We’re heading into August, which means the Grammy eligibility deadline is just around the corner. On this episode of Live From Mars, I’m breaking down the state of the 2026 Grammy race across the Big Four categories: Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist.
From frontrunners like Kendrick Lamar’s GNX and Lady Gaga’s Mayhem to under-the-radar picks like Miley Cyrus and Ravyn Lenae, I walk through who’s favored to win, who deserves to be in the conversation, and who might get snubbed. I also explain the confusing eligibility rules, talk about late entries like Sabrina Carpenter’s upcoming Man’s Best Friend, and yes — I address the Alex Warren situation.
Topics covered:
- Grammy eligibility window explained
- Album of the Year: Kendrick vs Gaga vs the field
- Record of the Year: Why “Luther” might sweep
- Song of the Year: Could Billie Eilish’s “Wildflower” surprise?
- Best New Artist: Is it Rosé’s year — or will someone else break through?
- My personal picks, hot takes, and what to watch for next
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro + Grammy eligibility timing
04:20 - Album of the Year: frontrunners, dark horses, and my pick
14:44 - Record of the Year: Kendrick, Gaga, Billie, and "APT"
19:35 - The Alex Warren beef explained
21:06 - Song of the Year: “Wildflower,” “Abracadabra,” and what’s eligible
24:47 - Best New Artist: Rosé, Addison Rae, Ravyn Lenae, and more
If you're into pop music, artist narratives, or just want to sound smart come Grammy night, this one’s for you.
Follow Mars:
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vinylbymars
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/vinylbymars
- YouTube: https://youtube.com/@vinylbymars/
- Live From Mars: https://linktr.ee/livefrommarspod
To provide feedback, please fill out this survey: http://bit.ly/livefrommars-survey
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.