With the addition of best Latin song, there are now 11 categories in the Latin, Global, Reggae & New Age, Ambient or Chant Field at the Grammys. Below, we assess the state of the race in four of those categories — best global music album, best global music performance, best African music performance and best reggae album.
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Best Global Music Album
African artists have been a formidable presence in this category for decades, and that will likely remain the case for the 2027 ceremony. In fact, African artists may snatch four spots in the final line-up of nominees, thanks to strong submissions from Angélique Kidjo (Hope!!!), Tems (Love Is a Kingdom), Davido (Oriadé) and Asake (M$NEY). Aside from Asake, each of those four artists has previously been nominated in this category (Kidjo has won five times, with four victories coming in the past decade). Nonetheless, Asake has remained a vital presence this year with his arena-headlining North American tour.
At the 2026 ceremony, Brazilian musicians Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethânia won this category with their Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo live album. Anitta, a Brazilian pop powerhouse who has made real global crossover strides for the country’s contemporary music scene, could follow in their footsteps with a nod for her Equilibirum album, which picked up an album of the year nomination at the 2027 Latin Grammys. Matt B and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra won this category in 2025 for their Alkebulan II album, and its follow-up, Alkebulan III: The Water Remembers, could also earn a nomination. Susana Baca, who was nominated here in 2024, could also reap a bid with El Viaje de la Lengua.
Our Fearless Forecast
We’re predicting: Equilibrium (Anitta); Love Is A Kingdom (Tems); Hope!!! (Angélique Kidjo); Alkebulan III: The Water Remembers (Matt B & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra); Oriadé (Davido)
Best Global Music Performance
Honoring “international performers exhibiting ‘non-European, indigenous traditions,’” this category became quite controversial at the 2026 Grammys, when the Recording Academy ruled “Shake It to the Max” — the pop-dancehall crossover smash from MOLIY, Silent Addy, Disco Neil, Shenseea and Skillibeng — ineligible for consideration.
This year, one multilingual, border-crossing collaboration is far and away the frontrunner: “Dai Dai” (Shakira & Burna Boy). Few people had a bigger or busier 2026 than Shakira, and her and Burna Boy’s official 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem dominated the year, spending seven non-consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Global 200. While Shakira has never been nominated in this five-year-old category, Burna earned yearly nominations from 2022 to 2024.
Rosalía, who is expected to earn a bevy of nominations for Lux (Complete Works), including a potential album of the year nod, will likely show up in this category with her Dougie F-assisted “Porcelana.” Angélique Kidjo and Arooj Aftab are tied as the most-nominated artists in this category (four each), and both ladies could add to their hauls with “Bando” (with Pharrell Williams & Quavo) and “Fire on the Water” (with Bonobo), respectively.
It’s also worth keeping an eye on a few 2026 Latin Grammys frontrunners. Silvana Estrada boasts six nominations at the Nov. 12 ceremony, while Jorge Drexler competes in seven categories. Both artists earned nods across album, record and song of the year at the 27th annual Latin Grammys, so don’t be too shocked to see Estrada pop up here with “Como Un Pájaro,” or Drexler with “Ante la Duda, Baila.”
At the 2025 ceremony, Mimy Succar took home this award for “Bemba Colorá,” alongside Sheila E. and Gloria Estefan. She’s back in contention this year with “Azúcar,” an all-star collaboration featuring Kenyi, Tony Succar, Celia Cruz and Arturo Sandoval. Virtual alt-rock band Gorillaz has earned 12 Grammy nominations without ever competing in the global field; that could very well change should they get in with “Damascus,” which features Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def).
More recently, Afro-pop stars have thrived in the best African music performance category, but Ayra Starr and Rema could sneak in here with their steamy “Who’s Dat Girl” duet. At the 2026 ceremony, streamers made the leap to the Music’s Biggest Night, with Plaqueboymax earning the first Grammy nomination of his career. Could wildly popular streamer iShowSpeed follow suit with a nod for “Champions,” his genre-bending contribution to the Official FIFA World Cup 2026 Album?
Some other names to look out for: Buju Banton (“Butterflies”), Maluma (“Loco X Volver”), Carin León & Ricky Martin (“A Medio Vivir”), Jessie Reyez & Elyanna (“Illuminate”) and Alam Khan, Vijay Iyer & Nitin Mitta (“New Day”).
Our Fearless Forecast
We’re predicting: “Bando (Orchestral)” (Angélique Kidjo, Pharrell Williams & Quavo); “Porcelana” (ROSALÍA & Dougie F); “Azúcar” (Mimy Succar, Kenyi, Tony Succar, Celia Cruz and Arturo Sandoval); “Como Un Pájaro” (Silvana Estrada); “Dai Dai” (Shakira & Burna Boy)
Best Reggae Album
Another year, another Grammy cycle spent dreaming of separate categories highlighting the breadth of Caribbean music. Nevertheless, best reggae album could wind up with one of this year’s biggest surprises.
After earning his first Grammy nomination in best progressive R&B album for Love on Digital at the 2026 ceremony, Destin Conrad could earn his second career nod in best reggae album for his reggae- and dancehall-infused Roadrunner project. A respectful tribute to his Jamaican heritage, which housed collaborations with homegrown Jamrock artists, Roadrunner has also driven Conrad’s social media presence as of late — inspiring him to dress up as Grammy-nominated dancehall icons Vybz Kartel, Sean Paul and Spice for Halloween. On Nov. 19, just a few days after the Recording Academy reveals the 2026 Grammy nominations, Conrad will host a Brooklyn bashment party, with a portion of ticket sales going to Jamaican LGBTQIA+ organization Connek JA. Most notably, Roadrunner reached No. 5 on Reggae Albums.
Who else could join Destin in this line-up? Ziggy Marley, the biggest winner in this category with a whopping seven trophies, will almost certainly appear with his Brightside LP; Protoje will likely pick up a third career nod here for The Art of Acceptance; Shaggy should get in with Lottery and Chronixx should snag his second nod, eight years after his first, for Exile, which Billboard named the Best Caribbean Album of 2025.
On the dancehall side, Buju Banton (who won here in 2011 for Before the Dawn) could pick up a nod for Too Too Bad, while Masicka has the new school’s best shot at nomination here with Forever Reign. Since his release from prison, Vybz Kartel has racked up two Grammy nominations in as many years, and he could continue that trend with a nod for God and Time.
Other names to be on the lookout for include Runkus (Supernova), Kelissa (The Good Side of Things), Kabaka Pyramid (Rebel Music – The Lyrics Tape), Alkaline (NPT), Queen Ifrica (Breath of Life), Burning Spear (Call on Me – Live), Beenie Man (Eminence), Capleton (Heights of Fire), D’Yani (Live Life & Prosper), Ginjah (Soul Connection), Ky-Mani Marley (Love and Energy), Yaksta (The Microphone Saved Me), Tropidelic (First Light), RDGLDGRN (The Gold Album), SOJA (Without Surrender), Pressure Busspipe & Zion I Kings (All For a Time) and Gentleman (Gratitude).
Our Fearless Forecast
We’re predicting: Lottery (Shaggy); Roadrunner (Destin Conrad); Brightside (Ziggy Marley); The Art of Acceptance (Protoje); Exile (Chronixx)
Best African Music Performance
Tyla (2024 and 2026) and Tems (2025) have been the only victors in this category’s three-year history — and there’s a solid chance that trend continues this year, with Tems being a frontrunner to take home a nomination (and win) in this category with “Big Daddy.” Tyla has two songs competing here: A*Pop deep cut “I Don’t Care” (with Babalwa M) and “Body Go,” her duet with MOLIY. Between the two, “Body Go” likely has the edge; a nod for that collaboration allows voters to rally behind the category’s biggest winner and make it up to MOLIY after last year’s “Shake It to the Max” ineligibility snafu.
Three other collaborations will likely make the final line-up of nominees: “Aye Kan (Are You Coming Back?)” (Angélique Kidjo & Ayra Starr), “Jogodo” (Wizkid & Asake) and “B4 B4” (Davido, Mayorkun & Fola). Davido has earned a nomination in this category every year since its inception; Kidjo is a Grammy darling riding high on her recent accomplishment of becoming the first African musician with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and Wizkid and Asake’s last team-up, “MMS,” earned a nod here in 2025.
Other titles to keep an eye on include “Slick” (Victony), “Tea” (Rema), “Sigui” (Fatoumata Diawara), “YSF” (Wale, Teni & Seyi Vibez) and “Gratitude” (Asake).
Our Fearless Forecast
We’re predicting: “Big Daddy” (Tems); “Body Go” (MOLIY & Tyla); “Aye Kan (Are You Coming Back?)” (Angélique Kidjo & Ayra Starr); “Jogodo” (Wizkid & Asake) and “B4 B4” (Davido, Mayorkun & Fola)
