Los angeles: Kendrick Lamar made history at the 68th Grammy Awards on Sunday night by becoming the first artist since 2010 to win Record of the Year in consecutive ceremonies. He secured the 2026 prize for his collaboration with SZA, 'Luther.'
According to Ghana Web, this achievement follows Lamar's 2025 victory in the same category for his track 'Not Like Us.' His consecutive wins underscore his position as a leading figure in modern music. Lamar now joins a prestigious group of only four artists, including Billie Eilish, U2, and Roberta Flack, to achieve back-to-back Record of the Year wins.
'Luther,' from Lamar's sixth studio album GNX, samples Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn's 1982 duet 'If This World Were Mine.' This track, originally a Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell classic from 1967, has been reimagined by Lamar and his team.
A moment of confusion occurred during the award announcement when Cher, after receiving a lifetime achievement award, initially mentioned only Luther Vandross' name. She quickly corrected herself, and Lamar's acceptance speech paid tribute to the original artists, emphasizing the impact of Vandross and Lynn's work.
Lamar secured five trophies that evening, bringing his career total to 27 and surpassing Jay-Z's previous record. His wins included Best Rap Album and Record of the Year for 'Luther,' as well as Best Melodic Rap Performance for the same track, which has achieved over 1.3 billion streams on Spotify and dominated Billboard's Hot 100 for 13 weeks.
Additionally, Lamar won Best Rap Song for 'TV Off' and Best Rap Performance for Clipse's 'Chains and Whips,' marking Clipse's first Grammy win. Entering the night as the most nominated artist, Lamar's achievements further established his influence in the music industry.