Cheyenne Suarez

Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga face off at Grammys

Superstars Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga.

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176974011105730012026 combo 2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"> Superstars Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga. <em>Kendrick Lamar/Instagram, Lady Gaga/Instagram, Ricardo Arduengo, AFP/File </em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Superstars Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga are primed to make history on Sunday in Los Angeles at the 68th Grammy Awards, honoring the best in music.</p><p>All three are angling to add to their trophy cabinets by taking home the gala&#x27;s most coveted award, Album of the Year, for the first time.</p><p>Lamar, the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper who won five gramophones last year, has nine nominations this time around -- the most of any artist -- including for Record and Song of the year.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2025/2/10/kendrick-lamar-dazzles-at-super-bowl-halftime-show-1141">Kendrick Lamar dazzles at Super Bowl halftime show</a></div><p>Pop chameleon Lady Gaga and Puerto Rico&#x27;s Bad Bunny also are competing in all three categories.</p><p>Also nominated for the top album prize are: pop princess Sabrina Carpenter; R&amp;B singer-songwriter Leon Thomas; Tyler, the Creator; hip-hop duo Clipse (Pusha T and Malice); and pop superstar Justin Bieber -- with his first studio effort in four years.</p><p>Lamar is nominated this year for his album &quot;GNX,&quot; which includes the single &quot;Luther&quot; featuring R&amp;B artist SZA. The 38-year-old has won 22 Grammys during his career.</p><p>Lady Gaga, Bieber and Carpenter are set to perform, with more acts expected to be confirmed before Sunday.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/5/4/brazil-police-foil-lady-gaga-gig-bomb-plot-2351">Brazil police foil Lady Gaga gig bomb plot</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/music/2025/3/14/lady-gaga-discusses-inspiration-behind-mayhem-album-1719">Lady Gaga discusses inspiration behind &#x27;Mayhem&#x27; album</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>BAD BUNNY&#x27;S HOT STREAK </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Standing in Lamar&#x27;s way for Album of the Year is Bad Bunny, who is currently on a world tour in support of his album &quot;Debi Tirar Mas Fotos&quot; (I Should Have Taken More Photos).</p><p>&quot;It was a very exciting album,&quot; musicologist Lauron Kehrer told AFP.</p><p>&quot;It touched on so much in terms of thematic material and musical material,&quot; Kehrer said, pointing to the allusions to decolonization and use of traditional Puerto Rican rhythms.</p><p>The 31-year-old Latin megastar, born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, will headline the Super Bowl halftime show a week after the Grammys, where he is up for six awards.</p><p>Last year, he completed a three-month residency in his native Puerto Rico and hosted the season opener of &quot;Saturday Night Live.&quot;</p><p>His &quot;Un verano sin ti&quot; (2022) was the first Spanish-language album nominated for Album of the Year honors. A win on Sunday would give Bad Bunny another mention in the history books.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2025/9/12/bad-bunny-to-skip-us-in-world-tour-fears-immigration-raids-0611">Bad Bunny to skip US in world tour, fears immigration raids</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/events/2025/7/12/bad-bunny-draws-jubilant-puerto-ricans-to-historic-residency-1514">Bad Bunny draws jubilant Puerto Ricans to historic residency</a></div><p>Lady Gaga, 39, made a splashy comeback to touring with &quot;Mayhem,&quot; her collection of pop bangers with a dark edge that embraces her dramatic side. She has seven nominations.</p><p>She has 14 Grammys to her name, but a win for Album of the Year would complete her hat trick of top awards.</p><p>She took Record and Song of the Year honors seven years ago for the soundtrack hit &quot;Shallow,&quot; from &quot;A Star is Born&quot; -- which also earned her an Oscar.</p><p>This time around, Song of the Year -- which honors songwriting -- is a crowded category that includes Carpenter&#x27;s &quot;Manchild&quot; and &quot;Golden&quot; from the Netflix animated smash hit &quot;KPop Demon Hunters.&quot;</p><p>Many pundits believe the energetic K-pop hit will triumph.</p><p>Up for best new artist are Alex Warren, girl group Katseye, Britain&#x27;s Olivia Dean, TikTok dancer-turned-singer Addison Rae, The Marias, sombr, Lola Young and Thomas -- who was already a Grammy winner two years ago for producing a song by SZA.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;REACTIONARY&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>For musicologist Kehrer, the infusion of rap, reggaeton and K-pop in the top Grammy categories reflects changes in the composition of the Recording Academy&#x27;s voting group.</p><p>More than 3,800 new members have been admitted. Half of those new members are age 39 or younger, and 58 percent of them are people of color, the academy says.</p><p>Invitations were also offered to all members of the Latin Recording Academy.</p><p>&quot;The Grammys are more reactionary than anything else,&quot; said Kehrer.</p><p>&quot;These artists winning those major awards is more of an indication of climate, rather than trying to move or change the climate.&quot;</p><p>The Grammy Awards will once again be hosted by comedian Trevor Noah.</p><p>The main broadcast begins at 5:00 pm (0100 GMT Monday), but many of the 95 awards will be handed out at a pre-gala event.</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div> </div>

<p>Superstars Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga are primed to make history on Sunday in Los Angeles at the 68th Grammy Awards, honoring the best in music.</p>

Superstars Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga are primed to make history on Sunday in Los Angeles at the 68th Grammy Awards, honoring the best in music.