Grammy Rap Nominees refers to the artists, albums, and songs that have been nominated for Grammy Awards in the rap/hip-hop categories. The Recording Academy (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) presents several rap-specific categories at the annual Grammy Awards ceremony.
Major Rap Categories
Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
Established in 1995, with the first award presented at the 38th Grammy Awards (1996) to Naughty by Nature for Poverty's Paradise. The award recognizes "albums containing at least 51% playing time of tracks with newly recorded rapped performances."
Most wins: Eminem (6) Most nominations: Jay-Z (11)
Notable winners include Eminem (The Slim Shady LP, The Marshall Mathers LP, The Eminem Show, Recovery, Relapse, The Marshall Mathers LP 2), Kanye West (The College Dropout, Late Registration, Graduation, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy), Kendrick Lamar (To Pimp a Butterfly, Damn, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, GNX), Outkast (Stankonia, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below), and Tyler, the Creator (Igor, Call Me If You Get Lost). Cardi B became the first solo female rapper to win in 2019 for Invasion of Privacy.
Grammy Award for Best Rap Song
A songwriter's award recognizing excellence in rap music songwriting. Recent winners include Kendrick Lamar's "tv off" (2026), Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" (2025), and Killer Mike's "Scientists & Engineers" (2024).
Other Rap Categories
Additional categories have included Best Rap Performance, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, and Best Melodic Rap Performance (introduced in 2022).
Notable Nominees by Year
2026 (68th Grammy Awards):
- Best Rap Album nominees: GNX (Kendrick Lamar - winner), Chromakopia (Tyler, the Creator), Glorious (GloRilla), God Does Like Ugly (JID), Let God Sort Em Out (Clipse)
- Best Rap Song nominees: "tv off" (Kendrick Lamar - winner), "Anxiety" (Doechii), "The Birds Don't Sing" (Clipse), "Sticky" (Tyler, the Creator), "TGIF" (GloRilla)
2025 (67th Grammy Awards):
- Best Rap Album nominees: Alligator Bites Never Heal (Doechii - winner), The Auditorium Vol. 1 (Common & Pete Rock), The Death of Slim Shady (Eminem), Might Delete Later (J. Cole), We Don't Trust You (Future & Metro Boomin)
2024 (66th Grammy Awards):
- Best Rap Album nominees: Michael (Killer Mike - winner), Her Loss (Drake & 21 Savage), Heroes & Villains (Metro Boomin), King's Disease III (Nas), Utopia (Travis Scott)
Historical Significance
The rap categories at the Grammys have been a subject of discussion regarding representation, with critics noting that the awards have sometimes overlooked influential artists. The categories have evolved over time, with the Academy adjusting eligibility rules and category definitions to reflect the changing landscape of hip-hop music.
