The Winner's Circle: Here's How Many GRAMMY Awards Your Favorite Rapper Has Won!

The GRAMMY Awards is an annual celebration of musical excellence.

Each year, the biggest names in entertainment gather to be recognized by the Recording Academy for their contribution to the arts. Since the creation of the Best Rap Performance in 1989, a distinguished group of rappers has earned the prestigious honor.

DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince were the first to receive the honor, however, they chose not to attend the ceremony as their category was not being aired on national television.

The Academy has since tried to right its wrongs with the creation of categories like Best Rap Song, Best Rap/Song Performance, and Best Rap Album. Artists who have taken home these honors have created masterpieces that resonate with fans worldwide.

Let’s take a look at some of your favorite rapping GRAMMY winners and how many trophies they have.

Rapper Kanye West earned his first GRAMMY in 2004 for his debut studio album, The College Dropout. That same year, he took home trophies for Best Rap Song and Best R&B Song.

His later projects— Graduation and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy — have also won golden gramophones. Since then, Kanye has become a GRAMMY favorite despite being banned from the annual event in 2022. The embattled rapper now has a total of 24 wins with 75 nominations.

Kendrick Lamar burst onto the scene in 2011 and was quickly recognized for his lyrical prowess. With iconic albums like To Pimp a Butterfly and DAMN, Kendrick has secured wins in categories such as Best Rap Album and Best Rap Performance.

To date, the California native has secured 50 GRAMMY nominations and won 17 trophies.

Jay-Z stands tall as a GRAMMY heavyweight with a remarkable 23 GRAMMY wins. The MC has taken home awards for categories ranging from Best Rap Album to Best Collaboration.

From "Hard Knock Life" to "Empire State of Mind," Jay-Z's GRAMMY journey is a testament to his enduring impact on hip-hop. During the 66th annual ceremony, which took place on Feb. 4, Jay-Z was honored with the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award for his contributions to hip-hop.

Megan The Stallion, with her unapologetic personality and no-nonsense approach to hip-hop, has made waves in the rap scene.

She took home three GRAMMY Awards during the 63rd annual event, landing a gramophone for Best Rap Song, Best New Artist, and Best Rap Performance for her song, “Savage” featuring Beyoncé.

In total, the Houston hottie has been nominated for six awards.

Drake has continually evolved with each project, earning five GRAMMY accolades along the way.

With wins for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Album, Drake's influence on the hip-hop landscape is evident in No. 1 hits like "Hotline Bling" and "God's Plan."

Nicki Minaj is arguably one of the greatest female rappers of all time. However, the “Roman’s Revenge” MC has not been able to secure a single GRAMMY. Fans of the rapper have suggested that the Recording Academy has blackballed Nicki, but there has been no proof of this.