Lil Jon, Toys 'R' Us Flip Thanksgiving Parade Virality Into Autism Speaks Fundraiser

Lil Jon rides the Toys“R”Us float during the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. His viral “Turn Down for What” moment has since spun into a fundraising campaign for Autism Speaks, raffling the custom jacket he wore in the parade. (Courtesy photo)

Somewhere between the marching bands, the inflatable Pikachu, and a sea of corporate branding, Lil Jon managed to make the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade feel like a block party again.

His performance on the Toys“R”Us float went viral not because of any big-budget pyrotechnics, but because the Atlanta-born king of crunk somehow made a 99-year-old holiday institution shout back “Yeah!”

Now, a few weeks later, Lil Jon and Toys“R”Us are turning that unlikely viral moment into something bigger — and a little bit better — a charity raffle that supports Autism Speaks. The campaign, announced this week, lets fans donate through toysrus.com/donatenow for a chance to win the custom jacket Lil Jon wore during the parade. The top-tier prize includes a meet-and-greet with him in Los Angeles, airfare and one night’s hotel stay.

For every five-dollar donation, fans get a shot at the jacket. One hundred bucks? One hundred entries. And, naturally, there’s an “extra entry” if you tag a friend on Instagram.

It’s all in support of Autism Speaks, an organization that’s spent more than two decades funding research, services and advocacy for autistic individuals and families.

 

“I’m excited to partner once again with Toys“R”Us — giving fans the chance to win my custom jacket that I wore during the parade — in support of Autism Speaks,” Lil Jon said in a statement announcing the project. “Donate now, let’s gooo, YEAHHH!!”

If it sounds both genuine and absurd, that’s because it is. Lil Jon, the same artist who turned “Shots!” into a generational chant, cleaning up Turn Down for What for the Macy’s Parade, is the kind of cultural full circle that only hip-hop could pull off.

Kim Miller Olko, global CMO for Toys“R”Us, framed it as a continuation of their long-standing charity work. “We’re thrilled to carry that momentum forward through this unique initiative,” she said, adding that the company has previously supported Autism Speaks and wants to “expand that partnership.”

Still, there’s something poetic about it — a once-bankrupt toy company teaming with a former club-scene megastar to raise money for a cause that hits close to home for many families. A kid-friendly parade float turned into an act of giving.

Lil Jon has been on plenty of big stages — from Grammy wins to EDM festivals — but this particular spotlight, wholesome and weird as it may be, might be his most unexpectedly human. In a landscape where celebrity charity drives can feel transactional, this one at least carries some of the chaotic sincerity that’s kept the rapper relevant for twenty years.

Because sometmes, giving back doesn’t have to be quiet.

For more information or to participate click here. 

Teyana Taylor’s Golden Globe Nod Crowns a Year When the Culture Took Center Stage

Teyana Taylor in “One Battle After Another.” Her fearless performance in Ryan Coogler’s drama, now a Golden Globe contender, embodies the rise of authentic, culture-rooted storytelling that reshaped this year’s awards season. (Photo Courtesy Warner Bros.)

Teyana Taylor walked into awards season as an outsider again — no big-budget campaign, no glossy magazine spread, no studio whispering her name into voters’ ears. But when the 2026 Golden Globe nominations dropped today, the Harlem-born artist’s name landed right where it belonged: on the list.


Her supporting role in “One Battle After Another,” a bruising indie drama that went from festival buzz to nine nominations, marked one of the few times the Globes have recognized a performer who started her career choreographing for Beyoncé and grinding through the same hip-hop hustle that Hollywood pretended didn’t exist.

For longtime fans who first saw her dancing in Jay-Z videos or directing her own visuals under the moniker “Spike Tey,” the news hit different. Taylor, now nominated for Best Supporting Actress for “One Battle After Another” — the year’s most-nominated film — walked into awards season with the same mix of grit and grace that’s carried her through every reinvention.

Where the Culture Showed Up at the 2026 Golden Globes

Key nominees announced Dec. 8, 2025, for the 83rd Golden Globes:

• "One Battle After Another" – Leads all films with 9 nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and a Supporting Actress nod for Teyana Taylor.
• "Sinners" – Scores 7 nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director (Ryan Coogler), Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan), Best Original Score (Ludwig Göransson) and Best Original Song for "I Lied to You" by Göransson and Raphael Saadiq.
• Tessa Thompson – Nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for "Hedda".
• Cynthia Erivo – Nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for "Wicked: For Good", which also picked up Best Original Song nods.
• Ayo Edebiri – Returns to the TV comedy race for her work in "The Bear".
• Quinta Brunson – Continues her awards run with another nomination for "Abbott Elementary" in the comedy series field.

For the full list of 2026 Golden Globe nominees, visit GoldenGlobes.com.

She wasn’t alone. With "Sinners," Ryan Coogler’s return to prestige filmmaking, Michael B. Jordan earned a Best Actor nod, solidifying the pair as modern cinema’s Scorsese and De Niro.. Composer Ludwig Göransson and Raphael Saadiq’s “I Lied to You” brought the film its fourth nomination, giving soul music a rare home inside a category once dominated by pop ballads and movie musicals.

From Teyana to Michael, from Cynthia Erivo’s “Wicked: For Good” nomination to Ayo Edebiri and Quinta Brunson representing television’s comedy elite, the 2026 Globes quietly told a story years in the making: the artists shaped by Black music, hip-hop aesthetics and R&B storytelling no longer sit at the margins of Hollywood — they are the pulse.

That change didn’t come from committees or press releases. It came from the culture refusing to wait for permission. When the HFPA scandal forced the Globes to rebuild, the world outside kept moving — through mixtapes, streaming, indie film circuits, and TikTok threads where music, politics, and performance blur daily. The result? Hollywood’s old party suddenly sounds like something new.

There are still gaps. No major hip-hop documentaries or biopics made the cut. Streaming platforms with Black showrunners remain under-nominated. But the list feels alive — reflective of a generation that grew up with Dilla drums under Scorsese cuts and Nina Simone lyrics sampled on Billboard hits.

If the Globes are finally listening, it’s because the culture stopped asking to be heard.

Judy Cheeks, Miami Soul Singer Who Found Global Fame in Europe’s Disco Era, Dies at 71

Judy Cheeks, the Miami-born soul and dance-music singer who was discovered by Ike & Tina Turner and rose to international fame with “Mellow Lovin’” before returning to her gospel roots, died Nov. 26, 2025, at age 71. (Photo Courtesy judycheeksmusic.com)

Judy Cheeks, the Miami-born soul and dance-music powerhouse whose gospel-trained voice carried from Southern sanctuaries to international dance floors, died the day before Thanksgiving after a long fight with autoimmune illness. She was 71.

The daughter of gospel legend Rev. Julius “June” Cheeks — whose fiery vocals with the Sensational Nightingales and the Soul Stirrers helped define gospel’s golden age — Judy grew up surrounded by voices that blurred the line between spirit and song. Mavis Staples, Sam Cooke, and members of the Caravans were family friends who dropped by the house. “When people say I sound like Mavis, it’s because being around gospel singers was like eating food and drinking water,” she told The Black Gospel Blog in 2013.

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By seven, she was leading hymns at church. By eighteen, she was discovered by Ike & Tina Turner, who produced her self-titled 1973 debut, “Judy Cheeks.” Touring as an Ikette gave her a stage presence and grit that set her apart from the smoother soul stylists of the era.

In 1977, she took a bold leap, moving to Germany with only $35 and a belief in her gift. A televised duet with Austrian crooner Udo Jürgens on “The Rudi Carrell Show” catapulted her to stardom in Europe, and her 1978 disco single “Mellow Lovin’” broke through internationally — hitting No. 10 on Billboard’s Dance Club chart.

 

Through the 1980s she recorded and toured across Europe, lending her unmistakable tone to artists including Donna Summer, Stevie Wonder, Boney M and Amanda Lear. But it was the 1990s that cemented her second act. “Respect” and “As Long As You’re Good to Me” both reached No. 1 on the U.S. Dance chart in 1995, proving her voice could ride any era’s rhythm without losing its soul. Later singles — “Reach,” “So in Love (The Real Deal)” and “You’re the Story of My Life” — made her a club-culture favorite and earned her crossover respect from house DJs and gospel purists alike.

 

In her later years, Cheeks turned back to her spiritual foundation. Albums like “True Love Is Free” (2013), “Danger Zone” (2018), “A Deeper Love” (2019) and “Love Dancin’” (2020) blended testimony with groove. “There are more important things I want to say,” she told The Black Gospel Blog. “Though my walk with God has always been there, I wanted my music to be gospel this time. It felt good singing from my heart.”

A GoFundMe campaign launched earlier this year revealed her battle with a rare autoimmune disorder that required months of intensive care. Even as her health declined, friends said her faith and warmth never wavered. “She was the real deal,” one longtime friend wrote, echoing the title of her 1990s anthem.

Steve Cropper, Guitarist Who Defined the Stax Records Sound, Dies at 84

Steve Cropper, second from right, with Booker T. & the M.G.’s in 1967. The integrated Stax Records house band helped shape the sound of Southern soul and backed artists including Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, and Wilson Pickett. 

Steve Cropper, the guitarist and songwriter whose clean, deliberate touch helped define the sound of Southern soul, died Thursday in Nashville at 84. His family confirmed the news, saying he passed peacefully surrounded by loved ones.

Cropper’s name might not ring as loud as the singers he backed, but his guitar did. As a founding member of Booker T. & the M.G.’s — the integrated house band for Stax Records — he played on and co-wrote a catalog that became the backbone of American R&B. His rhythm lines cut through songs like “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” “Soul Man” and “Knock on Wood,” records that carried the sound of Memphis across the world.

Unlike the guitar heroes of his era, Cropper’s approach wasn’t flash or volume — it was precision. He understood space. His riffs were short, economical, built to leave room for Otis Redding’s rasp, Wilson Pickett’s howl, or Sam & Dave’s shouted harmonies. “I’m not listening to just me,” he once said in an interview. “I make sure I’m sounding OK before we start the session.”

 

At Stax, Cropper’s sound helped set the label apart from Motown’s polish. The Memphis sessions were grittier — bass up front, horns pushing, drums dry and close — and Cropper was the glue between rhythm and melody. When Sam Moore yelled “Play it, Steve!” on “Soul Man,” it wasn’t ego. It was acknowledgment.

Through the 1960s and early ’70s, Cropper quietly built one of the most durable resumes in popular music. He co-wrote “In the Midnight Hour” with Pickett, co-produced “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” with Redding — finishing the song after Redding’s death — and helped shape dozens of sessions for artists including Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd and Rufus Thomas. He rarely sought the spotlight, but he was rarely far from a hit.

His work carried into later decades through The Blues Brothers, where he and bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn brought Stax’s feel to a new generation. That exposure turned him into a cult figure — a sideman suddenly seen.

 

Cropper was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, though he often brushed off accolades with the same ease he brushed off solos.

Even in later years, his reach extended further than many fans realized. Hip-hop producers and soul revivalists sampled the grooves he helped shape; his rhythm lines became part of the DNA of American popular music. He didn’t chase influence — it found him.

“Every note he played, every song he wrote, and every artist he inspired ensures that his spirit will continue to move people for generations,” his family wrote in a statement. He is survived by his wife, Angel Cropper, his children Andrea, Cameron, Stevie and Ashley, and generations of musicians who learned that sometimes the most powerful sound is restraint.

Chance the Rapper, 50 Cent and Mariah Carey Lead Culture-Shifting 'Rockin’ Eve'

Chance the Rapper, co-host of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2026,” will lead the show’s first-ever live Central Time Zone countdown from his hometown of Chicago, joining 50 Cent, Mariah Carey and Coco Jones in a lineup that blends hip-hop, R&B and pop across four time zones. (Courtesy ABC / Dick Clark Productions)

The clock still drops in Times Square, but this year the sound belongs to us. For the first time in its half-century run, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve feels less like a network broadcast and more like a playlist — one where hip-hop, R&B and pop collide in real time instead of being boxed off by genre.

The 2026 lineup is its most ambitious yet: 50 Cent, Chance the Rapper, Ciara, Coco Jones, Busta Rhymes, Wyclef Jean and T.I. share space with Mariah Carey, Charlie Puth, Post Malone, and country star Maren Morris, while newcomers like Chappell Roan, LE SSERAFIM, and BigXthaPlug stretch the sound across generations and continents. Over 80 performances will air across four time zones and eight hours of live television — the show’s longest broadcast in its history.

Chance the Rapper hosting the first-ever Central Time countdown from Chicago hits different. For a city that’s given the world everyone from Common and Kanye to Chief Keef and Noname, seeing Chance lead a national celebration from home feels like a long time coming. Out east, 50 Cent returns as New York royalty — not the provocateur he once was, but a fixture of the same culture that built Times Square’s pulse.

And in a moment that says everything about R&B’s quiet resurgence, Coco Jones takes center stage with the same voice that made “ICU” one of the genre’s defining songs of the decade. Then there’s Mariah Carey — timeless, theatrical and inevitable — the connective tissue between every generation the show’s ever tried to serve.

But the real cultural moment comes when DJ Cassidy’s “Pass the Mic Live!” unites Busta Rhymes, Wyclef Jean, and T.I. for a run that’s part cipher, part celebration — the kind of thing that never used to make it to network TV. For a show built on pop polish, this year’s lineup finally looks like the culture it’s been chasing for decades: messy, electric, and unapologetically Black at its core.

Sure, pop and rock names like Goo Goo Dolls, OneRepublic, and New Kids on the Block will keep the nostalgia crowd covered. But what gives Rockin’ Eve 2026 its spark is the mix — a reflection of how people really listen now: crossfade to crossfade, mood to mood, vibe to vibe.

It’s not that the show suddenly belongs to hip-hop or R&B. It’s that television finally understands it can’t ring in a new year without them. Because when midnight hits, it won’t be the confetti that gets remembered — it’ll be the bassline that carried us into the next one.

For more information on the show and to view the full lineup click here.

B2K to Reunite After Two Decades for National Tour With Bow Wow

Official poster for the “Boys 4 Life” Tour, the 28-city 2026 run produced by the Black Promoters Collective and headlined by B2K and Bow Wow. The tour begins Feb. 12, 2026, and features Amerie, Jeremih, Waka Flocka Flame, Yung Joc, Crime Mob, Dem Franchize Boyz and Pretty Ricky. (Image courtesy of Black Promoters Collective)

B2K will reunite for its first nationwide tour in more than two decades, a return that brings the group behind “Bump, Bump, Bump” — one of early-2000s R&B’s definitive hits — back into the spotlight after years marked by commercial triumph, internal conflict and public distance. The announcement arrives as part of the upcoming “Boys 4 Life” Tour with Bow Wow, reconnecting two acts whose ascents helped shape a formative chapter in millennial pop culture.

For fans who remember the group debuting with two albums in the same year, topping the Billboard 200 in early 2003 and igniting the hysteria of the Scream Tour era, the news reads not just as a reunion but as a re-entry into unfinished history. B2K’s run was brief — a two-year burst from 2002 to 2004 — but its impact reverberated far beyond its lifespan. Their polished harmonies, precision choreography and youth-centered R&B helped define the sonic and visual identity of the period. Their leading roles in “You Got Served” brought that blueprint to a wider audience, cementing the group as both chart staples and cultural touchstones.

The group’s dissolution was as public as its rise. In January 2004, their label, T.U.G. Entertainment, announced that Omarion would continue as a solo artist while B2K disbanded — a decision later complicated by disputes over management, finances and personal fallouts among members. Over the years, the fractured dynamics played out in interviews, social media exchanges and reality television, reinforcing the perception that a full reunion was unlikely.

That perception shifted in June 2025, when Omarion, J-Boog, Lil Fizz and Raz-B made an unexpected joint appearance at the BET Awards. Though the moment lasted only seconds, it was the first time all four had stood together publicly in years, immediately triggering speculation about whether their long-running divisions had finally begun to ease. The brief reunion circulated widely and reopened conversations about their legacy. Omarion later referenced the chemistry the group once had in a short Instagram clip, saying, “There was a certain level of authenticity that we all had. So in a way, we’re completing it.”

Bow Wow’s participation connects the tour to another central figure of the same era. Signed by Snoop Dogg as a child and mentored by Jermaine Dupri, Bow Wow’s debut album Beware of Dog went platinum before he reached high school. Over the next decade, he delivered seven No. 1 singles, sold more than 10 million albums and built a parallel acting career that included “Like Mike” (2002), “Roll Bounce” (2005) and “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” (2006). His tenure as host of BET’s 106 & Park solidified his role within youth-driven hip-hop culture.

The tour will open Feb. 12, 2026, in Columbia, S.C., with stops in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Washington, D.C., before closing April 19 in Hampton, Va. The lineup features Amerie, Jeremih, Waka Flocka Flame, Yung Joc, Crime Mob, Dem Franchize Boyz and special guests Pretty Ricky.

Both B2K and Bow Wow are expected to release new albums in February through BPC Music Group. The releases coincide with the tour calendar and mark a formal return to recording for both acts.

Outkast, Salt-N-Pepa Lead Powerful Night at Rock Hall’s 40th Anniversary

Outkast’s Big Boi and André 3000 speak onstage during their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at the 40th annual ceremony o Saturday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The Atlanta duo was honored alongside a diverse class including Cyndi Lauper, Soundgarden, The White Stripes, Bad Company, Chubby Checker and Joe Cocker. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for RRHOF)

When André 3000 and Big Boi started recording in the humid, half-lit basement known as the Dungeon, they weren’t chasing plaques, museums, or a place in rock history. They were chasing a sound — Atlanta’s sound — raw, melodic, Southern, and defiantly different from anything the coasts were doing. On Saturday night in Los Angeles, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame finally caught up to what the culture has known for thirty years: Outkast didn’t just shift the South. They helped shift the center of gravity in American music.

Inside the Peacock Theater, the duo’s induction became the emotional anchor of the Rock Hall’s 40th anniversary ceremony, a night where hip-hop, R&B, soul, and rock were honored with equal urgency. Their longtime admirer Donald Glover — a fellow son of Atlanta — delivered a near-perfect induction, tracing the lineage from the Dungeon Family to the present day. “When I first played ‘Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik,’ I heard the people around me,” Glover said. “And I learned you don’t have to scream or yell. You just have to be undeniable.”

"Great things start in little rooms. We started in a little room." — André 3000 and @BigBoi accept @Outkast’s Induction into the Rock & Roll of Fame.#RockHall2025 pic.twitter.com/lYI8xjENLB

— Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (@rockhall) November 9, 2025

Big Boi and André 3000 accepted together, surrounded by members of the Dungeon Family who helped shape their earliest sound. André’s speech — loose, unscripted, and deeply emotional — underscored how improbable the moment felt. “A lot of times when you get up here it’s about the musicians,” he said. “But it’s everybody around you. This is my family.” He shouted out Goodie Mob, Rico Wade, and the relatives who let a basement become a laboratory. “Jack White talked about little rooms,” André added. “And we started in a little room. Great things start in little rooms.”

Big Boi, ever direct, turned toward his brother in rhyme: “Thank you for making me be the best I can be… going toe to toe on the records. Iron sharpening iron. Love you, man.”

If Outkast provided the ceremony’s heartbeat, Salt-N-Pepa delivered its thunder. Sandra Denton, Cheryl James, and DJ Spinderella ran through “Let’s Talk About Sex,” “Whatta Man,” and “Push It” with the kind of precision that made them pioneers. But it was Salt’s pointed, unmistakable message about their ongoing legal battle with Universal Music Group that electrified the room. “We’re in a fight for our masters that rightfully belong to us,” she told the audience, explaining that their catalog had been pulled from streaming during the dispute. “Salt-N-Pepa has never been afraid of a fight.” Cheers erupted — not out of nostalgia, but solidarity.

"To all the guys who had a crush on us and had our posters on your wall, you're welcome." — Watch @TheSaltNPepa officially accept their induction into the Rock Hall.

📺 Watch the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony NOW on @DisneyPlus.#RockHall2025 pic.twitter.com/tGnuhfsRkg

— Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (@rockhall) November 9, 2025

Outkast may have supplied the ceremony’s cultural heartbeat, but they were inducted amid one of the Rock Hall’s most eclectic classes yet — a lineup that stretched from Bad Company and The White Stripes to Chubby Checker, Cyndi Lauper, Joe Cocker, Soundgarden, and Warren Zevon. For a show built on rock history, the spread of genres made clear how far the Hall’s borders have expanded in its 40th year.

Performances reflected that shift. The night opened with a tribute to Sly Stone, featuring Stevie Wonder, Flea, Beck, Maxwell and Jennifer Hudson — a supergroup that felt more like a jam session than a tribute. Cyndi Lauper delivered the ceremony’s most emotional moment, stopping “True Colors” mid-song to raise her fist in silence for the LGBTQ community. And Elton John offered a delicate, reverent “God Only Knows” in memory of Brian Wilson, who died in June.

Soundgarden’s segment — featuring Taylor Momsen on “Rusty Cage” and Brandi Carlile on “Black Hole Sun” — turned grief into communion. Chris Cornell’s absence hung in the air, acknowledged by the band with love rather than sorrow. “I miss him. I love him,” guitarist Kim Thayil said.

The White Stripes received a heartfelt salute from 22-year-old Olivia Rodrigo, who performed “I Think We’re Going to Be Friends” with Feist. Jack White dedicated a portion of his speech to legendary bassist Carol Kaye, though neither she nor Meg White attended.

The night closed with a Joe Cocker tribute that hit all the expected notes — “Feelin’ Alright,” “The Letter,” and a finale of “With a Little Help from My Friends.” It was scruffy, soulful, and raucous, exactly the way Cocker performed it in 1969, and exactly how a Rock Hall closer should feel.

But no segment resonated like hip-hop’s. Not because it was louder or flashier — but because it was legacy in motion. Outkast, Salt-N-Pepa, Questlove, Tyler, The Creator, Doja Cat, Janelle Monáe, and the Dungeon Family turned a traditionally rock-centered institution into something broader and truer: a celebration of American music as it actually exists, not as it once did.

Thirty years after Outkast told the Source Awards, “The South got something to say,” the Rock Hall finally said something back.

Grammy Ballot Reaffirms Hip-Hop’s Influence as Lamar Leads With Nine

Top album of the year nominees for the 2026 Grammy Awards include Bad Bunny, Leon Thomas, Sabrina Carpenter, Clipse, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Gunna and Tyler, the Creator. The Recording Academy announced the nominations Friday ahead of the Feb. 1 ceremony in Los Angeles. (Image courtesy of the Recording Academy)

The 2026 Grammys dropped their nominations Friday morning, and the ballot reads like a reminder of
who’s really steering modern music. Kendrick Lamar leads all artists this year with nine nominations, a run powered by the continued dominance of “Luther,” his chart-shifting collaboration with SZA. The single landed nods for Record of the Year and Best Melodic Rap Performance , while the album that anchors it, "GNX," is in the hunt for Album of the Year.

Artist	Total Nominations	Primary Genre Focus
Kendrick Lamar	9	Hip-Hop / Rap
Lady Gaga	7	Pop / Dance
Bad Bunny	6	Latin / Música Urbana
Sabrina Carpenter	6	Pop
Leon Thomas	6	R&B / Soul
Clipse (Pusha T & Malice)	5	Hip-Hop / Rap
Doechii	5	Hip-Hop / R&B
SZA	5	R&B / Pop
Tyler, The Creator	5	Alternative Rap

The competition for the night's top honors is fierce, with Lady Gaga following Lamar with seven nominations, and both Bad Bunny and Sabrina Carpenter scoring six nods each. All three major artists are competing against Lamar for Album of the Year, underscoring a historic race where Pop, Latin, and Hip-Hop titans face off in the marquee categories.

Leon Thomas emerged as the ceremony’s breakout story, earning six nominations — the most of any new artist — with his project “Mutt” hitting Album of the Year and multiple R&B categories. The singer-producer’s run marks one of the strongest career-reset moments in recent Grammy memory.

SZA, Doechii, Tyler, the Creator, and Clipse follow with five nominations each, a tight cluster that reflects how deeply hip-hop, R&B, Black pop, and alternative rap remain woven into the Recording Academy’s center of gravity.

Doechii’s “Anxiety” showed up everywhere — Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video — a rare sweep for a track driven by emotional precision rather than chart gymnastics. Tyler earned recognition for “Don’t Tap the Glass” and “Chromakopia,” while Clipse broke through with “Let God Sort ’Em Out,” their first album in 16 years, which now competes for Album of the Year and Best Rap Album.

For all the talk this year about rap’s uneven commercial presence — including the moment in August when no rap song appeared in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 for the first time in 35 years — the Grammy ballot tells a different story. The culture continues to define the creative edge, even when the charts glitch.

The industry’s evolution shows up elsewhere, too. The 2026 ceremony introduces two new categories: Best Traditional Country Album and Best Album Cover, expanding the Academy’s effort to credit the craft behind the music. Even there, the nominations reflect a generation raised on hip-hop’s visual language — bold palettes, narrative artwork, and street-influenced design that now appear across genres.

Click here for a full list of nominees.