Kendrick Lamar, Doechii & More Lead 2026 NAACP Image Awards Nominees

Key Takeaways:

• Kendrick Lamar, Doechii and Cardi B are among the top contenders in the 2026 NAACP Image Awards music categories.
• The list showcases genre diversity, with nominations spanning Hip Hop, R&B, gospel and alternative sounds.
• NAACP leadership emphasized the awards’ role in celebrating Black creativity and cultural storytelling.

The NAACP Image Awards are returning for another year on Feb. 28. On Monday (Jan. 12) morning, the 2026 ceremony’s official list of nominees was revealed, with Kendrick Lamar, Leon Thomas and Cardi B among the leading musicians.

Up for the highly coveted Entertainer of the Year award, the “Not Like Us” rapper is competing against Doechii, Teyana Taylor, Michael B. Jordan and Cynthia Erivo, all of whom had incredible years. Although Lamar’s GNX isn’t vying for anything, the LP’s “luther” is up for Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album alongside Kehlani’s “Folded” and Taylor’s Escape Room, to mention a few contenders.

Outstanding Album is shaping up to be another tight race, with Cardi’s AM I THE DRAMA?, Leon Thomas’ MUTT Deluxe: HEEL, GIVĒON’s BELOVED, SZA’s SOS Deluxe: LANA, and Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out all in the running. Many of those same acts appear again in the Outstanding Male Artist category, joined by Bryson Tiller and Chris Brown.

On the flip side, the Outstanding Female Artist category includes Taylor, Alex Isley, Doechii, Cardi and SZA. Meanwhile, Rap-Up favorites Monaleo and Ravyn Lenae will face off for Outstanding New Artist alongside Elmiene, Lee Vasi and Madison McFerrin.

“The NAACP Image Awards is our declaration to our community that ‘We See You,’ affirming Black creativity, excellence and humanity across every space where our stories are told,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement. “From film, television, and music to literature and beyond, the voices of all of our nominees tell stories that honor our past, celebrate our identity, and remind us that storytelling has the power to move culture forward.”

Scroll down for the full list of music nominees for the 2026 NAACP Image Awards.

Outstanding Album

AM I THE DRAMA? – Cardi B (Atlantic Records)

BELOVED – GIVĒON (Epic Records)

Let God Sort Em Out – Clipse, Pusha T, Malice (Roc Nation Distribution)

MUTT Deluxe: HEEL – Leon Thomas (EZMNY Records/Motown Records)

SOS Deluxe: LANA – SZA (RCA Records/Top Dawg Entertainment)

Outstanding Song – Soul/R&B

“Folded” – Kehlani (Atlantic Records)

“Burning Blue” – Mariah the Scientist (Epic Records)

“It Depends” – Chris Brown featuring Bryson Tiller (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment)

“YES IT IS” – Leon Thomas (EZMNY Records/Motown Records)

“Bed of Roses” – Teyana Taylor (Def Jam Recordings)

Outstanding Song – Hip Hop/Rap

“Anxiety” – Doechii (Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records)

“Chains & Whips” – Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell Williams, Pusha T, Malice (Roc Nation Distribution)

“ErrTime” – Cardi B (Atlantic Records)

“Ride (Remix)” – Chance the Rapper featuring Do or Die and Twista (CTR LLC)

“Typa” – GloRilla (CMG/Interscope Records)

Outstanding Male Artist

Bryson Tiller – Solace & The Vices (RCA Records/TrapSoul)

Chris Brown – “It Depends” featuring Byrson Tiller (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment)

GIVĒON – BELOVED (Epic Records)

Kendrick Lamar – “luther” (pgLang under exclusive license to Interscope Records)

Leon Thomas – MUTT Deluxe: Heel (EZMNY Records/Motown Records)

Outstanding Female Artist

Alex Isley – “Hands” (Warner Records)

Cardi B – AM I THE DRAMA? (Atlantic Records)

Doechii – “Anxiety” (Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records)

SZA – SOS Deluxe: LANA (RCA Records/Top Dawg Entertainment)

Teyana Taylor – Escape Room (Def Jam Recordings)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional)

803Fresh featuring Fantasia – “Boots on the Ground (Remix)” (Snake Eyez Music Group/Artist Partner Group)

Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell Williams, Pusha T, Malice – “Chains & Whips” (Roc Nation Distribution)

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande – “For Good” (Republic Records)

Mariah Carey and The Clark Sisters – “Jesus I Do” (gamma.)

Travis Greene and Andra Day – “Let Freedom Ring” (Greenelight Music/TRIBL Records)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary)

Cardi B and Kehlani – “Safe” (Atlantic Records)

Chris Brown featuring Bryson Tiller and Usher – “It Depends (Remix)” (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment)

kwn featuring Kehlani – “worst behaviour” (RCA Records)

FLO – “The Mood (Remixes)” (Uptown Records/Republic Records)

Leon Thomas and Chris Brown – “MUTT (Remix)” (EZMNY Records/Motown Records)

Outstanding New Artist

Elmiene – “Useless (Without You)” (Def Jam Recordings)

Lee Vasi – Love Me To Life (Capitol CMG/Leeda Music Group)

Madison McFerrin – SCORPIO (MadMcFerrin Music LLC)

Monaleo – Who Did the Body (Columbia Records)

Ravyn Lenae – “Bicycle Race” (Atlantic Records)

Outstanding Jazz Album

For Dinah – Ledisi (Candid Records)

We Insist 2025! Track by Track – Terri Lyne Carrington and Christie Dashiell (Candid Records)

Beneath the Skin – Nnenna Freelon (Origin Records)

LIVE-ACTION – Nate Smith (Naive)

Griot Songs – Omar Thomas Large Ensemble (Omar Thomas Music)

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album

JEKALYN X THE LEGENDS – Jekalyn Carr (Waynorth Music)

Live at Maverick City – Maverick City Music (Tribl Records, LLC)

Only On The Road (Live) – Tye Tribbett (Freligious Music)

TASHA – Tasha Cobbs Leonard (Motown Gospel)

The Live Reunion: Washington D.C. – JJ Hairston and Youthful Praise (James Town Music)

Outstanding International Song

“In Our Sight” – Skip Marley (Def Jam Recordings)

“IS IT” – Tyla (Epic Records)

“Love” – Burna Boy (Spaceship/Bad Habit/Atlantic Records)

“With You” – Davido featuring Omah Lay (RCA Records/Sony Music UK)

“You4Me” – Tiwa Savage (Everything Savage/EMPIRE)

Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album

“Anxiety” – Doechii (Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records)

“Boots on the Ground” – 803Fresh (Snake Eyez Music Group/APG)

Escape Room – Teyana Taylor (Def Jam Recordings)

“Folded”– Kehlani (Atlantic Records)

“luther” – Kendrick Lamar and SZA (pgLang under exclusive license to Interscope Records)

Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album

Godfather of Harlem: Season 4 (Original Series Soundtrack) (Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment)

Highest 2 Lowest (Original Soundtrack) (A24)

Sinners (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Proximity Media LLC, under exclusive license to Masterworks, a label of Sony Music Entertainment)

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder: Season 3 (Music from the Series) (Walt Disney Records)

Wicked: For Good (The Soundtrack) (Republic Records)

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song

“Church” – Tasha Cobbs Leonard featuring John Legend (Motown Gospel)

“Constant – Live” – Maverick City Music, Jordin Sparks, Chandler Moore, Anthony Gargiula (Tribl Records)

“Do it Again” – Kirk Franklin (Fo Yo Soul Recordings/Tribl Records)

“Don’t Faint” – Jekalyn Carr (Waynorth Music)

“Jesus I Do” – Mariah Carey featuring The Clark Sisters (gamma.)

Outstanding Original Score for Television/Film

Boots (Madison Gate Records)

Eyes of Wakanda (Original Soundtrack) (Hollywood Records)

Marvel’s Ironheart: Vol. 1 (Original Soundtrack) (Hollywood Records)

One of Them Days (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Madison Gate Records, TriStar Productions)Sinners (Original Motion Picture Score) (Proximity Media LLC, under exclusive license to Sony Classical, a label of Sony Music Entertainment)