Leon Thomas: Most-Nominated R&B Artist at 2026 Grammys

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

The singer and musician is the most-nominated R&B artist at the 2026 Grammy Awards, earning six nominations — the most of any R&B act this year. He’s tied with Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter and Serban Ghenea for third-most nods overall, behind Kendrick Lamar (9) and Cirkut, Lady Gaga, and Jack Antonoff, who each have seven. It marks Thomas’ first six nominations as a soloist; he previously won Best R&B Song for his contribution to SZA’s “Snooze.”

In the R&B field, Thomas leads the pack with four nods across its five categories. His lauded sophomore album, MUTT, is up for Best R&B Album alongside Beloved by Givēon, Why Not More? by Coco Jones, The Crown by Ledisi and Escape Room by Teyana Taylor.

MUTT is also contending in the General field for Album of the Year, where it’s the sole R&B album. The stacked category also includes Bad Bunny’s DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, Justin Bieber’s SWAG, Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend, Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out, Lady Gaga’s MAYHEM, Kendrick Lamar’s GNX and Tyler, the Creator’s CHROMAKOPIA.

Further, Thomas is in the running for Best New Artist, which “recognizes an artist whose eligibility-year release(s) achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape.” He’ll have to go head-to-head with other breakout acts, including Olivia Dean, KATSEYE, The Marias, Addison Rae, sombr, Alex Warren and Lola Young.

A photo of singer Leon Thomas holding an electric guitar against an orange backdrop — Leon Thomas. (Photo Credit: Raymond Alva)

Circling back to the R&B field, “Mutt,” Thomas’ first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, has notched a nomination for Best R&B Performance. It’s worth noting that “Mutt (Live From NPR’s Tiny Desk)” was submitted since the original track was released during the eligibility period for last year’s ceremony. To be considered for a 2026 Grammy nomination, recordings had to have been released 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 through mid-April 2026.

The Live Nation–promoted tour supports his 2024 album, which Thomas reissued in late May as MUTT Deluxe: HEEL. The latter features nine bonus tracks, including his “Mutt (CB Remix)” with Chris Brown, “Rather Be Alone” featuring Halle and “Dirt on My Shoes” featuring Kehlani.

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

Check out Leon Thomas’ 2026 Grammy nominations below.