Kendrick Lamar's Historic Grammy Win: Back-to-Back ROTY

Kendrick Lamar Makes Grammy History with Back-to-Back Record of the Year Wins, Fuels Chart Surge

Kendrick Lamar and SZA's "Luther" took home Record of the Year at the 68th Grammys, marking Lamar's second consecutive win and placing him in an elite group of just four artists to achieve the feat.

Marcus J. Delany

Mar 5, 2026, 6:20 PM PT · 2 min read

Kendrick Lamar — Photo: Eli Watson from Austin, United States / CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

THE RUNDOWN

Kendrick Lamar & SZA won Record of the Year for "Luther" at 68th Grammys.
This is Lamar's second consecutive win in the category.
He joins Roberta Flack, U2, and Billie Eilish with back-to-back wins.
Lamar surpassed Jay-Z with 27 total Grammy wins.
Both "Luther" and "Not Like Us" re-entered Billboard Rap Streaming Songs Top 10.

History was made at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards on February 1, 2026, as Kendrick Lamar, alongside collaborator SZA, secured the coveted Record of the Year award for their track, "Luther." This monumental victory is Lamar's second consecutive win in the prestigious category, following his triumph in 2025 for "Not Like Us."

Lamar's back-to-back success places him in an exclusive club, becoming only the fourth act in Grammy history to achieve consecutive Record of the Year wins. He joins legendary artists Roberta Flack, U2, and Billie Eilish in this rare accomplishment. The Compton-born rapper had a dominant night overall, taking home five trophies and elevating his career total to 27 Grammys, surpassing Jay-Z's record of 25 wins to become the most-awarded rapper in Grammy history.

The Grammy spotlight has reignited interest in both of Lamar's winning tracks. Following the 2026 ceremony, "Luther" and "Not Like Us" have seen a significant resurgence on Billboard charts. "Luther," from Lamar's sixth studio album "GNX" released in November 2024, re-entered the Rap Streaming Songs chart at No. 5 and the Streaming Songs chart at No. 47. Meanwhile, "Not Like Us" also made a strong comeback, landing at No. 9 on the Rap Streaming Songs chart. "Luther" had previously spent an impressive 13 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in 2025.