The 2026 GRAMMY Awards arrived with their usual constellation of pop spectacle and genre-spanning ambition, but beneath the headlines was a quieter through-line—one that speaks directly to JAZZIZ readers: musicianship mattered. Across jazz, roots, film music, and contemporary hybrids, the evening underscored how deeply today’s most compelling work is informed by feel, form, and fearless creativity.
Few wins resonated more strongly with the jazz community than Samara Joy, whose Portrait took Best Jazz Vocal Album. Joy continues to embody a rare balance—honoring tradition while projecting unmistakable modernity. Her phrasing is steeped in lineage, yet her choices feel decisively of this moment, a reminder that jazz’s future is being shaped by artists who understand its past.
Elsewhere in the vocal categories, Laufey, the most recent JAZZIZ cover story, claimed Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for A Matter of Time. Her success reflects a growing appetite for intimate, song-forward recordings—music that leans into melody, arrangement, and emotional clarity, qualities long prized in jazz circles.
Jazz’s presence extended well beyond the marquee moments, with a rich sweep of honors across performance, ensemble, and forward-leaning categories. Best Jazz Performance went to “Windows – Live,” uniting Chick Corea, Christian McBride, and Brian Blade in a masterclass of spontaneous interplay and deep-groove communion. Pianist Sullivan Fortner earned Best Jazz Instrumental Album for Southern Nights, a warmly textured set featuring Peter Washington and Marcus Gilmore that showcased Fortner’s lyrical touch and rhythmic sophistication.
Large-ensemble jazz found its champion in the Christian McBride Big Band (McBride was featured on the October 2025 JAZZIZ Cover), whose Without Further Ado, Vol. 1 captured Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album with its vibrant arrangements and expansive sonic palette. The global reach of the music was celebrated with Best Latin Jazz Album going to A Tribute to Benny Moré and Nat King Cole by Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Yainer Horta, and Joey Calveiro, a heartfelt bridge between Afro-Latin heritage and contemporary expression. Rounding out the jazz field, Nate Smith’s LIVE-ACTION claimed Best Alternative Jazz Album, signaling the genre’s evolving future through bold rhythmic language and modern sonic exploration—collectively underscoring that jazz, in all its forms, remains both rooted and relentlessly forward-moving.
Latin pop found a poetic champion in Natalia Lafourcade, whose Cancionera earned Best Latin Pop Album. Lafourcade’s work has always lived at the intersection of heritage and experimentation, and this recognition affirms how global traditions continue to enrich the broader musical ecosystem.
In the general field, Best New Artist went to Olivia Dean, while hip-hop’s top album honor landed with Kendrick Lamar for GNX. Lamar’s win felt especially telling: his records have long drawn from jazz’s rhythmic elasticity and improvisational mindset, reinforcing how deeply the genre’s DNA runs through contemporary Black music.
The ceremony also celebrated the power of collaboration and storytelling beyond the bandstand. Composer Ludwig Göransson received Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media for Sinners, continuing a remarkable run for an artist whose work bridges orchestral sweep with groove-centric modernism. Meanwhile, Steven Spielberg reached EGOT status through Music by John Williams—a milestone that also salutes John Williams’ decades-long influence on how audiences hear emotion on screen.
Pop’s theatrical side had its moment as well, with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande honored for their duet “Defying Gravity.” Rock and roots were represented by winners including Turnstile, Jelly Roll, and Leon Thomas, rounding out a night that embraced stylistic range.
For JAZZIZ, the takeaway is clear: while formats evolve and categories multiply, the GRAMMYs still find room to honor artistry grounded in feel, nuance, and narrative. From Samara Joy’s luminous phrasing to Laufey’s intimate storytelling, from Kendrick Lamar’s genre-bending ambition to Göransson’s cinematic scope, the 2026 awards reaffirmed a truth jazz musicians have always known—great music doesn’t chase trends. It builds worlds, one note at a time.
