Kendrick Lamar made history on Sunday night (Feb. 1) when the Compton legend passed Jay-Z for the most Grammy Awards by a rapper of all-time.
Lamar added another five wins to his tally on Sunday, bringing his career total to 27 Grammys, which makes him the most decorated rapper in Grammy history.
Kendrick picked up victories for record of the year (“Luther”), best melodic rap performance (“Luther”), best rap song (“TV Off”), best rap album (GNX), best rap performance (Clipse’s “Chains & Whips”).
The historic night meant that Kendrick is the first artist since Stevie Wonder to notch at least five Grammy wins in back-to-back years.
“Every time I tell you this: hip-hop is gonna always be right here,” Lamar said on stage after accepting a trophy for best rap album. “We gon’ be in these suits, we gon’ be looking good. We gon’ be having our folks with us. We gon’ be having the culture with us.”
Jay-Z picked up a 25th Grammy Award at the 2025 ceremony for his work as a songwriter on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album. Behind Hov, rappers with the most Grammys include Ye (formerly Kanye West) with 24 Grammys and Eminem with 15 wins.
Kendrick has become a Grammy darling for the Recording Academy in recent years, which Drake attempted to mock Lamar about during their 2024 feud, as he’s notched 14 wins since 2022.
The only thing missing from Kendrick’s Grammys résumé and trophy case is a victory for album of the year. Lamar’s GNX was nominated in the elusive AOTY category on Sunday, but lost out to Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos. The last rap album to win album of the year came in 2004 with Outkast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.
Here’s every Grammy Award Kendrick Lamar has won, from 2015 through Sunday night.
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2015: Best Rap Performance
Song: “I” (To Pimp a Butterfly)
Also Nominated: Childish Gambino, “3005”; Drake, “0 to 100 / The Catch Up”; Eminem, “Rap God”; Lecrae, “All I Need Is You”
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2015: Best Rap Song
Song: “I” (To Pimp a Butterfly)
Also Nominated: Nicki Minaj, “Anaconda”; Kanye West, “Bound 2”; Wiz Khalifa, “We Dem Boyz”; Drake, “0 to 100 / The Catch Up”
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2016: Best Rap Song
Song: “Alright” (To Pimp a Butterfly)
Also Nominated: Kanye West, “All Day”; Drake, “Energy”; Common and John Legend, “Glory”; Fetty Wap, “Trap Queen”
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2016: Best Rap Performance
Song: “Alright” (To Pimp a Butterfly)
Also Nominated: J. Cole, “Apparently”; Kanye West, “All Day”; Drake, “Back to Back”; Fetty Wap, “Trap Queen”; Nicki Minaj feat. Drake and Lil Wayne, “Truffle Butter”
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2016: Best Music Video
Song: “Bad Blood” (Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar)
Also Nominated: A$AP Rocky, “LSD”; The Dead Weather, “I Feel Love”; Kendrick Lamar, “Alright”; Pharrell, “Freedom”
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2016: Best Rap/Sung Performance
Song: “These Walls” feat. Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat (To Pimp a Butterfly)
Also Nominated: Big Sean featuring Kanye West and John Legend, “One Man Can Change the World”; John Legend and Common, “Glory”; Jidenna, “Classic Man”; Nicki Minaj feat. Chris Brown, Drake and Lil Wayne, “Only”
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2016: Best Rap Album
Album: To Pimp a Butterfly
Also Nominated: J Cole, 2014 Forest Hills Drive; Dr. Dre, Compton; Drake, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late; Nicki Minaj, The Pinkprint
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2018: Best Rap Performance
Song: “Humble” (DAMN.)
Also Nominated: Big Sean, “Bounce Back”; Cardi B, “Bodak Yellow”; Jay-Z, “4:44”; Migos feat. Lil Uzi Vert, “Bad & Boujee”
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2018: Best Rap Song
Song: “Humble” (DAMN.)
Also Nominated: Cardi B, “Bodak Yellow”; Danger Mouse feat. Run the Jewels and Big Boi, “Chase Me”; Rapsody, “Sassy”; Jay-Z, “The Story of O.J.”
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2018: Best Music Video
Song: “Humble” (DAMN.)
Also Nominated: “Up All Night” Beck, “Makeba” Jain, “The Story of O.J.” Jay-Z, “1-800-273-8255” Logic featuring Khalid and Alessia Cara
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2018: Best Rap Album
Album: DAMN.
Also Nominated: Jay-Z, 4:44; Migos, Culture; Rapsody, Laila’s Wisdom; Tyler, The Creator, Flower Boy
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2018: Best Rap/Sung Performance
Song: “Loyalty” featuring Rihanna
Also Nominated: 6LACK, “Prblms”; GoldLink feat. Brent Faiyaz and Shy Glizzy, “Crew”; Jay-Z featuring Beyoncé, “Family Feud”; SZA feat. Travis Scott, “Love Galore”
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2019: Best Rap Performance
Song: “King’s Dead” (Jay Rock featuring Kendrick Lamar, Future, James Blake)
Co-winner: “Bubblin” (Anderson .Paak)
Also Nominated: Cardi B, “Be Careful”; Drake, “Nice for What”; Travis Scott featuring Drake, Swae Lee and Big Hawk, “SICKO MODE”
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2022: Best Rap Performance
Song: “Family Ties” Baby Keem featuring Kendrick Lamar
Also Nominated: Cardi B, “Up”; J. Cole feat. 21 Savage and Morray, “My Life”; Drake feat. Future and Young Thug, “Way 2 Sexy”; Megan Thee Stallion, “Thot S—t”
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2023: Best Rap Performance
Song: “The Heart Part 5” (Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers)
Also Nominated: DJ Khaled feat. Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend & Fridayy, “God Did”; Doja Cat, “Vegas”; Gunna and Future feat. Young Thug, “Pushin P”; GloRilla and Hitkidd, “F.N.F.”
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2023: Best Rap Song
Song: “The Heart Part 5” (Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers)
Also Nominated: Jack Harlow feat. Drake, “Churchill Downs”; DJ Khaled feat. Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend and Fridayy, “God Did”; Gunna and Future feat. Young Thug, “Pushin P”; Future featuring Drake and Tems, “Wait for U”
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2023: Best Rap Album
Album: Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
Also Nominated: DJ Khaled, God Did; Future, I Never Liked You; Jack Harlow, Come Home the Kids Miss You; Pusha T, It’s Almost Dry
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2025: Record of the Year
Song: “Not Like Us”
Also Nominated: Charli xcx, “360”; Billie Eilish, “Birds of a Feather”; Sabrina Carpenter, “Espresso”; Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone, “Fortnight”; Chappell Roan, “Good Luck, Babe!”; The Beatles, “Now and Then”; Beyoncé, “Texas Hold ‘Em”
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2025: Song of the Year
Song: “Not Like Us”
Also Nominated: Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”; Billie Eilish, “Birds of a Feather”; Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, “Die With a Smile”; Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone, “Fortnight”; Chappell Roan, “Good Luck, Babe!”; Sabrina Carpenter, “Please Please Please”; Beyoncé, “Texas Hold ‘Em”
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2025: Best Rap Song
Song: “Not Like Us”
Also Nominated: Rapsody feat. Hit-Boy, “Asteroids”; Ye and Ty Dolla $ign feat. Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti, “Carnival”; Future and Metro Boomin feat. Kendrick Lamar, “Like That”; GloRilla, “Yeah Glo!”
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2025: Best Music Video
Song: “Not Like Us”
Also Nominated: A$AP Rocky, “Tailor Swif”; Charli xcx, “360”; Eminem, “Houdini”; Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone, “Fortnight”
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2025: Best Rap Performance
Song: “Not Like Us”
Also Nominated: Cardi B, “Enough (Miami)”; Common and Pete Rock feat. Posdnuos, “When the Sun Shines Again”; Doechii, “Nissan Altima”; Eminem, “Houdini”; Future and Metro Boomin feat. Kendrick Lamar, “Like That”; GloRilla, “Yeah Glo!”
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2026: Best Melodic Rap Performance
Song: “Luther” (with SZA)
Also Nominated: Fridayy feat. Meek Mill, “Proud of Me”; J.I.D. featuring Ty Dolla $ign and 6LACK, “Wholeheartedly”; Terrace Martin and Kenyon Dixon feat. Rapsody, “WeMaj”; PartyNextDoor and Drake, “Somebody Loves Me”
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2026: Record of the Year
Song: “Luther” (with SZA)
Also Nominated: Lady Gaga, “Abcradabra”; Doechii, “Anxiety”; ROSÉ and Bruno Mars, “APT.”; Bad Bunny, “DtMF”; Sabrina Carpenter, “Manchild”; Chappell Roan, “The Subway”; Billie Eilish, “Wildflower”
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2026: Best Rap Album
Album: GNX
Also Nominated: Clipse, Let God Sort Em Out; J.I.D., God Does Like Ugly; GloRilla, Glorious; Tyler, The Creator, CHROMAKOPIA
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2026: Best Rap Performance
Song: “Chains & Whips” Clipse featuring Kendrick Lamar
Also Nominated: Cardi B, “Outside”; Doechii, “Anxiety”; Kendrick Lamar feat. Lefty Gunplay, “TV Off”; Tyler, the Creator feat. Teezo Touchdown, “Darling, I”
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2026: Best Rap Song
Song: “TV Off” featuring Lefty Gunplay (GNX)
Also Nominated: Doechii, “Anxiety”; Clipse feat. John Legend and Voices of Fire, “The Birds Don’t Sing”; Tyler, the Creator feat. Lil Wayne, Sexyy Red and GloRilla, “Sticky”; GloRilla, “TGIF”
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