Bad Bunny Wins Album of the Year at Grammys as Kendrick Lamar Sets Rap Record

LOS ANGELES — Bad Bunny won album of the year at the 68th Grammy Awards on Sunday for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” becoming the first artist to take the music industry’s top prize with a Spanish-language album, while Kendrick Lamar became the most-awarded rapper in the history of the Grammys.

The ceremony at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles honored recordings released between September 2024 and August 2025.

Lamar Passes Jay-Z

Lamar, who led all artists with nine nominations, made history less than half an hour into the night. His win for best rap album for “GNX” brought his career total to 26, surpassing the record of 25 held by Jay-Z. He finished the evening with 27 career Grammys.

In all, Lamar won five awards: rap album, record of the year and melodic rap performance for “Luther,” his collaboration with SZA, rap song for “TV Off,” and rap performance for his appearance on Clipse’s “Chains & Whips.”

According to the Los Angeles Times, Lamar became the first rapper to win record of the year twice and the first male artist to win the award in consecutive years.

Accepting the rap album prize, Lamar said he was not good at talking about himself but expressed himself through his music, and called it an honor to be there.

Other Major Winners

British R&B singer Olivia Dean, known for the hit “Man I Need,” won best new artist. Billie Eilish and her brother and collaborator Finneas won song of the year.

A Milestone for Latin Music

Bad Bunny’s victory marked a landmark moment for Latin music, which has grown into one of the most-streamed genres worldwide. The Puerto Rican artist has been among the world’s most popular musicians for much of the past decade, and “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” was widely praised for blending contemporary reggaeton with traditional Puerto Rican sounds.

The win came a week before Bad Bunny was scheduled to headline the Super Bowl halftime show, adding to an already high-profile stretch for the singer.

New Categories

This year’s Grammys also introduced new categories, including best album cover and best traditional country album, alongside a renamed best contemporary country album category, according to the Recording Academy.

The year’s nominations reflected a strong showing for hip-hop and Latin music, as well as continued recognition for pop stars who have dominated streaming charts. Lamar’s record-setting night extended a remarkable run that began in early 2025 with his Super Bowl halftime performance, when he became the first rapper to headline the show as a solo act.