer of excitement to what has traditionally been a straightforward announcement. Streaming began at 11 a.m. Eastern Time on the Grammy website and the Recording Academy’s YouTube channel, with the complete list of nominees becoming available on the official site at 11:30 a.m.
Grammy nominations expand recognition of musical artistry
Perhaps the most notable development for the 2026 awards involves the introduction of two entirely new categories. The Recording Academy added Best Traditional Country Album and Best Album Cover to its roster, expanding the ways in which musical excellence can be recognized and celebrated.
Best Traditional Country Album addresses what many industry observers have long considered an oversight. The category honors the genre’s deep roots and ongoing evolution, providing a platform specifically dedicated to artists who embrace country music’s heritage while pushing its boundaries forward. The addition acknowledges traditional country’s continued relevance in an era when the genre has expanded in multiple directions, sometimes leaving its foundational sounds underrepresented in major award categories.
The Best Album Cover category represents an even more groundbreaking shift. For the first time, the Grammy Awards will formally recognize the visual artists and art directors whose work creates the iconic imagery that defines albums and shapes how audiences connect with music before they even press play. Album covers have long been an essential element of musical culture, from classic designs that become instantly recognizable to contemporary artwork that sparks conversation and debate. The new category finally gives these creative professionals their moment in the spotlight.
Recent winners return to announcement stage
The artists selected to announce nominees brought impressive credentials of their own. Chappell Roan captured Best New Artist at the most recent ceremony, capping a remarkable year that saw her rise from relative obscurity to genuine pop stardom. Her presence at the announcement underscored how quickly fortunes can change in the music industry and how the Grammys aim to celebrate emerging talent.
Doechii’s participation carried similar weight. The rapper took home Best Rap Album for Alligator Bites Never Heal, an achievement that validated her unique artistic vision and technical skill. Her selection to announce nominees reflected the Recording Academy’s recognition of hip hop’s continued dominance in shaping contemporary music culture.
Sabrina Carpenter arguably enjoyed the most commercially successful year of the three announcers. Her summer anthem Espresso became ubiquitous on radio and streaming platforms, while her album Short n’ Sweet topped charts and earned critical praise. Those accomplishments translated into Grammy gold as Carpenter won Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album. Her involvement in the nomination announcement served as a reminder of how thoroughly she dominated pop music conversations throughout the year.
The decision to feature these specific artists as announcers also highlighted the Recording Academy’s efforts to stay relevant with younger audiences. All three represent the current generation of music makers who have built devoted followings through social media savvy and authentic connection with fans, not just through traditional industry channels.
Anticipation builds for February ceremony
With nominations now public, attention shifts to the Feb. 1 ceremony itself. The awards show promises to deliver memorable performances, unexpected collaborations and the kind of surprising wins that generate headlines and fuel debates for weeks afterward. Whether the new categories will enhance the show’s prestige or simply add length to an already marathon broadcast remains to be seen, but their introduction signals the Recording Academy’s willingness to evolve alongside the industry it honors.