Kendrick Lamar has officially secured his place at the very top of hip-hop history.

At the 2026 Grammy Awards, the Compton native became the most-awarded rapper of all time, surpassing Jay-Z’s long-standing record. Lamar walked away with four additional trophies—Best Rap Album for GNX, Best Rap Song for “TV Off,” Best Melodic Rap Performance for “Luther,” and Best Rap Performance for his feature on Clipse’s “Chains & Whips”—bringing his career total to 26 Grammys.

With the milestone, Lamar eclipsed Jay Z’s 25 wins and moved past Kanye West’s 24, a moment that felt less like a surprise and more like an inevitability for an artist who has spent over a decade reshaping what rap can sound like, say, and stand for.

Accepting the award for Best Rap Album, Lamar kept the focus where it’s always been—on the culture.

 “It is hip-hop as usual, man. 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 are going to be in these suits looking good, having our folks with us. We are going to be having the culture with us. So I appreciate y’all. God is to glory. Love y’all.”

The night was the latest chapter in a Grammy run that mirrors Kendrick’s evolution as an artist. From good kid, m.A.A.d city—his 2012 major-label debut that introduced a cinematic, hyper-local storytelling voice—to To Pimp a Butterfly, which fused jazz, funk, and political urgency, Lamar has consistently pushed rap beyond commercial expectations. His 2018 album DAMN. made history of its own when it earned a Pulitzer Prize, a first for a hip-hop artist.

While good kid, m.A.A.d city famously lost Best Rap Album to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ The Heist—a decision that sparked widespread backlash and a now-infamous “you got robbed” text from Macklemore—Lamar’s long game has more than evened the score. He’s now a three-time Best Rap Album winner, taking home the category for To Pimp a Butterfly, DAMN., Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, and now GNX.

Lamar entered the night with 22 wins and 57 career nominations, earning nine nods this year alone, including Album, Song, and Record of the Year—categories still pending at the time of his record-breaking moment. Even before the CBS telecast began, he had already collected three awards during the Premiere Ceremony.

Last year, his chart-dominating single “Not Like Us” became a cultural flashpoint, sweeping five Grammy categories and reaffirming his ability to merge lyrical precision with viral impact. Whether dissecting personal trauma, systemic injustice, or rap rivalries, Kendrick has remained uncompromising—and the Academy has followed.

With the night still unfolding, Lamar’s total could climb even higher. But regardless of how many more trophies he adds, the message is already clear: Kendrick Lamar isn’t just winning Grammys—he’s defining an era.