Lady Gaga could dominate the 2026 Grammy nominations with Mayhem and its singles “Abracadabra” and “Disease” — will her standards album Harlequin earn any love? JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” airs every weeknight at 11:35 p.m. ET and features a diverse lineup of guests that include celebrities, athletes, musical acts, comedians and human interest subjects, along with comedy bits and a house band. The guests for Tuesday, October 1 included Lady Gaga (“Joker: Folie à Deux” and “Harlequin”) and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.) (“True Gretch: What I’ve Learned About Life, Leadership, and Everything in Between”). (Disney/Randy Holmes) LADY GAGA
Disney
When the Grammy nominations are announced in early November, Lady Gaga’s name is sure to be featured in multiple categories. The pop and dance superstar may even end up as the most-nominated act at the upcoming 2026 ceremony, as the 2025 eligibility period is considered relatively quiet compared to other years. Her full-length Mayhem and singles “Disease” and “Abracadabra” are positioned as major contenders and may even add to her trophy shelf.
Gaga was considered a frontrunner in another category — Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album — thanks to her jazzy standards set Harlequin. That project may not end up nominated at all, as there’s a chance that Gaga herself chose not to submit it.
Harlequin Missing From Lady Gaga’s Grammy Campaign
Gaga has two albums eligible for consideration during the most recent Grammy eligibility window. One of her official For Your Consideration ads highlights only Mayhem, but doesn’t mention Harlequin at all. That omission suggests that Harlequin might not have been formally submitted for consideration, though that’s not necessarily a certainty. Marketing materials don’t always reflect every submission, and instead are meant to highlight what artists want voters to focus on. So the project might still be eligible, but it is clearly not top of mind for the superstar.
Lady Gaga’s For Your Consideration Grammy ad (Lady Gaga/Interscope Records)
Lady Gaga/Interscope Records
Harlequin Linked to Joker: Folie à Deux Era
Gaga recorded Harlequin to coincide with her role in Joker: Folie à Deux, but sadly, the film – a sequel to the hugely successful and Oscar-winning Joker – performed poorly at the box office and was slammed by critics and fans of the original alike.
Harlequin dropped on September 27, 2024, less than a month into the eligibility period that will be reflected by nominations coming in just a few weeks. The set includes renditions of Great American Songbook standards like “Good Morning,” “Oh When the Saints,” “World on a String,” “That’s Entertainment,” and, appropriately, “The Joker.” The tracklist also features two originals, “Folie à Deux” and “Happy Mistake.”
While the set was a tepid success on the Billboard 200, where it stalled at No. 20, it did bring Gaga to No. 1 on a jazz tally.
How Many Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Grammys Does Lady Gaga Have?
Harlequin has been considered for months as a strong contender to not only be nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, but perhaps even win. Gaga has come out on top in that category twice, both times with Tony Bennett — first in 2015 with Cheek to Cheek and then most recently in 2022, shortly before his passing, with Love for Sale.
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 08: Recording artists Lady Gaga (R) and Tony Bennett perform onstage during The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards at the STAPLES Center on February 8, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/WireImage)
WireImage
Will Lady Gaga’s Harlequin Earn Any Grammy Love?
Harlequin could still receive a Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album nomination, even if Gaga isn’t pushing it. The set is one of the most prominent releases that fits into that vertical from the past tracking period, and Gaga might not be promoting it because she thinks it’s a lock and she is much more focused on Mayhem and its singles. The singer and actress might also have chosen to overlook Harlequin, as she is hoping to distance herself from all things Joker, even at the expense of another Grammy nomination and perhaps even a win.
What Grammy Categories Is Lady Gaga’s Mayhem Eligible For?
Gaga’s For Your Consideration ad highlights Mayhem, which she has submitted for both Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. In the top field, Gaga has been up for the prize four times — with The Fame, The Fame Monster, Born This Way, and Love for Sale with Bennett — but she’s never managed to claim the top prize.
The superstar has claimed Best Pop Vocal Album before and could be on her way to repeating that success. She saw The Fame Monster EP nab the coveted trophy, and Mayhem may be the next winner.
Will Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” Leads Her Grammy Push?
When it comes to individual tunes, “Abracadabra” is the focus. That track is being pushed for both Record and Song of the Year, two categories where Gaga has been nominated multiple times but, just like Album of the Year, has never managed to walk away a winner.
She was even up for Song of the Year at the 2025 ceremony for “Die With a Smile,” her collaboration with Bruno Mars. The former Hot 100 No. 1, which is still present on the chart more than a year after its debut, ended up losing to “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar.
Fellow Mayhem cuts “Disease” and “Perfect Celebrity” have been submitted for pop and rock verticals, and all three tunes may end up Grammy nominees, and perhaps even winners.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/10/17/has-lady-gaga-given-up-on-one-of-her-albums-when-it-comes-to-the-grammys/
