Kendrick Lamar and SZA's 'Luther' Triumphs at 2026 Grammys, Honors Luther Vandross' Legacy

Kendrick Lamar and SZA clinched the Record of the Year at the 2026 Grammys for their chart-topping R&B ballad, "Luther," featured on Lamar’s album GNX. The track triumphed over formidable contenders, including Bad Bunny’s “DtMF,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild,” Billie Eilish’s “Wildflower,” Doechii’s “Anxiety,” Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra,” Chappell Roan’s “The Subway,” and Bruno Mars and Rosé’s “APT.”

Cher presented the Grammy to Lamar, SZA, and the production team, which included Sounwave and Jack Antonoff. In a memorable moment, Cher momentarily mistook the winner for the late Luther Vandross himself. Lamar, in his acceptance speech, emphasized the song's significance, noting that Vandross’ estate requested "no cursing" on the track.

"Luther Vandross is one of my favorite artists of all time," Lamar shared. "They granted us the privilege to do our version of it. When we got that clearance, I promise you we all near dropped to tears…. It proved we were somewhat worthy to be just as great as them individuals. They granted us that."

SZA, during her speech, encouraged the audience to maintain hope amidst challenging times, stating, "We’re not governed by the government. We’re governed by God."

"Luther" incorporates a sample from Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s 1982 rendition of “If This World Were Mine,” originally performed by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Sounwave revealed to Rolling Stone that "Luther" initially began as an interlude. "There were no drums. It was literally me chopping the sample and Dot just humming melodies," he recalled. "We had the sample… forever, we just never could crack it. But once he hit this one specific melody, I knew that this had to be bigger."

The song dominated the Billboard Hot 100 for 13 consecutive weeks, marking Lamar and SZA’s longest-reigning number-one hit and securing its place as the second longest-running hip-hop song on the Hot 100, only surpassed by Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.”

Lamar and SZA debuted "Luther" to a massive audience during the Super Bowl LIX halftime show and continued to perform it throughout their joint tour. The track's production credits include Sounwave, Jack Antonoff, Roselilah, M-Tech, Scott Bridgeway, and Kamasi Washington, with songwriting contributions from Lamar, SZA, Ink, and Sam Dew.

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