Kendrick Lamar Becomes the Most Awarded Rapper in Grammy History

Kendrick Lamar has officially become the most decorated rapper in Grammy Awards history, surpassing longtime record-holder Jay-Z and cementing his place at the top of hip-hop’s awards canon.

At the 2026 Grammy Awards on Sunday night, Lamar collected five additional trophies, bringing his career total to 27 wins. The milestone moves him past Jay-Z’s previous record of 24 Grammy victories among rappers, a mark that had stood for years and was once shared with Kanye West.

Lamar’s latest wins came from a dominant showing tied to his 2025 album GNX, which earned Best Rap Album. He also won Best Rap Song for “TV Off,” Best Rap Performance for “Chains & Whips,” and Best Melodic Rap Performance for “Luther.” The night culminated with Lamar taking home Record of the Year for “Luther,” one of the ceremony’s most high-profile honors.

Accepting the award for Best Rap Album, Lamar downplayed the personal significance of the achievement while emphasizing hip-hop’s cultural continuity. “It is hip-hop as usual,” he told the audience. “I’m not good at talking about myself, but I express it through the music. It’s an honor to be here. Hip-hop is going to always be right here. We’re going to be in these suits, looking good, having our folks with us. We’re going to be having the culture with us.”

Heading into the ceremony, Lamar was already positioned to make history. He entered the night with 22 Grammy wins, trailing only Jay-Z and Kanye West, and led all artists with nine nominations, a reflection of both the commercial impact and critical reception of GNX. By the end of the evening, he had claimed sole possession of the record.

Lamar’s ascent has been both deliberate and unusually consistent. His first Grammy nomination came in 2013 for good kid, m.A.A.d city, a debut that reshaped the narrative possibilities of mainstream rap. While the album did not win that year, it established Lamar as a generational voice. Two years later, he secured his first Grammy wins in 2015 for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance with “i.”

Since then, Lamar has built a Grammy résumé that spans every major rap category, along with crossover recognition in general fields. His victories have tracked the evolution of his work, from autobiographical storytelling and political urgency to experimental production and tightly constructed concept albums, while reinforcing his reputation as an artist whose ambition is matched by institutional recognition.

With 27 Grammy wins now to his name, Lamar stands alone among rappers, not just as a prolific award recipient, but as a figure whose body of work has repeatedly reshaped the genre’s artistic and cultural benchmarks.