Grammys: Who Has The Edge In The 2026 Song Of The Year Race?
The Grammy Awards are just around the corner, and it is time to take a look at the nominees for Song of the Year. While everyone always focuses on the artists during the Grammys, this award gives the songwriters a little love. Surprisingly, this year’s eight nominated songs were all written, at least in part, by the eventual performers. Here is a look at the nominees.
Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”
(Song written by Lady Gaga, Henry Walter, and Andrew Watt)
Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” has been nominated for four Grammys, as well as six MTV Video Music Awards, and a host of other honors. The song topped various charts across 16 different countries, including the Billboard Hot Dance/Pop Songs in the United States. It was certified double-platinum in the U.S. “Abracadabra” also owes credit to the old Siouxsie and the Banshees song “Spellbound,” from which it borrows elements.
Doechii – “Anxiety”
(Song written by Doechii)
Another nominee that borrows from an older song, Doechii‘s breakthrough single “Anxiety” leans heavily on the melody of the 2011 song “Somebody That I Used to Know” byย Gotyeย andย Kimbra. “Anxiety” topped charts in 16 countries, including hitting #1 on the Billboard Pop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay charts in the U.S. It was certified platinum, and it received nominations for five Grammys and four MTV Video Music Awards.
ย Rosรฉย & Bruno Mars – “APT.”
(Song written by Amy Allen, Christopher Brody Brown, Rogรฉt Chahayed, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Chae Young Park, Theron Thomas, and Henry Walter)
Borrowing from the 1982 Toni Basil hit “Mickey,” the Rosรฉย and Bruno Mars smash seemed to be stuck in everyone’s heads over the past year-plus. The song topped the charts in more than 50 countries and was estimated to have been streamed over one billion times. The song was nominated for three Grammys, seven MTV Video Music Awards, and dozens of other awards worldwide. The Song of the Year nomination was the first time that a K-pop star had ever been nominated for a Grammy.
Bad Bunney – “DtMF”
(Song written by Marco Daniel Borrero, Scott Dittrich, Benjamin Falik, Bad Bunny, Hugo Renรฉ Senciรณn Sanabria, Tyler Spry, and Roberto Josรฉ Rosado Torres)
Standing for Debรญ Tirar Mรกs Fotos (or I Should Have Taken More Photos in English), “DtMF” was the abbreviation of Bad Bunny’s chart-topping hit album title. The song topped 29 charts worldwide, including four Billboard charts in the U.S. The song was also nominated for a Grammy in the Record of the Year category.
HUNTR/X – “Golden”
(Song written by Ejae, Park Hong Jun, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo, and Mark Sonnenblick)
“Golden” was a huge hit from the soundtrack of the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters.” Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami provide the singing voices of the animated band HUNTR/X in the film. The song topped the charts in more than 30 countries and has been nominated for dozens of awards worldwide, including an Academy Award. “Golden” is up for three other Grammys, and it just won a Golden Globe a couple of weeks ago for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture.
Kendrick Lamar with SZA – “Luther”
(Song written by Jack Antonoff, Roshwita Larisha Bacha, Matthew Bernard, Scott Bridgeway, Sam Dew, Ink, Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Mark Anthony Spears, and Kamasi Washington)
Sampling the Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn version of Marvin Gaye’s “If This World Were Mine”ย (sung withย Tammi Terrell), Kendrick Lamar and SZA topped the charts in seven countries, including the U.S. The song received nominations for three Grammys, two American Music Awards, and an MTV Music Award, and it has already taken home a BET Award for Best Collaboration.
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
(Song written by Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff, and Sabrina Carpenter)
“Manchild” marks the second nomination in this category this year for Jack Antonoff, who co-wrote “Luther,” and Amy Allen, who co-wrote “APT.” Sabrina Carpenter‘s rant about bad exes hit #1 in nine countries, including the U.S. The platinum-selling hit is nominated in four Grammy categories and already won an MTV Video Music Award.
Billie Eilish – “Wildflower”
(Song written by Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell)
Billie Eilish’s “Wildflower” didn’t have the chart success of some of the other nominees, peaking at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, the song was one of the best-selling of the year. It was certified quadruple-platinum in the United States, and it was certified platinum or higher in 14 countries. “Wildflower” is also nominated for a Grammy in the Record of the Year category.
Projected Song of the Year Winner: “Golden”
“Golden” topped the Billboard Global 200 for 18 weeks. In a category filled with international hits, it seems to be a tier above the rest. The song has a mass appeal that has connected with listeners of all ages. As much as Antonoff and Allen very much deserve a win in this category this year, the ensemble writing cast of Ejae, Park Hong Jun, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo, and Mark Sonnenblick have earned this win.
Tune In Live
The 2026 Grammys will air on Sunday, Feb. 1, live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles from 8 – 11:30 p.m. EST.
