Could LL Cool J or Chance the Rapper be dark horses in this race? Billboard breaks down the potential nominees for best rap album at the 2026 Grammys.

Clipse has earned just one single Grammy nomination (best rap/sung collaboration for their turn on Justin Timberlake's 2002 debut solo single, "Like I Love You") in its two-decade-long career -- could the brother duo of Pusha T and Malice take home their first trophy for best rap album at the 2026 ceremony with Let God Sort Em Out?

Clipse joins Kendrick Lamar (GNX) and Tyler, the Creator (Chromakopia) as the closest things to a lock for a best rap album nomination at next year's Grammys. While Let God Sort Em Out soundtracked a triumphant comeback for Clipse, GNX cemented Lamar's post-"Not Like Us" victory lap with additional Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s ("Squabble Up" and the SZA-assisted "Luther") and the highest-grossing co-headlining tour of all time. As for Tyler, Chromakopia became his third consecutive Billboard 200 No. 1 album, earning him his first two Hot 100 top 10 hits ("Noid" and "Sticky," both at No. 10) and marking the beginning of his biggest year yet. It's also worth noting that Lamar has won this category three times, and Tyler has triumphed twice.

Outside of those three near-sure bets, who else is in contention? GloRilla could become the eighth woman to earn a nomination for best rap album thanks to her debut studio album, Glorious. After earning her first Grammy nod in 2023 (best rap performance for "F.N.F."), Glo earned two more in 2025 with "Yeah Glo!" (best rap performance and song). Armed with a pair of Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay No. 1s ("TGIF" and the Sexyy Red-featuring "Whatchu Kno Bout Me") and a successful headlining tour, Glorilla could very well reap her first Grammy nod for best rap album.

Playboi Carti (Music), Gunna (The Last Wun) and BigXThaPlug (Take Care) are three other rappers who scored sizable radio and streaming hits during the eligibility period. Carti's idiosyncratic style helped birth a generation of rage rap artists, and his latest studio album, which spent three weeks atop the Billboard 200, could finally convince Grammy voters to give him his due. Notably, Carti will also be on the ballot with "Timeless," his smash collaboration with The Weeknd, who's making his Grammy comeback after a five-year boycott.

Meanwhile, Gunna is a four-time nominee who has yet to win, and his infectious Burna Boy collaboration, "WGFT," is taking off just in time for first-round voting. For what it's worth, Gunna reaped zero bids in 2024 for A Gift & a Curse, widely considered one of his best LPs, and "Fukumean," his highest-peaking solo song on the Hot 100 (No. 4). Finally, BigXThaPlug appears across the rap, country and general field ballots this cycle, and his "The Largest" is a song to keep an eye out for in best rap performance. The Dallas MC could leverage his nostalgic sound, current commercial momentum, and cross-genre relationships to a nomination for best rap album.

There are also several contending LPs that thrilled hip-hop circles without launching hit singles. Alfredo 2 (Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist) and Life Is Beautiful (Larry June, 2 Chainz & The Alchemist) both have solid shots at a nomination. The sequel to the former earned a best rap album nod in 2021, and the latter remains one of the most lauded rap releases of the year. Chance the Rapper won this category in 2017 with Coloring Book, and he hasn't earned a single Grammy nomination for his own work since then. (He scored nods in 2020 and 2022 for collaborations with Justin Bieber and Cordae, respectively.) Back on the ballot with Star Line, his first studio album since 2019's The Big Day and a "return to form" according to the streets, Chance could make a proper Grammy comeback this year. There's also JID's God Does Like Ugly, a respectable project that could help the Atlanta MC earn his first Grammy nods for his own releases. Additionally, LL Cool J, a two-time nominee in this category and five-time Grammy telecast host, could snag the fourth or fifth spot with The Force.

Speaking of LL, this wouldn't be a discussion about the best rap album category without mentioning some more of the veterans. Some of the vets who could pull off a surprise nomination (especially in light of the entries no longer being listed in alphabetical order on the ballot) include Wu-Tang & Mathematics (Black Samson, the Bastard Swordsman), Chuck D (Radio Armageddon), Ghostface Killah (Supreme Clinetele 2), Slick Rick (Victory), Public Enemy (Black Sky Over the Projects: Apartment 2025), Raekwon (The Emperor's New Clothes) and Ye (Donda 2).

Additional contenders from the contemporary side include Lil Baby (WHAM), Lil Tecca (Dopamine), Key Glock (Glockaveli), Billy Woods (Golliwog), Travis Scott (Jackboys 2), Metro Boomin (A Futuristic Summa), Future (Mixtape Pluto) and Offset (Kiari).

Our Fearless Forecast

Which rap albums will make the final five? Our predictions are: GNX (Kendrick Lamar), Let God Sort Em Out (Clipse), Chromakopia (Tyler, the Creator), Glorious (GloRilla) and The Force (LL Cool J).

2026 Grammys Best Rap Album Front-Runners: Kendrick Lamar, Clipse & Tyler, the Creator