John Kabira and Chiaki Horan to host WOWOW's live broadcast of the Grammy Awards

It has been announced that entertainers John Kabira and Chiaki Horan will serve as in-studio hosts for the live broadcast (WOWOW) of the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, which will be held in Los Angeles on February 2, 2026 (Japan time). This marks Kabira's 21st year as a host, while Horan has been conveying the appeal of the Grammy Awards since the 56th ceremony.

Kendrick Lamar received the most nominations this year with eight categories (nine nominations), followed by Lady Gaga and Jack Antonoff with seven categories, Bad Bunny and Sabrina Carpenter with six categories, and SZA and Tyler, the Creator with five categories.

From Asia, BLACKPINK's Rosé's song "APT.", a collaboration with Bruno Mars, was nominated in three categories, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. "Kpop Demon Hunters," the soundtrack to the popular animated film, which also features TWICE, was nominated for Best Visual Novel Soundtrack, and "Golden" by the Huntrix (Lee Jae, Audrey Nuna, and Ray Ami), which is included in the film, was nominated in three categories, including Song of the Year.

Among the Japanese nominees are Miho Hazama, who is a nominee for the second time since the 62nd Grammy Awards, as well as Haruna Fukasawa, Yuri Suzuki, Eri Nakamura, and Junji Yamagishi. The Grammy Awards ceremony is not only a highlight for the winners, but also for the performances by top artists and collaborations that can only be seen here. It will be interesting to see what kind of performances will be shown at the 68th Grammy Awards.

WOWOW's "Live Coverage! The 68th Grammy Awards Ceremony" will be broadcast and streamed live in two languages ​​(with simultaneous interpretation) on the morning of February 2nd next year. A subtitled version will also be broadcast and streamed on the same evening.

◇Comment from John Kabira

I apologize for talking about myself. This is the 21st Grammy live broadcast, and it's always fresh and exciting! I'm curious to see who will win the awards. Kendrick Lamar, who has the most nominations for the second year in a row (8 categories), followed by Lady Gaga, who arrived in Japan just a week ago with 7 (her personal best). But we're also keeping our eyes peeled for K-Pop's first major nomination! Will BLACKPINK's Rosé win Best Record & Song with Bruno Mars? And she's aiming for Best Original Song for "Golden," a song from the anime "K-Pop Girls! Demon Hunters." This means the lineup for this one-night-only, miraculous, genre-bending collaborative concert is sure to be a highlight. We also can't wait to see the stage performances paying tribute to artists who have become stars. The late Roberta Flack was the first artist to win consecutive Record of the Year awards, and we're looking forward to celebrating the achievements of the late Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, who was respected even by the original Beatles! Please join us for a miraculous night with Chiaki Horan!

◇Comment from Chiaki Horan

It's already been a year since Beyoncé won her long-awaited Album of the Year award. This year's lineup is stellar, from regular nominees to rising stars, and it promises to be a blast. If you're sitting around thinking, "The Grammys are in February, so that's still a long way off..." you might miss out on the excitement. Start listening to the nominated songs now and prepare your mind and body! What about me? Of course, I'm already ready to rock! I'm looking forward to spending another great time with everyone in front of the TV this year.