Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter became the second-ever recipient of the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award for his many achievements across a career that has spanned decades.

A 24-time GRAMMY winner and 88-time nominee, Jay-Z was presented the Global Impact Award after being introduced by host Trevor Noah.

With his daughter Blue Ivy at his side onstage, Jay-Z first joked that his latest golden gramophone is no longer needed as the "gold sippy cup" like the one he won in 2014.

He then delivered a powerful speech that touched upon hip-hop's history, discussing its struggle to get recognized by the Academy and his own decision to boycott the show in 1998. He also thanked Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg for opening up opportunities for himself and other East Coast Rap artists and encouraged artists to keep pushing.

"You gotta keep showing up. Just keep showing up until they give you all those accolades you feel you deserve, until they call you genius, until they call you chairman, until they call you the greatest of all time. Feel me?"

The Dr. Dre Global Impact Award was first awarded at the 2023 GRAMMYs to its namesake, Dr. Dre. Revisit his speech here.

2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Winners & Nominees List

Editor’s Note: Updated Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, to reflect the results of the 2026 Grammys.

1989 was a year of many highlights, from the debut of "The Simpsons" and "Seinfeld" to the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the beginning of the Game Boy. It was also the first year hip-hop artists won Grammy Awards, an honor that went to D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince for "Parents Just Don't Understand."

Hip-hop and the GRAMMYs have come a long way in the ensuing decades. While Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff broke barriers with their win for Best Rap Performance, the duo boycotted the show because the rap Category was not televised. The boycott proved successful, as the genre Categories began to be televised during the following year, in 1990, and every year since then.  

Read more: Who Are The Top GRAMMY Awards Winners Of All Time? Who Has The Most GRAMMYs?

Now, the Recording Academy celebrates the sounds of hip-hop and acknowledges the genre’s indelible impact; few genres have disrupted and defined music on such a global scale. Hip-hop rappers, producers, and songwriters have significantly shaped the musical landscape, garnering a bevy of Grammy Awards along the way. And although many artists have taken home Grammy Awards since ‘89, there are a few artists in the game who reign supreme. 

Read on for 10 rappers who have won the most Grammy Awards

Kendrick Lamar

27 wins, 66 nominations

Kendrick Lamar’s wins represent a return of “conscious” rap that tackles topics such as race and politics while embracing the art of authentic storytelling. As such, his 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly gave way to many social justice anthems such as “Alright” and “Wesley’s Theory”; the release also took home the award for Best Rap Album at the 58th GRAMMY Awards.

Further reading: Kendrick Lamar's GRAMMY Timeline: From His First Win And Performances To "Not Like Us"

Additionally, Lamar’s most successful album, DAMN — which features hits like “DNA" and “Humble" — won five GRAMMYs Awards. At the 2025 Grammys, the rapper's hit single “Not Like Us” swept its Categories. Among Lamar's wins that night were Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best Music Video. At the 2026 Grammys, he won the Grammy for Record Of The Year for “luther,” Best Rap Album for GNX, Best Rap Song for “tv off,” Best Melodic Rap Performance for “luther,” and Best Rap Performance “Chains & Whips” (his collaboration with Clipse), breaking the record for the rapper with the most Grammy wins.

Learn more: Kendrick Lamar Sweeps The 2025 GRAMMYs With Song Of The Year Win

Kendrick Lamar’s influence extends to broader cultural events, such as his groundbreaking 2025 Super Bowl halftime show. The show set a record for viewership and became one of the most-watched halftime shows since the Super Bowl’s inception, surpassing 130 million views. 

Jay-Z

25 wins, 89 nominations

Rapper and business mogul Jay-Z not only holds the record of having the most GRAMMYs of any hip-hop artist, he is also among the most nominated artists of any genre in GRAMMY history.

The rapper’s GRAMMY wins include Best Rap Album, which he won in 1998 for his album Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life. The album, which was nominated for two additional GRAMMYs, was his highest selling and included songs such as “Hard Knock Life” and “Can I Get A…” featuring Ja Rule and Amil. 

Learn more: Songbook: How Jay-Z Created The 'Blueprint' For Rap's Greatest Of All Time

In 2006, Jay-Z made his musical debut at the GRAMMYs when he performed “Numb/Encore” with Linkin Park and “Yesterday’ with Paul McCartney. From solo hits to collabs with some of the most legendary artists in music, Jay-Z has dominated the GRAMMYs and shows no signs of slowing down. 

Read more: 8 Ways Jay-Z's 'The Black Album' Changed The Hip-Hop Game

His influence was further acknowledged In 2024, when he was bestowed with the prestigious Dr. Dre GRAMMY Global Impact Award. In June 2025, his debut album Reasonable Doubt was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame. Not only has he been instrumental in East Coast hip-hop, he has had a hand in shaping fashion and other societal pillars on a global scale, opening doors for artists to go beyond music and branch off into other ventures. 

Kanye West

24 wins, 76 nominations

Kanye West has the second most GRAMMYs of any hip-hop artist, with 24 awards and 76 nominations. His GRAMMY accolades in multiple fields and Categories highlight his versatility as an artist: such as Jesus is King (Best Contemporary Christian Music Album) and The College DropOut (Best Rap Album), the latter of which was his first GRAMMY win in 2004. His awards also reflect his work as a producer; his GRAMMY wins in this arena include Best R&B Song for Alicia Keys’ hit “You Don’t Know My Name,” which West also co-wrote.

West also took home a golden gramophone Best Rap Solo Performance for the hit song "Gold Digger" with Jamie Foxx. At 2008 GRAMMYs, he performed his hit “Stronger” alongside Daft Punk, complete with illuminated, futuristic visuals. In all, Kanye has pushed boundaries with music and art, sampling songs and turning performances into experiences.

Eminem

15 wins, 47 nominations

Eminem’s influence in the industry is evident not only by his chart-topping hits, but also by the number of golden gramophones he has secured. The Detroit rapper, who has effortlessly merged lyrical skill with shock, is both among the best-selling artists of all time and the rapper with the most GRAMMY awards.

Further reading: Songbook: A Deep Dive Into Eminem's Inimitable Career

He is also the only rapper who has won the award for Best Rap Album for three consecutive LPs. Eminem won his first GRAMMYs for The Slim Shady LP; these awards include Best Rap Solo Performance ("My Name Is"), as well as the award for Best Rap Album. 2000's The Marshall Mathers LP, which features "The Real Slim Shady" and "Forget About Dre," won three GRAMMY Awards/ The album also features Eminem's hit song "Stan," which the artist performed at the GRAMMYs as a duet with Elton John.

Read more: 4 Reasons Why Eminem's 'The Slim Shady LP' Is One Of The Most Influential Rap Records

Pharrell Williams

13 wins, 39 nominations

Pharrell Williams' versatility as a rapper, producer, pop artist and songwriter has garnered 13 GRAMMY wins. His awards showcase different facets of his artistry, from his days as a member of the group the Neptunes, to his work as a solo artist and producer.

From Beyoncé to Britney Spears, he has worked with a range of artists and has thrice taken home the golden gramophone for Producer Of The Year, Non Classical. Highlighting his production work, Pharrell's first GRAMMY was for producing Justin Timberlake’s 2003 album  Justified. His collaboration with Daft Punk spawned the popular hit "Get Lucky," which won GRAMMYs Awards for Record Of The Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. 

As an artist and producer, Pharrell is able to blend pop and hip-hop effortlessly. Pharrell’s "Happy," from the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack, took home two GRAMMY Awards (as well as an Oscar nomination) and became one of the best-selling singles of the 2010s. Though Pharrell’s ingenuity has opened doors for him to work with an array of artists, he still holds hip-hop in high regard. In recent years, his work on Kendrick Lamar’s albums has spawned several GRAMMYs and nominations–including a win for Kendrick’s song "Alright" off of his album To Pimp a Butterfly. 

Learn more: 4 Ways Pharrell Williams Has Made An Impact: Supporting The Music Industry, Amplifying Social Issues & More

Andre "3000" Benjamin

9 wins, 28 nominations

Andre 3000’s innovative sound and style has pushed creative boundaries in music and netted multiple GRAMMY Awards. Andre 3000's wins and nominations–in both rap and R&B–reflect his work as a solo artist and as part of the group OutKast. His wins include Best Rap Album for Stankonia, as well as Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the hit song "Hey Ya," off of the Speakerboxxx/The Love Below album. Additionally, Andre 3000 has also won a GRAMMY for Best R&B Performance for his feature on Anderson .Paak’s song "Come Home."

His versatility as an artist is evident on his recent instrumental jazz album, New Blue Sun, which earned him three nominations at the 2025 GRAMMYs. Additionally, this album showcases a departure from some of the sounds Andre 3000 is known for, and shows audiences that he is unafraid to challenge musical conventions. 

Read more: André 3000 On 'New Blue Sun,' Finding Inspiration In Visual Art & His New Musical Journey

Anderson .Paak 

9 wins, 14 nominations

Although Anderson .Paak is best known for his contributions to R&B, he has netted GRAMMYs for his work as a rapper. He won his first GRAMMY for "Bubblin," a song which took home Best Rap Performance at the 2019 GRAMMYs. At the 2021 GRAMMY Awards, he won Best Melodic Rap Performance for his single "Lockdown." Additionally, he has also secured multiple GRAMMY wins as part of the R&B duo Silk Sonic with Bruno Mars.

The group’s best-selling album, An Evening With Silk Sonic, features the hit song "Leave the Door Open" and brings together R&B and funk. The melodious genre mix ultimately earned the group GRAMMYs for Best R&B Performance and Record Of The Year. 

As a solo artist, Anderson .Paak has also carved out a distinctive and celebrated career, earning multiple GRAMMYs for his genre-bending albums that showcase his unique blend of singing and rapping. 

Lauryn Hill

8 wins, 19 nominations 

Lauryn Hill has established a benchmark for female artists in hip-hop, setting an exceptionally high bar that many artists still aspire to reach. 

Her seminal 1998 album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, achieved widespread critical acclaim before becoming one of the best-selling albums of all time. Additionally, it is the first hip-hop album to win a GRAMMY for Album Of The Year. The album ultimately launched Lauryn Hill’s career into the stratosphere; she became the first female rapper with a diamond-certified album. It is also the only solo album Lauryn has put forward to date. In 2024, the album was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame. 

Read more: Revisiting 'The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill': Why The Multiple GRAMMY-Winning Record Is Still Everything 25 Years Later

Although Lauryn Hill’s artistry and lyrical depth has garnered her GRAMMYs as a solo artist, her success also stems from her contributions as a songwriter and vocalist for the hip-hop group the Fugees. The group’s second album, The Score, earned two GRAMMYs and includes the hit song "Killing Me Softly," which is a rendition of Roberta Flack’s original.Additionally, at the 42nd GRAMMY Awards, Lauryn Hill also won a GRAMMY for her work on Santana’s influential album Supernatural, which was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame this year. 

Dr. Dre

7 wins, 26 nominations

Dr. Dre was and remains a highly influential figure in West Coast hip-hop, who has achieved significant success as a rapper, producer and founding member of the group N.W.A.

Throughout his extensive career, Dr. Dre has earned seven GRAMMYs, including the first win for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical by a hip-hop producer and artist. 

His acclaimed solo album, The Chronic garnered Dr. Dre his first GRAMMY for his single "Let Me Ride" (Best Rap Solo Performance). His best-selling album 2001, was also GRAMMY nominated and features popular tracks like "Still D.R.E." and "The Next Episode" with Snoop Dogg. Beyond his solo achievements, he has been instrumental in launching the careers of artists such as Eminem and producing classic albums for both Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent.

In 2023, Dr. Dre was honored with having the distinguished GRAMMY Global Impact Award carry his namesake. Since the award’s inception, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys have received this accolade.

OutKast

6 wins, 16 nominations 

OutKast’s creative approach to hip-hop has helped them win six GRAMMYs and secure 16 nominations. The duo of Andre "3000" Benjamin and Antwan "Big Boi" Patton, have pushed genre boundaries blending rap, jazz, and pop while staying true to their Southern roots. In 2001, OutKast won their first GRAMMY Awards, one being Best Rap Album for Stankonia.

Their 2004 win for their innovative double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below was a defining moment for Southern rap; it notably became the second hip-hop album to receive the GRAMMY for Album Of The Year and Best Rap Album. The album, which was certified diamond, features multiple chart-topping hits such as "The Way You Move" featuring Sleepy Brown and "Hey Ya."

Read more: 10 Reasons Why Outkast's 'Speakerboxxx/The Love Below' Is One Of Rap's Most Influential Double Albums

Honorable Mentions

There are many hip-hop artists who have received extensive nominations but have yet to receive a GRAMMY Award — notwithstanding their important contributions to the genre. Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Nicki Minaj, Travis Scott and Rick Ross each have numerous nominations but no golden gramophone. Snoop leads this pack with a total of 16 nominations, followed by Busta and Minaj (each with a dozen), Scott (10), and Ross (nine). Post Malone stands out, however, with 18 career nominations and no wins.

Sister Nancy is racing around New York City, sharing her "truths and rights."

The first lady of dancehall has just left an interview at radio station Power 105 and is en route for a number of back-to-backs. She's promoting a documentary about her journey — "it's not a story, it's my life," she clarifies — called Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story. In August, she released a new Mad Professor-produced album, Armageddon — her first LP in over 20 years. In December, Nancy will headline a celebration of her career featuring female artists including Renée Neufville. 

This hustle isn't unusual for Nancy — the Kingston, Jamaica-born MC has been performing since she was a teenager, when she was mentored by her brother Brigadier Jerry — though the amount of activity and acclaim is something slightly more recent. The past 12 months have been the busiest of Sister Nancy's 45-year career.

"People love what I stand for. I always give [the audience] something they can think about," Sister Nancy tells GRAMMY.com, Zooming in from a car in Midtown Manhattan. "I will never be your ordinary thing. When you come to see me, it doesn't matter the time or the space, it's always going to be good."

While Sister Nancy needn't be reminded of her influence — "I'm the woman who created dancehall … on the mic system, around the sound system. I'm the one who did all of that, first" — the past 15 years have seen the artist receive her flowers on a global stage. In addition to her status as a rare female voice in a sea of male performers at the dawn of dancehall, Sister Nancy is recognized for her influential, highly sampled single "Bam Bam."

She recorded the early dancehall anthem in 1982 when she was just 20 years old as a last-minute addition to her debut album, One, Two. An interpolation of Toots and the Maytals' 1966 song of the same name, Sister Nancy's in-studio freestyle was laid over sparse rub-a-dub production, allowing her declaration of ambition and skill to ring loud and clear. 

"I went with Yellowman to Harry J's Studio. Yellowman did a 'Bam Bam,', and I had to finish my One, Two album, and I just said I am going to do a tune like Yellowman did. And I did 'Bam Bam,' my way," Nancy recalls. "I just made up in the studio right there."

Remarkably, "Bam Bam" was far from an instant classic and received little airplay in Jamaica. Sister Nancy wouldn't perform the song on a Jamaican stage for eight years, until she featured at 1990's Sting competition. Yet the song made its way to the States, where it found popularity in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut's Caribbean diaspora and caught the ear of hip-hop innovators of the '80s.

Sister Nancy's grooving refrain and undulating horns from an Ansel Collins riddim have been widely sampled in the four decades since its release. Multiple sources consider it the most sampled reggae song ever (WhoSampled.com counts 155 samples), with Beyoncé, Madlib, Run D.M.C., Lauryn Hill, Chris Brown, Alicia Keys, Ariana Grande, and Buju Banton and many others pulling from Nancy's crisses lyrics.  It's been used in film and television, including prominently in 1998's Nas- and DMX-featuring Belly.

"I didn't hear it play in Jamaica. I didn't know how big it was at all. I just didn't hear it at all," Nancy recalls. "And remember, I had songs before that like 'One, Two' and 'Transport Connection'; they were playing, but I didn't hear 'Bam Bam' until I come to the U.S." 

Sister Nancy moved to New Jersey with her daughter in 1996, and worked as an accountant in a bank. She never stopped performing, and while Sister Nancy traveled as far as Israel to sing, she was often relegated to multi-artist bills — and not in the largest text. She was known and respected among those in the diaspora and by folks with a crate-digging sensibility, but wider recognition remained somewhat elusive.

Still, Nancy kept her spirits up, locking into her faith and sense of humor. "The inspiration [comes] from almighty God himself,” she says. “You can't be a sulky person and I don't believe in that. I like to make people laugh."

Like many artists of her era who either had bad contracts or no contract at all, Sister Nancy did not benefit from the popularity of "Bam Bam" for the majority of her career. Nancy was largely unaware of its popularity as a hip-hop sample, and didn't receive royalties for the tune (itself owned by producer Winston Riley, who died in 2012). Things came to a head in 2014, when Nancy's daughter shared that "Bam Bam" was used in a Reebok commercial. After that, there was no stopping Sister Nancy.

"I just couldn't take no more. I just say it's time for me to be compensated, and I just did what I had to do," the icon says of her legal battle for royalties. "It was not a difficult process. I just did the right thing and everybody who was involved just complied, and I was satisfied."

In 2016, Sister Nancy received 10 years of back royalties as well as royalties going forward, which allowed her to retire from the bank and pursue music full time. She encourages artists in similar binds to find an attorney who's familiar with their work. 

"The attorney that I got told me that he and his wife was my biggest fans, so it was easy for him to really work for me," she says, adding, "I don't go for no young lawyer because they have name. Get people with experience to fight for you."

With her rights restored, Sister Nancy's trajectory changed dramatically in the latter half of the 2010s — due in no small part to nods and samples from two of hip-hop's biggest artists. Kanye West prominently sampled "Bam Bam" in the Rihanna-featuring "Famous"; Nancy's chorus comes in midway through the song, adding an ethereal quality to West's braggadocio. "Famous" was nominated in multiple Categories at the 2017 GRAMMYs, including for Best Rap Song.

Of the many, many samples and interpolations of her work, Sister Nancy is unequivocal about who delivered her favorite: Jay-Z

For his 2017 single "Bam" featuring Damien Marley — off the GRAMMY-nominated 4:44 — Jay-Z not only sampled "Bam Bam," but worked with Nancy directly. After hearing Nancy on Hot 97's "Ebro In The Morning," Jay-Z flew the legend to Jamaica to sing and feature in his hybrid music video-documentary. That direct connection, a deferential gesture, was not lost on Sister Nancy.

"That's the best one. I'd rather work with him than anybody, it's because he did the right thing. He took me with him. I appreciate that," Sister Nancy says of Hova. "I have a respect for him because he chose to go with me and do it the right way. The rest of them just went behind my back."

In the years since, Sister Nancy has continued to thrive. She's performed on global stages and can be seen regularly at New York hotspots such as Union Pool, Public Records, and S.O.B.'s. Janelle Monáe featured Nancy not once but twice on 2023’s Album Of The Year-nominated The Age Of Pleasure, and sampled "Bam Bam" on “Water Slide." In further recognition of her impact, Burberry asked Sister Nancy to participate in their spring/summer 2024 campaign, which was shot in Jamaica. 

She continues to release new music of her own, though she believes in letting projects simmer before embarking on something new. Armageddon —her first full-length since 2001's Sister Nancy Meets Fireproof — was released this summer, seven years after it was recorded with Mad Professor in the U.K. "Mad Professor is someone I look up to. He's a genius, and I love working with him," Sister Nancy adds. "He remind me of [Jamaican dub pioneer] King Tubby. "

While Sister Nancy's icon status has long since cemented, she remains committed to performing. She's one of few women of her generation to do so; peers like Sister Carol and Marcia Griffiths continue to share their messages in a reggae style, though with less frequency than Sister Nancy. Her presence on record and on stage has inspired generations of singers and DJs.

"If someone can patronize you or learn from what you're doing, it makes it worthwhile," Nancy says. "I'm going to do that as long as I can talk. As long as my voice is heard, I am going to be doing that. Because there ain't no stopping Sister Nancy."

More than 40 years later, she's still happy to discuss and play that single she recorded back in Kingston as a young woman. "I have to appreciate 'Bam Bam.' I have no problem talking about it because it's mine. I did the song, so I'm not tired of talking about it. I'm not tired of playing it either," Sister Nancy says. " I love it. That's my voice. I made that."

Mariah Carey, Alanis Morissette, 2Pac and the Smashing Pumpkins all had No. 1 albums in 1995. Despite such hallowed competition, four movie soundtracks also topped the Billboard 200 chart that year. Two were family-friendly Disney behemoths: Pocahontas and The Lion King, the latter still powering from the previous year. The other chart-topping soundtracks, for the Michelle Pfeiffer vehicle Dangerous Minds and the stoner comedy Friday, were no one's idea of kids' entertainment.

Beyond those No. 1 spots, 1995 marked a fascinating midpoint in a soundtrack-heavy decade. According to a New York Times report, a new release CD that year typically cost anywhere between $13-$19. At that price, a soundtrack needed major star power or an undeniable concept.

For movie studios and musicians alike, the format was rich with opportunity. However, there was no certain formula for success. Some soundtracks were guided by a single producer, while others drew on a grab bag of then-current songs. Several featured one clear hit that eclipsed the soundtrack, or occasionally the movie itself. For all their differing approaches, the soundtracks of 1995 epitomized the energy and audacity of the decade, while also establishing tropes for the next 30 years.

The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album (1992) set the bar high for the decade. With a 20-week reign at No. 1, it remains the biggest-selling soundtrack of all time. Whitney Houston performed six songs on the album, including the titanic power ballad, "I Will Always Love You." (At the 1994 GRAMMYs, the track won the GRAMMY for Record Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, while the soundtrack itself earned the Album Of The Year award.)

While The Bodyguard magnified their commercial potential, movie soundtracks like Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994) framed the medium as an artistic showpiece. Throughout the '90s, Tarantino and fellow indie auteurs Paul Thomas Anderson, Richard Linklater and Spike Lee made music a key character in their films. (The latter continues the trend on his latest movie, Da 5 Bloods, alongside six-time GRAMMY-winning composer and trumpeter Terence Blanchard.) Both instincts, for commercial returns and artistic validation, were well-represented in 1995.

Batman Forever (1995) epitomized the big-budget, mass-appeal mid-'90s soundtrack. Spanning PJ Harvey to Method Man, the 14-track set employed some tried-and-true tactics. First, only five songs on the track list appear in the movie itself, ushering in a rash of "Music From And Inspired By" soundtracks. Second, its featured artists largely contributed songs you couldn't find on other albums: According to Entertainment Weekly in 1995, U2 landed a reported $500,000 advance for "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me," an offcut from the band's Zooropa album sessions.

Most significantly, Batman Forever backed a surprise smash in Seal's "Kiss From A Rose." Originally released as a single in 1994, the ballad blew up as the movie's "love theme." In its music video, Seal croons in the light of the Bat-Signal, intercut with not-very-romantic scenes from the film. Outshining U2, "Kiss From A Rose" reached No. 1 in 1995; one year later, the song won for Song Of The Year, Record Of The Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 38th GRAMMY Awards.

Both Bad Boys and Dangerous Minds had their "Kiss From A Rose" equivalent in 1995. Diana King's reggae-fusion jam "Shy Guy" proved the breakout star of Bad Boys, transcending an R&B- and hip-hop-heavy soundtrack. Meanwhile, Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise," featuring singer L.V., the key track on Dangerous Minds, became the top-selling single of 1995; it won the rapper his first, and only, GRAMMY for Best Rap Solo Performance the next year.  

Other soundtracks from 1995 endure as perfect documents of their time and place. Clueless compiled a cast from '90s rock radio to accompany the adventures of Alicia Silverstone's Cher Horowitz and her high school clique: Counting Crows, Smoking Popes, Cracker and The Muffs. Coolio, the everywhere man of 1995, contributed "Rollin' With My Homies."  

From the same city, but a world outside Cher's Beverly Hills bubble, came the Ice Cube- and Chris Tucker-starring Friday. Its soundtrack took a whistle-stop tour of West Coast hip-hop and G-funk via Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Tha Alkaholiks and Mack 10. True to the era, the music video for Dr. Dre's "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" is half stoner comedy, half cheesy action movie.  

Waiting To Exhale, the 1995 drama directed by Forest Whitaker, boasted a soundtrack with a clear author. Babyface, the R&B superproducer with 11 GRAMMY wins for his work with the likes of Boyz II Men and Toni Braxton, produced the set in full. Following Babyface's co-producer role on The Bodyguard soundtrack three years prior, Waiting To Exhale featured two new songs from the movie's star, Whitney Houston.

Houston's "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" and "Why Does It Hurt So Bad" led a track list that also featured Aretha Franklin, TLC, Chaka Khan, Mary J. Blige and then-newcomer Brandy. A powerful showcase of Black women across generations, the soundtrack has prevailed as a standalone work, going on to receive multiple nominations, including Album Of The Year, at the 1997 GRAMMYs. In a crowded year for soundtracks, which also included Dinosaur Jr. founder Lou Barlow's work on Larry Clark's contentious Kids, Waiting To Exhale demonstrated the power of a singular vision.

For the most part, the soundtracks of 1995 tried a bit of everything. The previous year, The Crow: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack went all-in on covers, including Nine Inch Nails overhauling Joy Division's "Dead Souls." That trend continued into 1995, from Tori Amos covering R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion" for Higher Learning to Evan Dando's update of Big Star's "The Ballad Of El Goodo" in Empire Records to Tom Jones gamely taking on Lenny Kravitz's "Are You Gonna Go My Way"' for The Jerky Boys movie. (Is there a more '90s sentence than that?)

Elsewhere, the Mortal Kombat soundtrack blended metal and industrial rock (Fear Factory, Gravity) with dance music (Utah Saints, Orbital). For every Dead Presidents, which zeroed in on '70s funk and soul, there was a Tank Girl, which threw together Bush, Björk, Veruca Salt and Ice-T to match the movie's manic tone. 

Continuing from their '90s winning streak, grown-up soundtracks have proven surprisingly resilient. In an echo of Babyface's role on Waiting To Exhale, Kendrick Lamar oversaw production on 2018's chart-topping, multi-GRAMMY-nominated Black Panther: The Album, uniting an A-list cast under his creative direction. On the same front, Beyonce executive-produced and curated The Lion King: The Gift, the soundtrack album for the 2019 remake of the Disney classic, which spotlighted African and Afrobeats artists. In 2016, Taylor Swift and One Direction's Zayn recorded "I Don't Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)," pitching for the movie tie-in bump enjoyed in 1995 by Seal and Coolio. (The millennial stars stopped short of including scenes from the movie in their music video.) 

Like Batman Forever back in the day, the DC Universe continues to put stock in soundtracks. Both *Suicide Squad *(2016) and its follow-up, Birds Of Prey (2020), are packed tight with to-the-minute pop, R&B and hip-hop. Each soundtrack reads like a who's who of the musical zeitgeist. In 1995, Mazzy Star, Brandy and U2 grouped up behind Batman. In 2016, Twenty One Pilots, Skrillex and Rick Ross powered the Suicide Squad. In 2020, everyone from Doja Cat to Halsey to YouTube star Maisie Peters form Team Harley Quinn. 

As 1995 taught us time and time again, nothing traps a year in amber quite like a movie soundtrack. 

Whether viewed via a cardboard sleeve, plastic jewel case, or online thumbnail, the album cover can be pivotal to the perception of the music it envelops. After all, long before a single note has been played, it essentially serves as a record's first taster. None more so than in the pre-streaming, crate-digging age when consumers had to venture into brick-and-mortar stores, often relying on little more than an eye-catching image to choose their latest pet sound. Now, in time for the 2026 GRAMMYs, the Recording Academy has added a new Category celebrating what is very much an art form in its own right.

The concept of adding artwork to an album cover is credited to Alex Steinweiss, an art director hired in 1938 by Columbia Records to make the typical brown paper bags a little more aesthetically pleasing. By the end of the following decade, the practice had become commonplace, and pretty soon, creatives such as Neil Fujita, Bob Cato and Reid Miles were able to build entire careers on making vinyl pop off the shelf.

Of course, it was when the album format began to take precedence over the hit single that cover art entered its dominant era. The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and every other artist that spearheaded the rock and roll revolution recognized the power that a 12" sleeve could hold. The psychedelic, prog-rock and heavy metal scenes became particularly enamored, too, adorning their musical masterpieces with elaborate imagery left open to copious amounts of interpretation.

Although much smaller in size, the album cover continued to thrive throughout the advent of the cassette tape and then the compact disc, with designers — including portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz, Dutch film director Anton Corbijn, and kitsch guru David LaChapelle — simply adopting different techniques to wow the crowds. And while the rise of the internet has reduced the eyeball space even further, artists are still keen to ensure that their visual representation aligns with their sonic.

No doubt that the debate over who should win Best Album Cover at the 2026 GRAMMYs is already starting. In honor of the new Category — as well as some other exciting changes for next year's telecast — GRAMMY.com revisits some of the covers that have made a mark on pop culture since the first GRAMMYs in 1959. From simple portraits to fantastical collages, here's a look at 34 that are arguably just as memorable, if not more, than the albums themselves.

Read More: 5 Reasons Why The 2026 GRAMMYs Updates Are Game Changers

1960s

Jimi Hendrix — Are You Experienced

The Jimi Hendrix Experience gave us two classic album covers for the price of one with their game-changing 1967 debut. Shot by Bruce Fleming, the original U.K. sleeve featured its eponymous frontman adopting a Dracula-like stance next to bandmates Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell. But for its North American release, Karl Ferris repositioned the trio as a "group travelling through space in a Biosphere on their way to bring their unworldly space music to earth." Taken at Kew Gardens via the du-jour style of the fisheye lens, its deeply psychedelic aura was considered a much better fit for the Summer of Love.

The Beatles — Abbey Road

The Beatles literally stopped traffic while shooting the cover that turned an otherwise unremarkable London street into a tourist landmark. The Fab Four had initially planned to hike up the Himalayas for their 11th LP, but eventually decided a zebra crossing walk outside their EMI recording studio would suffice. Photographer Iain MacMillan was given just 10 minutes to capture the legends in all their sharp-suited — and in Paul McCartney's case, barefoot — glory. Of course, the Merseysiders' entire back catalog could have graced this list. But despite their label's concerns over the lack of a title or band name, it's Abbey Road's portrait of both unity and individuality that remains the group's defining image..

The Doors — Morrison Hotel

In one of those remarkable twists of popcultural fate, Ray Manzarek just happened to stumble across an L.A. establishment with the exact same name of the album he was scouting cover locations for. It needed a spot of subterfuge, however, for the stars to truly align. Indeed, with its front-of-house receptionist unwilling to play ball, The Doors and photographer Henry Diltz had to wait until he was called away, and in a matter of just seconds, snap the contemplative window gaze that ironically would put the Morrison Hotel on the global map.

Velvet Underground & Nico — Velvet Underground & Nico

No-wave pioneers Velvet Underground and self-proclaimed "Chelsea Girl" Nico also omitted their names on the cover to their seminal self-titled debut, allowing its designer to take full credit instead. After all, it was Andy Warhol's idea to represent their magnum opus with the image of a moldy banana, and on its early pressing, tempt record buyers to "peel slowly and see." It was a typically playful approach that counterbalanced the dark and discordant sounds hidden within. This is the moment where modern art and modern pop truly collided.

1970s

Cream — Disraeli Gears

Australian artist Martin Sharp certainly ensured that Cream's second album Disraeli Gears stood out from the crowd. The multi-talent, who also co-wrote Side B's opener "Tales of Brave Ulysses," attempted to capture its fluorescent sound with a decidedly trippy collage of colors, florals and photos taken in London's Hyde Park and Scotland's Ben Nevis. Presiding over all the organized chaos are the trio themselves, including an atypically clean-shaven Eric Clapton, positioned like the Mount Rushmore of psychedelic rock.

Joy Division — Unknown Pleasures

The Cambridge Encylopaedia of Astronomy might not initially appear to be the stuff of British post-punk history. But it was while perusing the 1977 tome that Joy Division guitarist Bernard Sumner spotted a series of pulsar radio waves that subsequently became the scene's defining image. With a little help from Factory Records designer Peter Savile, who reversed the original's black and white lines to make it look 'sexier,' the cover perfectly encapsulated the stark, atmospheric and curious nature of the Mancunians' cult classic Unknown Pleasures, and nearly a half-century on, it remains a T-shirt favorite.

Pink Floyd — The Dark Side of the Moon

A Black Magic chocolate box was the brief given to album cover maestros Hipgnosis for Pink Floyd's pièce de résistance The Dark Side of the Moon. Just as they'd done with their previous collaborations with the prog-rockers, designers Aubrey Powell and Storm Thorgerson thought completely outside the box — or should that be prism — using a striking combination of colors and physics for a sleeve that perfectly reflected the group's visually dazzling live shows. It's an image that has become synonymous with the Brits more than any other, proving that sometimes, the simplest ideas really are the best.

The Clash — London Calling

"Unfortunately, you always sort of tend to destroy the things you love," bassist Paul Simonon once remarked, referring to the iconic cover of The Clash's London Calling. The bassist had smashed his guitar to smithereens during a 1979 gig at New York's Palladium in frustration of some overzealous security. And while photographer Pennie Smith believed her snap — accompanied by green and pink lettering inspired by Elvis Presley's self-titled debut — was too out of focus to grace the double album, it proved to be the perfect visualization of punk rock's defiance.

The Rolling Stones — Sticky Fingers

Four years after his banana peel stunt, Andy Warhol once again toyed with the concept of the album sleeve for the Rolling Stones' ninth LP Sticky Fingers. This time, he incorporated a working zipper and perforated belt buckle which, when opened, revealed a pair of white briefs emblazoned with his famous name. Contrary to popular belief at the time, the crotch in question didn't belong to the group's rubber-lipped frontman. Not that designer Craig Braun was forthcoming in quashing the rumor: "If girls think that that's Mick's d—, we're going to sell more albums," he later admitted about the gimmick, which took cover artwork to new provocative heights.

Willie Colón — La Gran Fuga

"Armed with Trombone and Considered Dangerous," cautions the cover of Willie Colón's collaborative album La Gran Fuga (The Big Break) in an inspired mock-up of a Most Wanted poster. Committing to the bit, designer Izzy Sanabria also throws in a cheap "mugshot"-style photo of the salsa pioneer, a series of fingerprints, and a warning that his musical partner in crime, Puerto Rican singer Héctor Lavoe, is on the run, too. In fact, the whole charade was so convincing that the very real FBI insisted their name be removed from the sleeve. This was album artwork at its most tongue-in-cheek.

1980s

Bruce Springsteen — Born in the USA

Sporting the classic white T-shirt and denim jeans (alongside a pocketed red baseball cap), Bruce Springsteen embodied the All-American hero while posing in front of the Stars and Stripes for his seventh LP Born in the USA. Much to photographer Annie Leibovitz's chagrin, however, The Boss' brooding features remained entirely out of view. "In the end, the picture of my ass looked better than the picture of my face," he later admitted about the cheeky artwork that found its way into 30 million homes.

N.W.A. — Straight Outta Compton

Firmly living up to their tag of the "world's most dangerous group," the cover of N.W.A.'s debut, Straight Outta Compton, saw the rappers in full-on gangster mode. All six members look ready and willing to send their unseen victim — "I just lay on the ground and they pointed what hopefully was an unloaded gun down at the camera," photographer Kevin Poppleton later quipped — sleeping with the fishes. But it's Eazy-E who's got his hands on the trigger in a truly menacing cover that foreshadowed all the lyrical and sonic aggression ahead.

Run-D.M.C. — Raising Hell

"I hate to admit it but there wasn't a 'concept' concept for that album," art director Janet Perr has admitted about her work on Run-D.M.C.'s mainstream breakthrough. Yet it was by capturing the hip-hop pioneers at their true essence, without any bells or whistles, that made Raising Hell's artwork so authentic. Although their signature Adidas trainers are out of sight, Joseph "Run" Simmons and Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels (not officially signed to their Profile Records label, Jam Master Jay was restricted to the back cover) still ooze Hollis cool.

Talking Heads — Remain in Light

Talking Heads' Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth drew upon the knowhow of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to create one of the first computer-generated album covers. Relegating their initial plans of a warplane collage to the back, Remain in Light instead splashes portrait photos of all four members with crude red 'paint' for a disturbing image that makes them resemble bloodied bank robbers. The inverted "A"s in the group's name only adds to the sense of unease.

1990s

2 Live Crew — Banned in the USA

From a distance, there's nothing particularly remarkable about the artwork for 2 Live Crew's fourth album. It's essentially just the group standing in front of the American flag in typical hip-hop attire. But shift your gaze toward the bottom right-hand corner and you'll notice a black and white sticker designed to ward off, but which only ever really enticed, the young and impressionable. Indeed, Banned in the USA was the first ever album to come equipped with a parental advisory sticker. By 1992, another 224 records had joined the potty-mouthed club; the sticker is still used in today's physical market, while streaming services will apply a similar "Explicit" tag to any tracks considered family-unfriendly.

blink-182 — Enema of the State

blink-182 promoted their second album Enema of the State with a blend of toilet humor and scantily clad visuals that perfectly aligned with the success of American Pie. The Californians apparently didn't know that model Janine Lindemulder — who they also chased in the promo for "What's My Age Again" — was in the adult entertainment industry when she was selected to brandish the blue glove in a provocative nurse's outfit. But a generation of hormonal teens, who ensured the cover art adorned more bedroom walls than any other at the turn of the century, thanked them anyway.

Britney Spears — ...Baby One More Time

While most international audiences saw a solemn Britney Spears praying angelically for the cover of her all-conquering debut album, her homeland's fans were treated to a more carefree image that better reflected her Mickey Mouse Club past. The teen princess looks the height of innocence as she kneels down smiling while surrounded by pastel pink. ...Baby One More Time's cover art essentially signaled an era in which pop became a playground for the girls (and the boys) next door.

Jay Z — Reasonable Doubt

Photographer Jonathan Mannion had planned to give Jay-Z's debut album a "Miami Vice meets the monarchy" look when it was titled Heir to the Throne. But on rechristening its vivid hustler tales Reasonable Doubt, it was decided that instead of flashy Versace suits, the Jigga Man should adopt a classic mafia persona instead. You might not be able to clearly see the rapper's face, but his hat, scarf and cigar instantly prove that he means business. And as Jay's first official studio album, Reasonable Doubt's powerful cover set the tone for how he would soon revolutionize the hip-hop world.

Lauryn Hill — The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill went back to school to help sell the solo debut that promised a glittering career ahead. Indeed, alongside photographer Eric Johnson, the ex-Fugees singer returned to her New Jersey alma mater for a series of hallway, classroom and bus shots that tied in with the album title's theme. But it was the woodshop that appeared to inform The Miseducation's front cover, with Hill's familiar face cleverly made to look as though it had been etched on a timber desk. It's still one of the hip-hop scene's most unique covers, and perhaps all the more special because the multiple GRAMMY winner has still never been properly followed up.

Nirvana — Nevermind

Spencer Elden became the world's most famous baby in 1991 when an image of his naked four-month-old self swimming underwater (and chasing a string-tied dollar bill) adorned grunge's ultimate blockbuster.Nirvana's defiant Kurt Cobain, who'd conceived the idea after watching TV footage of water births, refused to cover the youngster up, insisting the only sticker he'd allow is one reading, "If you're offended by this, you must be a closet pedophile." Unfortunately, despite previously celebrating his contribution to Nevermind's success, the grown-up Elden is now trying to sue the band for "lifelong damages." Even so, it remains one of rock music's most striking (and unforgettable) images.

2000s

Amy Winehouse — Back to Black

"Amy was four hours late. She'd been partying all night. But she still managed to be cool and crazy." Photographer Mischa Richter certainly appeared to get the full Amy Winehouse experience when shooting the soul singer for the future GRAMMY-winning Album Of The Year Back to Black. Without knowing it, she also brilliantly captured the record's essence in a snap at her very own London home. Richter had no idea of the album's title when she snapped Winehouse in a darkroom adorned with blackboard paint. Showing little sign of the troubles ahead, the simple but effective image remains one of the most indelible of her tragically short career.

Gnarls Barkley — St. Elsewhere

Super producer Danger Mouse and soul man Cee Lo Green concocted a wild backstory for their chart-topping side project, claiming that Gnarls Barkley was a pal of Isaac Hayes, a former boyfriend of Mariah Carey, and a one-time English teacher for electro wizards Kraftwerk. Little surprise, therefore, that the cover for their debut album St. Elsewhere is similarly madcap, its nuclear explosion producing a cloud filled with everything from skyscrapers and speared army helmets to palm trees and purple tigers. It's a piece of art that practically demands listeners to give it their undivided attention.

Kanye West — The College Dropout

Conceptualized by Roc-A-Fella's in-house designer Eric Duvauchelle, The College Dropout promoted Kanye West's cuddly yet despondent looking mascot from single ("Through the Wire") to album cover. The Dropout Bear would also grace the rapper's follow-ups Late Registration and Graduation, the latter in animated form. But it's on the bleachers of a high school gym, surrounded by an array of 16th century gold ornaments, where the bear subverted hip-hop's typically macho posturing the most effectively.

*NSYNC — No Strings Attached

No one could accuse *NSYNC of failing to commit to their sophomore's puppet-master concept. As well as playing marionettes in the video for third single "It's Gonna Be Me," the boy band also tied themselves up by strings on its theatrical cover art. Justin Timberlake and co. were, of course, alluding to the domineering presence of RCA and their controversial former manager Lou Pearlman, both of whom they'd also been involved in lengthy lawsuits with. More than 2.5 million Americans instantly bought into No Strings Attached's metaphor, breaking a Billboard record for first-week sales.

Outkast — Stankonia

The American flag once again adorned an iconic album in 2000, although it looked noticeably different to the one raised for Born in the USA. Outkast not only inverted its famous stars, they also swapped out its red and blue for black, a monochromatic color scheme that helped the hip-hop duo take center stage. A shirtless, leather pants-clad André 3000, very much looking like a Jimi Hendrix-esque rock star, and a more casually dressed Big Boi adopt very different poses, perhaps reflecting Stankonia's billing as a utopia where "you can open yourself up and be free to express anything." It takes a brave act to tamper with the Stars and Stripes, but the sleeve proved that few hip-hop acts are as fearless.

Shakira — Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

Who better to take inspiration from than the universe's first ever woman? Shakira was so enamored with the idea, she played Eve on the cover of Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 and its swiftly issued sequel. It was the former's more grounded cover that packed the biggest punch, however, as the Colombian, donning a see-through gown while holding a baby girl in her arms, fought back against the idea that women can't balance motherhood with a career.  . And though there wasn't an opportunity for Shakira to win a GRAMMY for Best Album Cover back then, Fijacion Vol. 1 did earn her both GRAMMYs and Latin GRAMMYs in 2006, including Album Of The Year at the latter.

2010s

Billie Eilish — WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

Taken on her 17th birthday, the cover for her debut album instantly confirmed that Billie Eilish wasn't your average teen starlet. Sporting pure white contact lenses while posing demonically on a bed that had been plunged into darkness, the deliberately eerie artwork looked more suited to a classic '70s horror than a '10s big pop girl. WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? Eilish asked. This pure nightmare fuel suggests we didn't want to know the answer.

Katy Perry — Teenage Dream

After approaching the aptly named confectionary-based artist Will Cotton with the sole intention of buying a painting, Katy Perry was then persuaded to pose for one instead. The result, which sees the chart-topper lying nude in a cloud of pink cotton candy, ended up gracing the cover of the seven-time GRAMMY nominee Teenage Dream. Committing even further to the sweet concept, a limited number of sleeves were also sprayed with a bubblegum-like scent. Perry continued to apply its vivid color scheme throughout her imperial phase, inspiring numerous other big pop girls to embrace their playful, irreverent side, too.

Kendrick Lamar — To Pimp a Butterfly

Just as provocative, thought-provoking, and proudly confrontational as the Best Rap Album GRAMMY winner itself, the cover for To Pimp a Butterfly transports the hip-hop house party to the ultimate house. "Just taking a group of homies who haven't seen the world and putting them in these places that they haven't necessarily seen ... and them being excited about it," is how Kendrick Lamar described the monochromatic snap taken on the presidential lawn. The fact that the rapper's shirtless, cash-waving posse (and a baby) are surrounding a dead white judge, however, suggests that their jubilance is far more politically charged.

Rihanna — Anti

It's now been nine years since Rihanna committed to a full-length studio effort. But if Anti does prove to be Rihanna's last ever album cover, then she sure went out in style. Roy Nachum's striking artwork presents the Barbadian not as a world-famous adult, but a balloon-holding girl attending her first trip to daycare while blindfolded by a gold crown. "Sometimes the ones who have sight are the blindest," the superstar explained about the sleeve, which also came accompanied with a Chloe Mitchell poem written in Braille. It was a design that expertly reflected Rihanna's evolution from teen R&B princess to serious artiste.

2020s

Bad Bunny — Un Verano Sin Ti

Designed in conjunction with the L.A. graphic artist known as Ugly Primo, the cover for Bad Bunny's Un Verano Sin Ti is perhaps best described as "happy sad." On one hand, there are palm trees, sun rays, and dolphins gliding through the air. On the other, there's a despondent, one-eyed heart who looks like they'd rather be anywhere else. Adopting a coloring book visual style, the sleeve perfectly encapsulated the record's concept of "a summer without you." Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the album's (and it's cover's) melancholic themes is its juxtaposing success: Un Verano Sin Ti went on to become the first entirely Spanish album to top the year-end Billboard 200, and the first to receive an Album Of The Year GRAMMY nod.

Beyoncé — RENAISSANCE

Having recently appeared to ditch the concept of music videos, the album cover has now become Beyoncé's dominant method of expressing herself visually. And she certainly pulled out all the stops for her dance floor-focused seventh LP, RENAISSANCE, straddling a horse constructed from mirrored disco balls while sporting a silver, helix-shaped bodysuit. Shot by Dutch fashion photographer Carlijn Jacobs, the sleeve inevitably drew comparisons with both Lady Godiva and Bianca Jagger's iconic equine entrance at Studio 54, cementing Beyoncé as today's ultimate style icon.

Charli xcx — brat

There's not many album covers that can claim to have owned an entire season. But the lime green (Pantone 3507C, to be precise) artwork for Charli xcx's zeitgeist-defining sixth LP did just that, spearheading what would become known as Brat Summer. "I wanted to go with an offensive, off-trend shade of green to trigger the idea of something being wrong," the party starter explained about the remarkably effective sleeve that, despite its apparent simplicity, took five months to execute. The fact that everyone from the London Mayor to Kamala Harris adopted the same aesthetic proved it was very right.

The Weeknd — After Hours

The Weeknd certainly committed to the visual concept for fourth LP After Hours, which began with the red-suited star staggering around Vegas in the video for "Heartless" and concluded alongside an army of bandaged dancers at the Super Bowl. The R&B lothario also portrayed the character "having a really bad night out" on its cover, hence the blood, bruises and slightly Joker-esque grin that suggests he's actually reveling in all the chaos. Ultimately, it proved that the humble album cover could still cause a stir.