The Brief

Kendrick Lamar's reign continues: The Los Angeles rapper has received nine Grammy nominations for the 2026 awards, following a triumphant sweep earlier this year in which he took home more golden Gramophones than any other artist — including record of the year and song of the year for his mic-dropping "Not Like Us." On Friday, Lamar received nods in three major categories. He could repeat in record of the year and song of the year and add album of the year to his trophy case in 2026, with potential wins in the rap and pop duo/group performance categories, too.

The bulk of Lamar's nominations are for his record-breaking album GNX and the single "Luther (feat. SZA)," both of which topped multiple Billboard charts. Beyond his own album and singles, the Recording Academy also recognized the rapper for additional collaborations with SZA and Clipse. At this time last year, Lamar was in the midst of a remarkable run that culminated in his Super Bowl halftime performance, multiple Grammy wins and a victory in his rap beef with Drake by unanimous decision.

At the 68th annual Grammy Awards, which will be presented at a ceremony on February 1, 2026 in Los Angeles, competition for the top awards will also include Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter and Bad Bunny. Gaga trails behind Lamar with seven nominations, including best pop solo performance ("Disease") and best pop vocal album (MAYHEM). Canadian record producer Cirkut, who co-produced Gaga's album, also has seven nominations, as does Jack Antonoff, who's recognized for his work with Lamar and Carpenter. Bad Bunny has six nominations. So does the breakout star of last year's Grammys — Carpenter — and the newcomer with most nominations this year, including best new artist — Leon Thomas.

The 32-year-old Thomas — who just landed his first Top 10 hit on Billboard's Hot 100 chart this week — is in the running for several R&B categories (including for a song recorded during his NPR Tiny Desk concert), as well as album of the year (MUTT). Joining Thomas among the nominees for best new artist are girl group KATSEYE, soul-pop singer Olivia Dean (who also cracked the Top 10 this week), indie-pop band The Marías, English singer Lola Young, Gen-Z rocker sombr and two TikTok creators turned pop stars: Alex Warren and Addison Rae.

In the rap categories, the Recording Academy embraced the highly-touted return of the duo Clipse, following a 16-year hiatus. The Thornton brothers, a.k.a. Malice and Pusha T, received five nominations for their album Let God Sort Em Out. Doechii, who delivered one of last year's most electric Grammys performances, also received five nominations for her single "Anxiety." (Although the song originally came out in 2019, the Swamp Princess re-recorded and re-released "Anxiety" this year after it went viral on TikTok). Tyler, the Creator — who has publicly called out the Academy for how it categorizes rap — is once again nominated for best rap album (CHROMAKOPIA) and best rap song ("Sticky feat. GloRilla, Lil Wayne, Sexyy Red"). He's also up for best alternative album (DON'T TAP THE GLASS), album of the year (CHROMAKOPIA) and best album cover (CHROMAKOPIA).

The 68th annual Grammy Awards will feature 95 categories total, highlighting a multitude of genres as well as behind-the-scenes figures like songwriters and producers. This year, the Recording Academy will introduce two new categories. The first is for best album cover. Nominees include Bad Bunny (DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS), alt-rocker Djo (The Crux) and the English band Wet Leg (moisturizer). The second debuting category is for best traditional country album. The first nominees include father and son Lukas Nelson (American Romance) and Willie Nelson (Oh What A Beautiful World), as well as Zach Top (Ain't In It For My Health), Charley Crockett (Dollar A Day) and Margo Price (Hard Headed Woman).

Read the complete list of nominees below:

1. Record of the Year

• "DtMF" by Bad Bunny
• "Manchild" by Sabrina Carpenter
• "Anxiety" by Doechii
• "WILDFLOWER" by Billie Eilish
• "Abracadabra" by Lady Gaga
• "luther" by Kendrick Lamar with SZA
• "The Subway" by Chappell Roan
• "APT." by ROSÉ & Bruno Mars
  

1. Album of the Year

• DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS by Bad Bunny
• SWAG by Justin Bieber
• Man's Best Friend by Sabrina Carpenter
• Let God Sort Em Out by Clipse, Pusha T & Malice
• MAYHEM by Lady Gaga 
• GNX by Kendrick Lamar
• MUTT by Leon Thomas
• CHROMAKOPIA by Tyler, The Creator
  

1. Song of the Year

• "Abracadabra" – Henry Walter, Lady Gaga & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Lady Gaga)
• "Anxiety" – Jaylah Hickmon, songwriter (Doechii)
• "APT." – Amy Allen, Christopher Brody Brown, Rogét Chahayed, Henry Walter, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Chae Young Park & Theron Thomas, songwriters (ROSÉ, Bruno Mars)
• "DtMF" – Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Scott Dittrich, Benjamin Falik, Roberto José Rosado Torres, Marco Daniel Borrero, Hugo René Sención Sanabria & Tyler Thomas Spry, songwriters (Bad Bunny)
• "Golden" [From KPop Demon Hunters] — EJAE & Mark Sonnenblick, songwriters (HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI)
• "luther" — Jack Antonoff, Roshwita Larisha Bacha, Matthew Bernard, Ink, Scott Bridgeway, Sam Dew, Kendrick Lamar, Mark Anthony Spears, Solána Rowe & Kamasi Washington, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar With SZA)
• "Manchild" — Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff & Sabrina Carpenter, songwriters (Sabrina Carpenter)
• "WILDFLOWER" — Billie Eilish O'Connell & Finneas O'Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
  

1. Best New Artist

• Olivia Dean
• KATSEYE
• The Marias
• Addison Rae
• sombr
• Leon Thomas 
• Alex Warren
• Lola Young
  

1. Producer of the Year, Non-Classical

• Dan Auerbach
• Cirkut
• Dijon
• Blake Mills
• Sounwave
  

1. Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical

• Amy Allen
• Edgar Barrera
• Jessie Jo Dillon
• Tobias Jesso Jr.
• Laura Veltz
  

1. Best Pop Solo Performance

• "DAISIES" by Justin Bieber
• "Manchild" by Sabrina Carpenter
• "Disease" by Lady Gaga
• "The Subway" by Chappell Roan
• "Messy" by Lola Young
  

1. Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

• "Defying Gravity" by Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande
• "Golden" [From KPop Demon Hunters] by HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI
• "Gabriela" by KATSEYE
• "APT." by ROSÉ & Bruno Mars
• "30 For 30" by SZA with Kendrick Lamar
  

1. Best Pop Vocal Album

• SWAG by Justin Bieber
• Man's Best Friend by Sabrina Carpenter
• Something Beautiful by Miley Cyrus
• MAYHEM by Lady Gaga 
• I've Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2) by Teddy Swims
  

1. Best Dance/Electronic Recording

• "No Cap" by Disclosure & Anderson .Paak
• "Victory Lap" by Fred Again.., Skepta, & PlaqueBoyMax
• "SPACE INVADER" by KAYTRANADA
• "VOLTAGE" by Skrillex
• "End of Summer" by Tame Impala
  

1. Best Dance Pop Recording

• "Bluest Flame" by Selena Gomez & benny blanco
• "Abracadabra" by Lady Gaga
• "Midnight Sun" by Zara Larsson
• "Just Keep Watching" [From F1 The Movie] by Tate McRae
• "Illegal" by PinkPantheress

1. Best Dance/Electronic Album

• EUSEXUA by FKA twigs
• Ten Days by Fred Again..
• Fancy That by PinkPantheress
• Inhale / Exhale by RÜFÜS DU SOL
• F*** U SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!! <3 by Skrillex
  

1. Best Remixed Recording

• "Abracadabra (Gesaffelstein Remix)"  – Gesaffelstein, remixer (Lady Gaga, Gesaffelstein)
• "Don't Forget About Us" – KAYTRANADA, remixer (Mariah Carey & KAYTRANADA)
• "A Dreams A Dream - Ron Trent Remix" – Ron Trent, remixer (Soul II Soul)
• "Galvanize" – Chris Lake, remixer (The Chemical Brothers & Chris Lake)
• "Golden - David Guetta REM/X" – David Guetta, remixer (HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI)
  

1. Best Rock Performance 

• "U Should Not Be Doing That" by Amyl and The Sniffers
• "The Emptiness Machine" by Linkin Park
• "NEVER ENOUGH" by Turnstile
• "Mirtazapine" by Hayley Williams
• "Changes (Live From Villa Park/ Back To The Beginning)" by YUNGBLUD feat. Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman, II
  

1. Best Metal Performance

• "Night Terror" by Dream Theater
• "Lachryma" by Ghost
• "Emergence" by Sleep Token
• "Soft Spine" by Spiritbox
• "BIRDS" by Turnstile 
  

1. Best Rock Song

• "As Alive As You Need Me To Be" – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, songwriters (Nine Inch Nails)
• "Caramel" – Vessel1 & Vessel2, songwriters (Sleep Token)
• "Glum" – Daniel James & Hayley Williams, songwriters (Hayley Williams)
• "NEVER ENOUGH" – Daniel Fang, Franz Lyons, Pat McCrory, Meg Mills & Brendan Yates, songwriters (Turnstile)
• "Zombie" – Dominic Harrison & Matt Schwartz, songwriters (YUNGBLUD)
  

1. Best Rock Album

• private music by Deftones
• I quit by HAIM
• From Zero by Linkin Park
• NEVER ENOUGH by Turnstile
• Idols by YUNGBLUD
  

1. Best Alternative Music Performance

• "Everything Is Peaceful Love" by Bon Iver
• "Alone" by The Cure
• "SEEIN' STARS" by Turnstile 
• "mangetout" by Wet Leg
• "Parachute" by Hayley Williams
  

1. Best Alternative Music Album

• SABLE, fABLE by Bon Iver
• Songs Of A Lost World by The Cure
• DON'T TAP THE GLASS by Tyler, The Creator
• moisturizer by Wet Leg
• Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party by Hayley Williams
  

1. Best R&B Performance

• "YUKON" by Justin Bieber
• "It Depends" by Chris Brown feat. Bryson Tiller
• "Folded" by Kehlani
• "MUTT" (Live from NPR's Tiny Desk) by Leon Thomas
• "Heart Of A Woman" by Summer Walker

1. Best Traditional R&B Performance

• "Here We Are" by Durand Bernarr
• "UPTOWN" by Lalah Hathaway
• "LOVE YOU TOO" by Ledisi
• "Crybaby" by SZA
• "VIBES DON'T LIE" by Leon Thomas 
  

1. Best R&B Song

• "Folded" – Darius Dixson, Andre Harris, Kehlani Parrish, Donovan Knight, Don Mills, Khris Riddick-Tynes & Dawit Kamal Wilson, songwriters (Kehlani)
• "Heart Of A Woman" – David Bishop & Summer Walker, songwriters (Summer Walker)
• "It Depends" – Nico Baran, Chris Brown, Ant Clemons, Ephrem Lopez Jr., Ryan Press, Bryson Tiller, Elliott Trent & Dewain Whitmore Jr., songwriters (Chris Brown feat. Bryson Tiller)
• "Overqualified" – James John Abrahart Jr & Durand Bernarr, songwriters (Durand Bernarr)
• "YES IT IS" – Jariuce Banks, Lazaro Andres Camejo, Mike Hector, Peter Lee Johnson, Rodney Jones Jr., Ali Prawl & Leon Thomas, songwriters (Leon Thomas)
  

1. Best Progressive R&B Album

• BLOOM by Durand Bernarr
• Adjust Brightness by Bilal 
• LOVE ON DIGITAL by Destin Conrad
• Access All Areas by FLO
• Come As You Are by Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon
  

1. Best R&B Album

• BELOVED by GIVĒON
• Why Not More? by Coco Jones
• The Crown by Ledisi
• Escape Room by Teyana Taylor
• MUTT by Leon Thomas
  

1. Best Rap Performance

• "Outside" by Cardi B
• "Chains & Whips" by Clipse, Pusha T & Malice feat. Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams
• "Anxiety" by Doechii
• "tv off" by Kendrick Lamar feat. Lefty Gunplay
• "Darling, I" by Tyler, The Creator feat. Teezo Touchdown
  

1. Best Melodic Rap Performance

• "Proud Of Me" by Fridayy feat. Meek Mill
• "Wholeheartedly" by JID feat. Ty Dolla $ign & 6Lack
• "luther" by Kendrick Lamar with SZA
• "WeMaj" by Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon Featuring Rapsody
• "SOMEBODY LOVES ME" by PARTYNEXTDOOR & Drake
  

1. Best Rap Song

• "Anxiety" – Jaylah Hickmon, songwriter (Doechii)
• "The Birds Don't Sing" – Gene Elliott Thornton Jr., Terrence Thornton, Pharrell
• Williams & Stevie Wonder, songwriters (Clipse, Pusha T & Malice feat. John Legend & Voices Of Fire)
• "Sticky" – Aaron Bolton, Dudley Alexander Duverne, Gloria Woods, Dwayne Carter, Jr., Janae Wherry, Tyler Okonma & Rex Zamor, songwriters (Tyler, The Creator feat. GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne)
• "TGIF" – Lucas Alegria, Dillon Brophy, Yakki Davis, Gloria Woods, Jess Jackson, Ronnie Jackson, Mario Mims & Jorge M. Taveras, songwriters (GloRilla)
• "tv off" –  Jack Antonoff, Larry Jayy, Kendrick Lamar, Dijon McFarlane, Sean Momberger, Mark Anthony Spears & Kamasi Washington, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar feat. Lefty Gunplay)

1. Best Rap Album

• Let God Sort Em Out by Clipse, Pusha T & Malice
• GLORIOUS by GloRilla
• God Does Like Ugly by JID
• GNX by Kendrick Lamar
• CHROMAKOPIA by Tyler, The Creator
  

1. Best Spoken Word Poetry Album

• A Hurricane in Heels: healed people don't act like that (partially recorded live @City Winery & other places) by Queen Sheba
• Black Shaman by Marc Marcel
• Pages by Omari Hardwick & Anthony Hamilton
• Saul Williams meets Carlos Niño & Friends At Treepeople by Saul Williams, Carlos Niño & Friends 
• Words For Days Vol. 1 by Mad Skillz
  

1. Best Jazz Performance

• "Noble Rise" by Lakecia Benjamin Featuring Immanuel Wilkins & Mark Whitfield

• "Windows - Live" by Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade
• "Peace Of Mind/Dreams Come True" bySamara Joy
• "Four" by Michael Mayo
• "All Stars Lead To You - Live" by Nicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach, Tom Scott, Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold & Rachel Eckroth
  

1. Best Jazz Vocal Album

• Elemental by Dee Dee Bridgewater & Bill Charlap
• We Insist 2025! by Terri Lyne Carrington & Christie Dashiell
• Portrait by Samara Joy
• Fly by Michael Mayo
• Live at Vic's Las Vegas by Nicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach, Tom Scott, Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold & Rachel Eckroth
  

1. Best Jazz Instrumental Album

• Trilogy 3 (Live) by Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade
• Southern Nights by Sullivan Fortner Featuring Peter Washington & Marcus Gilmore
• Belonging by Branford Marsalis Quartet
• Spirit Fall by John Patitucci Featuring Chris Potter & Brian Blade
• Fasten Up by Yellowjackets
  

1. Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

• Orchestrator Emulator by The 8-Bit Big Band
• Without Further Ado, Vol 1 by Christian McBride Big Band
• Lumen by Danilo Pérez & Bohuslän Big Band
• Basie Rocks! by Deborah Silver & The Count Basie Orchestra
• Lights on a Satellite by Sun Ra Arkestra
• Some Days Are Better: The Lost Scores by Kenny Wheeler Legacy Featuring The Royal Academy of Music Jazz Orchestra & Frost Jazz Orchestra
  

1. Best Latin Jazz Album

• La Fleur de Cayenne by Paquito D'Rivera & Madrid-New York Connection Band

• The Original Influencers: Dizzy, Chano & Chico by Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra feat. Pedrito Martinez, Daymé Arocena, Jon Faddis, Donald Harrison & Melvis Santa
• Mundoagua - Celebrating Carla Bley by Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
• A Tribute to Benny Moré and Nat King Cole by Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Yainer Horta & Joey Calveiro
•  Vanguardia Subterránea: Live at The Village Vanguard by Miguel Zenón Quartet

1. Best Alternative Jazz Album

• honey from a winter stone by Ambrose Akinmusire
• Keys To The City Volume One by Robert Glasper
• Ride into the Sun by Brad Mehldau
• LIVE-ACTION by Nate Smith
• Blues Blood by Immanuel Wilkins
  

1. Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

• Wintersongs by Laila Biali
• The Gift Of Love by Jennifer Hudson
• Who Believes In Angels? by Elton John & Brandi Carlile
• Harlequin by Lady Gaga
• A Matter Of Time by Laufey
• The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume 2 by Barbra Streisand
  

1. Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

• Brightside by ARKAI
• Ones & Twos by Gerald Clayton
• BEATrio by Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda, Antonio Sánchez
• Just Us by Bob James & Dave Koz
• Shayan by Charu Suri
  

1. Best Musical Theater Album

• Buena Vista Social Club
• Death Becomes Her
• Gypsy
• Just In Time
• Maybe Happy Ending
  

1. Best Country Solo Performance 

• "Nose On The Grindstone" by Tyler Childers
• "Good News" by Shaboozey
• "Bad As I Used To Be" [From F1 The Movie] by Chris Stapleton
• "I Never Lie" by Zach Top
• "Somewhere Over Laredo" by Lainey Wilson
  

1. Best Country Duo/Group Performance 

• "A Song To Sing" by Miranda Lambert And Chris Stapleton
• "Trailblazer" by Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson
• "Love Me Like You Used To Do" by Margo Price & Tyler Childers
• "Amen" by Shaboozey & Jelly Roll
• "Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame" by George Strait, Chris Stapleton
  

1. Best Country Song

• "Bitin' List" – Tyler Childers, songwriter (Tyler Childers)
• "Good News" – Michael Ross Pollack, Sam Elliot Roman & Jacob Torrey, songwriters (Shaboozey)
• "I Never Lie" – Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols & Zach Top, songwriters (Zach Top)
• "Somewhere Over Laredo" – Andy Albert, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson & Lainey Wilson, songwriters (Lainey Wilson)
• "A Song To Sing" – Jenee Fleenor, Jesse Frasure, Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton)
  

1. Best Traditional Country Album

• Dollar A Day by Charley Crockett
• American Romance by Lukas Nelson
• Oh What A Beautiful World by Willie Nelson
• Hard Headed Woman by Margo Price
• Ain't In It For My Health by Zach Top

1. Best Contemporary Country Album

• Patterns by Kelsea Ballerini
• Snipe Hunter by Tyler Childers
• Evangeline Vs. The Machine by Eric Church
• Beautifully Broken by Jelly Roll
• Postcards From Texas by Miranda Lambert
  

1. Best American Roots Performance 

• "LONELY AVENUE" by Jon Batiste feat. Randy Newman
• "Ancient Light" by I'm With Her
• "Crimson And Clay" by Jason Isbell
• "Richmond On The James" by Alison Krauss & Union Station
• "Beautiful Strangers" by Mavis Staples
  

1. Best Americana Performance

• "Boom" by Sierra Hull
• "Poison In My Well" by Maggie Rose & Grace Potter
• "Godspeed" by Mavis Staples
• "That's Gonna Leave A Mark" by Molly Tuttle
• "Horses" by Jesse Welles
  

1. Best American Roots Song

• "Ancient Light" – Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O'Donovan & Sara Watkins, songwriters (I'm With Her)
• "BIG MONEY" – Jon Batiste, Mike Elizondo & Steve McEwan, songwriters (Jon Batiste)
• "Foxes In The Snow" – Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell)
• "Middle" – Jesse Welles, songwriter (Jesse Welles)
• "Spitfire" – Sierra Hull, songwriter (Sierra Hull)
  

1. Best Americana Album

• BIG MONEY by Jon Batiste
• Bloom by Larkin Poe
• Last Leaf On The Tree by Willie Nelson 
• So Long Little Miss Sunshine by Molly Tuttle
• Middle by Jesse Welles
  

1. Best Bluegrass Album

• Carter & Cleveland by Michael Cleveland & Jason Carter
• A Tip Toe High Wire by Sierra Hull
• Arcadia by Alison Krauss & Union Station
• Outrun byThe Steeldrivers
• Highway Prayers by Billy Strings
  

1. Best Traditional Blues Album

• Ain't Done With The Blues by Buddy Guy
• Room On The Porch by Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo
• One Hour Mama: The Blues Of Victoria Spivey by Maria Muldaur
• Look Out Highway by Charlie Musselwhite
• Young Fashioned Ways by Kenny Wayne Shepherd & Bobby Rush
  

1. Best Contemporary Blues Album

• Breakthrough by Joe Bonamassa
• Paper Doll by Samantha Fish
• A Tribute to LJK by Eric Gales
• Preacher Kids by Robert Randolph
• Family by Southern Avenue
  

1. Best Folk Album

• What Did The Blackbird Say To The Crow by Rhiannon Giddens & Justin Robinson
• Crown Of Roses by Patty Griffin
• Wild And Clear And Blue by I'm With Her
• Foxes In The Snow by Jason Isbell
• Under The Powerlines (April 24 – September 24) by Jesse Welles
  

1. Best Regional Roots Music Album

• Live At Vaughan's by Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet
• For Fat Man by Preservation Brass & Preservation Hall Jazz Band
• Church Of New Orleans by Kyle Roussel
• Second Line Sunday by Trombone Shorty And New Breed Brass Band
• A Tribute To The King Of Zydeco by (Various Artists)
  

1. Best Gospel Performance/Song

• "Do It Again" by Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin, songwriter 
• "Church" by Tasha Cobbs Leonard, John Legend; Anthony S. Brown, Brunes Charles, Annatoria Chitapa, Kenneth Leonard, Jr., Tasha Cobbs Leonard & Jonas Myrin, songwriters
• "Still (Live)" by Jonathan McReynolds & Jamal Roberts; Britney Delagraentiss, Jonathan McReynolds, David Lamar Outing III, Orlando Joel Palmer & Terrell Demetrius Wilson, songwriters
• "Amen" by Pastor Mike Jr.; Adia Andrews, Michael McClure Jr., David Lamar Outing II & Terrell Anthony Pettus, songwriters
• "Come Jesus Come" by Cece Winans Featuring Shirley Caesar
  

1. Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song

• "I Know A Name" by Elevation Worship, Chris Brown, Brandon Lake; Hank Bentley, Steven Furtick, Brandon Lake & Jacob Sooter, songwriters
• "YOUR WAY'S BETTER" by Forrest Frank; Forrest Frank & PERA, songwriters
• "Hard Fought Hallelujah" by Brandon Lake With Jelly Roll; Chris Brown, Steven Furtick, Benjamin William Hastings, Jason Bradley Deford & Brandon Lake, songwriters
• "Headphones" by Lecrae, Killer Mike, T.I.; Tyshane Thompson, Bongo ByTheWay, Michael Render, Lecrae Moore, William Roderick Miller & Clifford Harris, songwriters
• "Amazing" by Darrel Walls, PJ Morton; PJ Morton & Darrel Walls, songwriters
  

1. Best Gospel Album

• Sunny Days by Yolanda Adams
• Tasha by Tasha Cobbs Leonard
• Live Breathe Fight by Tamela Mann
• Only On The Road (Live) by Tye Tribbett
• Heart of Mine by Darrel Walls, PJ Morton
  

1. Best Contemporary Christian Music Album

• CHILD OF GOD II by Forrest Frank
• Coritos Vol. 1 by Israel & New Breed
• King Of Hearts by Brandon Lake
• Reconstruction by Lecrae
• Let The Church Sing by Tauren Wells
  

1. Best Roots Gospel Album

• I Will Not Be Moved (Live) by The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
• Then Came The Morning by Gaither Vocal Band
• Praise & Worship: More Than A Hollow Hallelujah by The Isaacs
• Good Answers by Karen Peck & New River
• Back To My Roots by Candi Staton
  

1. Best Latin Pop Album

• Cosa Nuestra by Rauw Alejandro 
• BOGOTÁ (DELUXE) by Andrés Cepeda
• Tropicoqueta by Karol G
• Cancionera by Natalia Lafourcade
• ¿Y ahora qué? by Alejandro Sanz
  

1. Best Música Urbana Album

• DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS by Bad Bunny
• Mixteip by J Balvin
• FERXXO VOL X: Sagrado by Feid
• NAIKI by Nicki Nicole
• EUB DELUXE by Trueno
• SINFÓNICO (En Vivo) by Yandel
  

1. Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album

• Genes Rebeldes by Aterciopelados
• ASTROPICAL by Bomba Estéreo, Rawayana, ASTROPICAL
• PAPOTA by CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso
• ALGORHYTHM by Los Wizzards
• Novela by Fito Paez
  

1. Best Música Mexicana Album (Including Tejano)

• MALA MÍA by Fuerza Regida, Grupo Frontera
• Y Lo Que Viene by Grupo Frontera
• Sin Rodeos by Paola Jara
• Palabra De To's (Seca) by Carín León
• Bobby Pulido & Friends Una Tuya Y Una Mía - Por La Puerta Grande (En Vivo) by Bobby Pulido
  

1. Best Tropical Latin Album

• Fotografías by Rubén Blades, Roberto Delgado & Orquesta
• Raíces by Gloria Estefan
• Clásicos 1.0 by Grupo Niche
• Bingo by Alain Pérez
• Debut y Segunda Tanda, Vol. 2 by Gilberto Santa Rosa
  

1. Best Global Music Performance 

• "EoO" by Bad Bunny
• "Cantando en el Camino" by Ciro Hurtado
• "JERUSALEMA" by Angélique Kidjo
• "Inmigrante Y Que?" by Yeisy Rojas
• "Shrini's Dream (Live)" by Shakti
• "Daybreak" by Anoushka Shankar Featuring Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar
  

1. Best African Music Performance

• "Love" by Burna Boy
• "With You" Davido feat. Omah Lay
• "Hope & Love" by Eddy Kenzo & Mehran Matin
• "Gimme Dat" by Ayra Starr feat. Wizkid
• "PUSH 2 START" by Tyla
  

1. Best Global Music Album

• Sounds of Kumbha by Siddhant Bhatia
• No Sign of Weakness by Burna Boy
• Eclairer le monde - Light the World by Youssou N'Dour
• Mind Explosion (50th Anniversary Tour Live) by Shakti
• Chapter III: We Return to Light by Anoushka Shankar feat. Alam Khan & Sarathy Korwar
• Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo by Caetano Veloso And Maria Bethânia
  

1. Best Reggae Album 

• Treasure Self Love by Lila Iké
• Heart & Soul by Vybz Kartel
• BLXXD & FYAH by Keznamdi
• From Within by Mortimer
• No Place Like Home by Jesse Royal
  

1. Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album

• Kuruvinda by Kirsten Agresta-Copely
• According To The Moon by Cheryl B. Engelhardt, GEM, Dallas String Quartet
• Into The Forest by Jahnavi Harrison
• Nomadica by Carla Patullo Featuring The Scorchio Quartet & Tonality
• The Colors In My Mind by Chris Redding
  

1. Best Children's Music Album

• Ageless: 100 Years Young by Joanie Leeds & Joya
• Buddy's Magic Tree House by Mega Ran
• Harmony by FYÜTCH & Aura V
• Herstory by Flor Bromley
• The Music Of Tori And The Muses by Tori Amos
  

1. Best Comedy Album 

• Drop Dead Years by Bill Burr
• PostMortem by Sarah Silverman
• Single Lady by Ali Wong
• What Had Happened Was… by Jamie Foxx
• Your Friend, Nate Bargatze by Nate Bargatze
  

1. Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording

• Elvis, Rocky & Me: The Carol Connors Story – Kathy Garver
• Into The Uncut Grass – Trevor Noah
• Lovely One: A Memoir – Ketanji Brown Jackson
• Meditations: The Reflections Of His Holiness The Dalai Lama – Dalai Lama
• You Know It's True: The Real Story Of Milli Vanilli – Fab Morvan
  

1. Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media

• A Complete Unknown (Timothée Chalamet)
• F1 The Album (Various Artists)
• KPop Demon Hunters (Various Artists)
• Sinners (Various Artists)
• Wicked (Various Artists)
  

1. Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Includes Film And Television)

• How To Train Your Dragon – John Powell, composer
• Severance: Season 2 – Theodore Shapiro, composer
• Sinners – Ludwig Göransson, composer
• Wicked – John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, composers
• The Wild Robot – Kris Bowers, composer
  

1. Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media

• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora - Secrets of the Spires – Pinar Toprak, composer
• Helldivers 2 – Wilbert Roget, II, composer
• Indiana Jones And The Great Circle – Gordy Haab, composer
• Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card & A Pirate's Fortune – Cody Matthew Johnson & Wilbert Roget, II, composers
• Sword of the Sea – Austin Wintory, composer
  

1. Best Song Written for Visual Media

• "As Alive As You Need Me To Be" [From TRON: Ares] – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, songwriters (Nine Inch Nails)
• "Golden" [From KPop Demon Hunters] –  EJAE & Mark Sonnenblick, songwriters (HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI)
• "I Lied to You" [From Sinners] – Ludwig Göransson & Raphael Saadiq, songwriters (Miles Caton)
• "Never Too Late" [From Elton John: Never Too Late] – Brandi Carlile, Elton John, Bernie Taupin & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Elton John, Brandi Carlile)
• "Pale, Pale Moon" [From Sinners] – Ludwig Göransson & Brittany Howard, songwriters (Jayme Lawson)
• "Sinners" [From Sinners] – Leonard Denisenko, Rodarius Green, Travis Harrington, Tarkan Kozluklu, Kyris Mingo & Darius Povilinus, songwriters (Rod Wave)
  

1. Best Music Video

• "Young Lion" by Sade; Sophie Muller, video director; Sade & Aaron Taylor Dean, video producers
• "Manchild" by Sabrina Carpenter; Vania Heymann & Gal Muggia, video directors; Aiden Magarian, Nathan Scherrer & Natan Schottenfels, video producers
• "So Be It" by Clipse; Hannan Hussain, video director; Daniel Order, video producer
• "Anxiety" by Doechii; James Mackel, video director; Pablo Feldman, Jolene Mendes & Sophia Sabella, video producers
• "Love" by OK Go; Aaron Duffy, Miguel Espada & Damian Kulash Jr., video directors; Petra Ahmann, video producer
  

1. Best Music Film

• Devo (Devo) – Chris Smith, video director; Danny Gabai, Anita Greenspan, Chris Holmes & Chris Smith, video producers
• Live At The Royal Albert Hall (RAYE) – Paul Dugdale, video director; Stefan Demetriou & Amy James, video producers
• Relentless (Diane Warren) – Bess Kargman, video director; Peggy Drexler, Michele, Farinola & Kat Nguyen, video producers
• Music By John Williams (John Williams) – Laurent Bouzereau, video director; Sara Bernstein, Laurent Bouzereau, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Meredith Kaulfers, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Steven Spielberg & Justin Wilkes, video producers
• Piece By Piece (Pharrell Williams) – Morgan Neville, video director; Morgan Neville, Caitrin Rogers, Mimi Valdes & Pharrell Williams, video producers
  

1. Best Recording Package

• And The Adjacent Possible – Hà Trinh Quoc Bao, Damian Kulash, Jr., Claudio Ripol, Wombi Rose & Yuri Suzuki, art directors (OK Go)
• Balloonerism – Bráulio Amado & Alim Smith, art directors (Mac Miller)
• Danse Macabre: De Luxe – Rory McCartney, art director (Duran Duran)
• Loud Is As – Farbod Kokabi & Emily Sneddon, art directors (Tsunami)
• Sequoia – Tim Breen & Ken Shipley, art directors (Various Artists)
• The Spins (Picture Disc Vinyl) – Miller McCormick, art director (Mac Miller)
• Tracks II: The Lost Albums – Meghan Foley & Michelle Holme, art directors (Bruce Springsteen)
  

1. Best Album Cover

• CHROMAKOPIA – Shaun Llewellyn & Luis "Panch" Perez, art directors (Tyler, The Creator)
• The Crux – William Wesley II, art director (Djo)
• DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS – Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, art director (Bad Bunny)
• Glory – Cody Critcheloe & Andrew J.S., art directors (Perfume Genius)
• moisturizer – Hester Chambers, Ellis Durand, Henry Holmes, Matt de Jong, Jamie-James Medina, Joshua Mobaraki & Rhian Teasdale, art directors (Wet Leg)
  

1. Best Album Notes

• Adios, Farewell, Goodbye, Good Luck, So Long: On Stage 1964-1974 – Scott B. Bomar, album notes writer (Buck Owens And His Buckaroos)
• After The Last Sky – Adam Shatz, album notes writer (Anouar Brahem, Anja Lechner, Django Bates, Dave Holland)
• Árabe – Amanda Ekery, album notes writer (Amanda Ekery)
• The First Family: Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967 – Alec Palao, album notes writer (Sly & The Family Stone)
• A Ghost Is Born (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) – Bob Mehr, album notes writer (Wilco)
• Miles '55: The Prestige Recordings – Ashley Kahn, album notes writer (Miles Davis)
  

1. Best Historical Album

• Joni Mitchell Archives - Volume 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980) — Patrick Milligan & Joni Mitchell, compilation producers; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer (Joni Mitchell)
• The Making Of Five Leaves Left — Cally Callomon & Johnny Chandler, compilation producers; Simon Heyworth & John Wood, mastering engineers (Nick Drake)
• Roots Rocking Zimbabwe - The Modern Sound Of Harare' Townships 1975-1980 (Analog Africa No.41) — Samy Ben Redjeb, compilation producer; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Various Artists)
• Super Disco Pirata - De Tepito Para El Mundo 1965-1980 (Analog Africa No. 39) – Samy Ben Redjeb, compilation producer; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Various Artists)
• You Can't Hip A Square: The Doc Pomus Songwriting Demos – Will Bratton,Sharyn Felder & Cheryl Pawelski, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Doc Pomus)
  

1. Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

• All Things Light – Jesse Brock, Jon Castelli, Tyler Johnson, Nick Lobel, Simon Maartensson, Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell, Anders Mouridsen, Ryan Nasci, Ernesto Olivera-Lapier, Ethan Schneiderman & Owen Stoutt, engineers; Dale Becker, mastering engineer (Cam)
• Arcadia – Neal Cappellino & Gary Paczosa, engineers; Brad Blackwood, mastering engineer (Alison Krauss & Union Station)
• For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) – Joseph Lorge, Blake Mills & Sebastian Reunert, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer (Japanese Breakfast)
• That Wasn't A Dream – Joseph Lorge & Blake Mills, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer (Pino Palladino, Blake Mills)
  

1. Best Engineered Album, Classical

• Cerrone: Don't Look Down – Mike Tierney, engineer; Alan Silverman, mastering engineer (Sandbox Percussion)
• Eastman: Symphony No. 2; Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2 – Gintas Norvila, engineer; Jennifer Nulsen, mastering engineer (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra)
• Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth Of The Mtsensk District – Shawn Murphy & Nick Squire, engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer (Andris Nelsons, Kristine Opolais, Günther Groissböck, Peter Hoare, Brenden Gunnell & Boston Symphony Orchestra)
• Standard Stoppages – Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin, Bill Maylone, Judith Sherman & David Skidmore, engineers; Joe Lambert, mastering engineer (Third Coast Percussion)
• Yule – Morten Lindberg, engineer; Morten Lindberg, mastering engineer (Trio Mediæval)
  

1. Producer of the Year, Classical

• Blanton Alspaugh
• Sergei Kvitko
• Morten Lindberg
• Dmitriy Lipay 
• Elaine Martone
  

1. Best Immersive Audio Album

• All American F***boy – Andrew Law, immersive mix engineer (Duckwrth)
• Immersed – Justin Gray, immersive mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Justin Gray, Drew Jurecka & Morten Lindberg, immersive producers (Justin Gray)
• An Immersive Tribute To Astor Piazzolla (Live) – Andrés Mayo & Martín Muscatello, immersive mix engineers; Andrés Mayo & Martín Muscatello, immersive producers (Various Artists)
• Tearjerkers – Hans-Martin Buff, immersive mix engineer; Hans-Martin Buff, immersive producer (Tearjerkers)
• Yule – Morten Lindberg, immersive mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive mastering engineer; Arve Henriksen & Morten Lindberg, immersive producers (Trio Mediæval)
  

1. Best Instrumental Composition

• "First Snow" – Remy Le Boeuf, composer (Nordkraft Big Band, Remy Le Boeuf & Danielle Wertz)
• "Live Life This Day: Movement I" – Miho Hazama, composer (Miho Hazama, Danish Radio Big Band & Danish National Symphony Orchestra)
• "Lord, That's A Long Way" – Sierra Hull, composer (Sierra Hull)
• "Opening" – Zain Effendi, composer (Zain Effendi)
• "Train To Emerald City" – John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, composers (John Powell & Stephen Schwartz)
• "Why You Here / Before The Sun Went Down" – Ludwig Göransson, composer (Ludwig Göransson feat. Miles Caton)
  

1. Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella

• "Be Okay" – Cynthia Erivo, arranger (Cynthia Erivo)
• "A Child Is Born" – Remy Le Boeuf, arranger (Nordkraft Big Band & Remy Le Boeuf)
• "Fight On" – Andy Clausen, Addison Maye-Saxon, Riley Mulherkar & Chloe Rowlands, arrangers (The Westerlies)
• "Super Mario Praise Break" – Bryan Carter, Charlie Rosen & Matthew Whitaker, arrangers (The 8-Bit Big Band)
  

1. Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals

• "Big Fish" – Erin Bentlage, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick, Nate Smith & Amanda Taylor, arrangers (Nate Smith feat. säje)
• "How Did She Look?" – Nelson Riddle, arranger (Seth MacFarlane)
• "Keep An Eye On Summer" – Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)
• "Something In The Water (Acoustic-Ish)" – Clyde Lawrence, Gracie Lawrence & Linus Lawrence, arrangers (Lawrence)
• "What A Wonderful World" – Cody Fry, arranger (Cody Fry)
  

1. Best Orchestral Performance

• Coleridge-Taylor: Toussaint L'Ouverture; Ballade Op. 4; Suites From '24 Negro Melodies' – Michael Repper, conductor (National Philharmonic)
• Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie – Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
• Ravel: Boléro, M. 81 – Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra Of Venezuela)
• Still & Bonds – Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (The Philadelphia Orchestra)
• Stravinsky: Symphony In Three Movements – Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)
  

1. Best Opera Recording

• Heggie: Intelligence – Kwamé Ryan, conductor; Jamie Barton, J'Nai Bridges & Janai Brugger; Blanton Alspaugh, producer (Houston Grand Opera; Gene Scheer)
• Huang Ruo: An American Soldier – Carolyn Kuan, conductor; Hannah Cho, Alex DeSocio, Nina Yoshida Nelsen & Brian Vu; Adam Abeshouse, Silas Brown & Doron Schachter, producers (American Composers Orchestra; David Henry Hwang
• Kouyoumdjian: Adoration – Alan Pierson, conductor; Miriam Khalil, Marc Kudisch, David Adam Moore, Omar Najmi, Naomi Louisa O'Connell & Karim Sulayman; Mary Kouyoumdjian, producer (Silvana Quartet; The Choir Of Trinity Wall Street)
• O'Halloran: Trade & Mary Motorhead – Elaine Kelly, conductor; Oisín Ó Dálaigh & John Molloy; Alex Dowling & Emma O'Halloran, producers (Irish National Opera Orchestra; Mark O'Halloran)
• Tesori: Grounded – Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Ben Bliss, Emily D'Angelo, Greer Grimsley & Kyle Miller; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus; George Brant)
  

1. Best Choral Performance

• Advena - Liturgies For A Broken World – Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (Simon Barrad, Emily Yocum Black & Michael Hawes; Conspirare)
• Childs: In The Arms Of The Beloved – Grant Gershon, conductor (Billy Childs, Dan Chmlellnskl, Christian Euman, Larry Koonse, Lyris Quartet, Anne Akiko Meyers, Carol Robbins & Luciana Souza; Los Angeles Master Chorale)
• Lang: Poor Hymnal – Donald Nally, conductor (Steven Bradshaw, Michael Hawes, Lauren Kelly, Rebecca Siler & Elisa Sutherland; The Crossing)
• Ortiz: Yanga – Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Grant Gershon, chorus master (Los Angeles Philharmonic & Tambuco Percussion Ensemble; Los Angeles Master Chorale)
• Requiem Of Light – Steven Fox, conductor; Emily Drennan & Patti Drennan, chorus masters (Brian Giebler & Sangeeta Kaur; The Clarion Choir)
  

1. Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

• Dennehy: Land Of Winter – Alan Pierson & Alarm Will Sound
• La Mer - French Piano Trios – Neave Trio
• Lullabies For The Brokenhearted – Lili Haydn & Paul Cantelon 
• Slavic Sessions – Mak Grgić & Mateusz Kowalski
• Standard Stoppages – Third Coast Percussion
  

1. Best Classical Instrumental Solo

• Coleridge-Taylor: 3 Selections From '24 Negro Melodies' by Curtis Stewart; Michael Repper, conductor (National Philharmonic)
• Hope Orchestrated by Mary Dawood Catlin; Jesús David Medina & Raniero Palm, conductors (Venezuela Strings Recording Ensemble)
• Inheritances by Adam Tendler
• Price: Piano Concerto In One Movement In D Minor by Han Chen; John Jeter, conductor (Malmö Opera Orchestra)
• Shostakovich: The Cello Concertos by Yo-Yo Ma; Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
• Shostakovich: The Piano Concertos; Solo Works by Yuja Wang; Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
  

1. Best Classical Solo Album

• Alike - My Mother's Dream – Allison Charney, soloist; Benjamin Loeb, conductor (National Symphonia Orchestra)
• Black Pierrot – Sidney Outlaw, soloist; Warren Jones, pianist
• In This Short Life – Devony Smith, soloist; Danny Zelibor, pianist; Michael Nicolas, accompanist
• Kurtág: Kafka Fragments – Susan Narucki, soloist; Curtis Macomber, accompanist
• Schubert Beatles – Theo Hoffman, soloist; Steven Blier, pianist (Rupert Boyd, Julia Bullock, Alex Levine, Andrew Owens, Rubén Rengel & Sam Weber)
• Telemann: Ino - Opera Arias For Soprano – Amanda Forsythe, soloist; Robert Mealy, Paul O'Dette & Stephen Stubbs, conductors (Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra)
  

1. Best Classical Compendium

• Cerrone: Don't Look Down – Sandbox Percussion; Jonathan Allen, Victor Caccese, Christopher Cerrone, Ian Rosenbaum, Terry Sweeney & Mike Tierney, producers
• The Dunbar/Moore Sessions, Vol. II – Will Liverman; Jonathan Estabrooks, producer
• Ortiz: Yanga – Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Dmitriy Lipay, producer
• Seven Seasons – Janai Brugger, Isolde Fair, MB Gordy & Starr Parodi; Nicholas Dodd, conductor; Jeff Fair, Starr Parodi & Kitt Wakeley, producers
• Tombeaux – Christina Sandsengen; Shaun Drew & Christina Sandsengen, producers
  

1. Best Contemporary Classical Composition

• Cerrone: Don't Look Down – Christopher Cerrone, composer (Conor Hanick & Sandbox Percussion)
• Dennehy: Land Of Winter – Donnacha Dennehy, composer (Alan Pierson & Alarm Will Sound)
• León: Raíces (Origins) – Tania León, composer (Edward Gardner & London Philharmonic Orchestra)
• Okpebholo: Songs In Flight – Shawn E. Okpebholo, composer (Will Liverman, Paul Sánchez & Various Artists)
• Ortiz: Dzonot – Gabriela Ortiz, composer (Alisa Weilerstein, Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)

Copyright 2025 NPR

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman promised at a Tuesday night town hall that MacArthur Park will see “amazing progress” in public safety before the 2028 Olympic Games.

Several community members told LAist they have seen crime return to the Los Angeles park after months of joint drug enforcement operations by the Los Angeles Police Department and federal agencies. Those efforts led to dozens of arrests for alleged drug sales in the area.

An LAPD captain attending the town hall confirmed to LAist that the department is aware of renewed safety problems.

Hochman acknowledged those concerns and said the recent operations made progress and created an opportunity for lasting change.

“If we keep this focus and the energy on this area, MacArthur Park, Skid Row and everything in between,” Hochman said, “then we will see amazing progress before the Olympics, and that is actually a promise.”

Hochman previously promised, during a drug enforcement operation on June 4, to have a picnic at the park on Labor Day. Hochman told attendees he kept that promise when he held an event at the park on Sept. 5 with other local and federal law enforcement officials.

As district attorney, Hochman works with law enforcement agencies to prosecute criminal cases in L.A. County. He said that it will take more work from policymakers and community members to remove the open-air drug market that has been entrenched there for decades.

The area is represented by L.A. City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, County Supervisor Hilda Solis, state Assemblymember Mark González and state Sen. María Elena Durazo. Staff members from some of those offices, and the mayor’s office, sat in on the town hall organized by the local nonprofit California Rising.

“Feel free to put the fire under the feet of our politicians,” Hochman told about two dozen residents who attended. “All too often it is easy to spend some effort on something and then get distracted and spend some effort somewhere else.”

'Temporary' relief

Some residents and business owners agreed with Hochman that the large-scale drug enforcement operations from March through June made the area feel safer, at least for a while.

“It was temporary, but we got to see, actually, families at the bus stops with their kids — before it wasn't like that,” Elaine Alaniz told LAist Tuesday. “I think it does help us, but on the other hand I still think that we need more help. It's not just a one, two, three-day thing.”

Alaniz lives nearby and is the president of the Westlake North Neighborhood Council, which begins a block northeast of MacArthur Park.

She said she has seen some crime move away from the park and into the surrounding neighborhoods.

Capt. Ben Fernandes, who leads LAPD’s Rampart Division, said the earlier operations were successful, but there have been some setbacks.

“We made a lot of headway in the beginning,” he said. “There are some issues that we've had some repopulation, especially with addicts.”

Fernandes said that the department will continue to arrest people suspected of selling drugs near the park, while connecting people who are addicted with services to help them get sober and off the streets.

A call for community involvement

Hochman and Fernandes each emphasized that making MacArthur Park a safe and welcoming place can’t be done by law enforcement alone.

“My advice: take the park back — it's your park,” Hochman said at the town hall, calling for community organizations to plan regular outings there. “That starts to send a message that the community really cares about this park.”

He asked that performers like Justin Bieber, who played an impromptu set in the park last month, have more events there as well.

Fernandes said people can get involved to change perceptions about MacArthur Park so it's no longer thought of as a place to go to score drugs.

“What we need to do is — we as a community — come together and show [people using drugs] that it's not their place to go,” he said. “That you're going to be there with your children, with your parishioners, with your friends, with your family.”

Inglewood city officials are launching an audit of their financial relationship with SoFi Stadium and claiming the stadium could owe years of ticket taxes, one month after a judge voided the 2015 contract that brought the stadium to Inglewood. 

The Inglewood City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to commission the audit. Mayor James Butts said the move is a necessary next step after the court ruling, which threw the terms of the financial relationship between the city and Hollywood Park stadium development into question. 

Millions of dollars are at stake for both the city and the stadium businesses. City officials say that the ruling means a cap that limited the amount of admissions tax that Inglewood could collect no longer applies. They also plan to investigate the authenticity of $376 million worth of infrastructure bills Hollywood Park claims the city owes. The findings of the audit could also factor into discussions of how the city will address its current $30.8 million deficit.

The City Council motion — put forward by Butts and co-sponsored by Councilmember Dionne Faulk — requires the city attorney to retain an accounting firm to conduct the audit and report back to the public on its findings within 30 days. It set aside $325,000 from the city’s General Fund to pay for the audit. You can read the city’s full explanation of the audit here.

Butts, who was at the city’s helm a decade ago when developer Stan Kroenke brought his Hollywood Park pitch to Inglewood, said city officials built what they thought was a partnership with their stadium counterparts.

But that partnership has crumbled. Since last summer, the city and stadiums have been slugging it out in a complex series of court cases over the stadium’s contract and Inglewood’s network of video billboards. The conflict has spilled over into the Nov. 3 election via ballot measures that would change the city’s commercial advertising and ticket tax rules. 

The audit approved by the City Council on Tuesday will dig into the entire financial relationship between the stadium and city since 2015, unpacking what is owed and what was received from taxes on everything from tickets to parking. City officials plan to continue auditing the taxes on a quarterly basis into the future.

Still, it’s not guaranteed the city would be able to force the stadium development to pay any debt the audit does claim. Hollywood Park could still appeal the court ruling that voided its contract with Inglewood, while Butts said the city wants to negotiate a new contract to replace it. 

A Hollywood Park spokesperson said the stadium development has lived up to its financial obligations, including paying all of its taxes.

“This is yet another thinly veiled attempt to distract from scrutiny surrounding the City’s own fiscal mismanagement and the questionable actions of its Mayor,” the spokesperson wrote in a statement.

Some locals at Tuesday’s meeting said during public comments they were baffled why the city hadn’t set up an audit process earlier.

“We have needed an audit from day one. We can’t sit here and claim we didn’t know or have an inkling what we were doing with Hollywood Park,” Diane Sambrano said. 

Exterior of Sofi Stadium in Inglewood

(

Gary Coronado

/

The LA Local

)

Speaking during the meeting, Butts said the audit was triggered because of the void left by the development agreement and because major events including the 2027 Super Bowl and 2028 Olympics are about to hit Inglewood.

The mayor first claimed the development agreement was illegal in a letter written directly to Stan Kroenke last year, saying the city’s lawyers made the determination while researching billboard litigation.

Millions in tax revenue at stake

After the judge ruled in agreement with the city, Butts told The LA Local that city officials were still researching the specific implications of the court’s ruling. In Tuesday’s council motion, city staff highlighted what they say is one major change they’ve discovered: There’s no longer a limit on how much admissions tax the city can collect.  

Inglewood collects a 10% tax on tickets sold at SoFi Stadium, but the 2015 initiative that brought the stadium to the city put a cap on that revenue, starting at $15 million a year and increasing annually with inflation. 

The admissions tax cap also happens to be the subject of the current ballot Measure AT. WOW Media, the billboard operator allied with the city in its dispute with the stadium, is funding a campaign in favor of the initiative.

Admissions tax has been a sizable revenue stream for the city — bringing in an average $20 million a year since SoFi Stadium opened — but city officials have said it could be significantly bigger. A city analysis of Measure AT estimated that getting rid of the cap could bring in as much as an extra $50 million in future years. The city did not estimate how much admissions tax revenue it has missed out on while the development agreement was in effect.

The Inglewood audit seeks to clarify basic questions about how taxes are assessed on ticket sales and whether those taxes are actually forwarded to the city. Officials say it will provide transparency about ticket sales, pricing and fees, which have been heavily scrutinized in recent years across the state. 

Gray gets support on proposal for future billboard revenue audit

Councilmember Gloria Gray attempted to amend the audit motion Tuesday, asking the city manager to also audit the revenue the city gets from billboard fees.

“I believe the same standard of financial transparency should apply to every city agreement,” Gray said.

Though her motion didn’t receive a second, Councilmember Eloy Morales said he’d support putting a billboard revenue audit on the council’s agenda in the future. 

“I think we all support all those audits,” Morales said. 

Gray’s move was a rarity for a council that seldom debates motions during public meetings and almost always votes unanimously. The councilmember is currently running for mayor against Butts.

Inglewood pulls in as much as $8 million a year from billboards, according to budget records. Much of that comes from a series of deals the city cut with WOW Media, allowing the billboard company to construct and operate the billboards on public medians and sidewalks. In return, WOW gives the city a cut of ad revenue along with other concessions.

The post Inglewood is investigating if SoFi Stadium owes years’ worth of ticket taxes appeared first on LA Local.