Most-Nominated R&B Artist at 2026 Grammys |

Leon Thomas continues to cement his place as one in all R&B’s brightest new stars.

The singer and musician is the most-nominated R&B artist on the 2026 Grammy Awards, incomes six nominations — essentially the most of any R&B act this yr. He’s tied with Unhealthy Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter and Serban Ghenea for third-most nods total, behind Kendrick Lamar (9) and Cirkut, Girl Gaga, and Jack Antonoff, who every have seven. It marks Thomas’ first six nominations as a soloist; he beforehand received Greatest R&B Tune for his contribution to SZA’s “Snooze.”

Within the R&B subject, Thomas leads the pack with 4 nods throughout its 5 classes. His lauded sophomore album, MUTT, is up for Greatest R&B Album alongside Beloved by Givēon, Why Not Extra? by Coco Jones, The Crown by Ledisi and Escape Room by Teyana Taylor.

MUTT can be contending within the Common subject for Album of the Yr, the place it’s the only real R&B album. The stacked class additionally consists of Unhealthy Bunny’s DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, Justin Bieber’s SWAG, Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Greatest Buddy, Clipse’s Let God Type Em Out, Girl Gaga’s MAYHEM, Kendrick Lamar’s GNX and Tyler, the Creator’s CHROMAKOPIA.

Additional, Thomas is within the working for Greatest New Artist, which “acknowledges an artist whose eligibility-year launch(s) achieved a breakthrough into the general public consciousness and notably impacted the musical panorama.” He’ll need to go head-to-head with different breakout acts, together with Olivia Dean, KATSEYE, The Marias, Addison Rae, sombr, Alex Warren and Lola Younger.

Leon Thomas. (Photograph Credit score: Raymond Alva)

Circling again to the R&B subject, “Mutt,” Thomas’ first prime 10 hit on the Billboard Sizzling 100, has notched a nomination for Greatest R&B Efficiency. It’s price noting that “Mutt (Reside From NPR’s Tiny Desk)” was submitted for the reason that authentic monitor was launched through the eligibility interval for final yr’s ceremony. To be thought of for a 2026 Grammy nomination, recordings needed to have been launched between Aug. 31, 2024, and Aug. 30, 2025.

Thomas’ half-dozen Grammy nominations arrive amid his Mutts Don’t Heel World Tour, which kicked off in late October. The trek spans North America, Europe, and Australia, with dates scheduled via mid-April 2026.

The Reside Nation–promoted tour helps his 2024 album, which Thomas reissued in late Could as MUTT Deluxe: HEEL. The latter options 9 bonus tracks, together with his “Mutt (CB Remix)” with Chris Brown, “Fairly Be Alone” that includes Halle and “Grime on My Sneakers” that includes Kehlani.

Forward of his tour, Thomas dropped his PHOLKS EP, which featured the lead single “Simply How You Are.”

Try Leon Thomas’ 2026 Grammy nominations under.