The most-nominated artist at the 2026 Grammys took home another of its top prizes on Sunday night, when Kendrick Lamar earned his second consecutive record of the year trophy, this time alongside SZA for their lovelorn duet “Luther.”
The 38-year-old rap titan born Kendrick Lamar Duckworth had previously won 22 Grammys, including record and song of the year in 2025 for his diss track “Not Like Us.” He led all nominees this year, with nine nods. “Luther” also vied for song of the year, while Lamar’s most recent album, “GNX,” was up for album of the year and best rap album.
SZA, 36, entered the ceremony with five Grammys, but none until this year had come in the awards’ top all-genre categories. The genre-bending R&B vocalist and songwriter born Solána Rowe won best R&B song a year ago for her single “Saturn.”
Lamar released “Luther” in November 2024 as part of “GNX,” his sixth studio album. Peaking at No. 1, the song spent 46 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The song is “easily the album’s most tender moment,” The Times’s pop music critic Lindsay Zoladz wrote.“Luther” samples “If This World Were Mine,” which was written by Marvin Gaye, originally performed by Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and later sung by Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn.
Watch the video below:
Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and Sounwave dedicate their 'Record of the Year' #GRAMMY to Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn pic.twitter.com/TYWhyzSOdW
— Kurrco (@Kurrco) February 2, 2026