Three Grammy categories explained
Retrospective: Album, recording and songwriting awards.
- Event / announcement date
- 2026-02-01
Story update · Added category context.
At the February 1, 2026 Grammys, Bad Bunny’s DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS won Album of the Year; Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s luther won Record of the Year; Billie Eilish’s WILDFLOWER won Song of the Year, the Academy reported. [1]
Album of the Year recognizes a complete project rather than a single track. It concerns the album as a work, rather than another name for the recording award. [3]
Record of the Year recognizes a particular recording and its artists, producers and engineers. The category concerns recorded performance and production, the Academy’s explainer says. [2]
Song of the Year recognizes composition and songwriters. Listeners should distinguish the writing from a particular recording: the categories distribute recognition to different creative contributions. [2]
The Academy reported five wins for Lamar, bringing his career tally to twenty-seven across categories. [1]
The source
- Recording Academy: Recap: Bad Bunny wins Album of the Year! Kendrick Lamar & SZA win Record of the Year for Luther! Billie Eilish wins Song of the Year! ↗
Source date 2026-02-01 · reviewed November 3, 2026 - Recording Academy: What’s The Difference? GRAMMY Record Vs. Song Of The Year ↗
Source date 2017-12-26 · reviewed November 3, 2026 · Visible original publication December 26, 2017; visible editor note says updated October 28, 2025; metadata modification clock differs. - Recording Academy: What’s The Difference? GRAMMY Album Vs. Record Of The Year Explained ↗
Source date 2018-12-09 · reviewed November 3, 2026 · Visible original publication December 9, 2018; editor note says updated October 31, 2025.
About this item: Retrospective report. No first-hand reporting or independent testing is claimed. Corrections policy.
