For a long moment, Bad Bunny looked overwhelmed by the emotion of it all. After Harry Styles announced that the 31-year-old Puerto Rican superstar had won Album of the Year, the most prestigious prize at the 2026 Grammy Awards, he didn’t punch the air or leap from his chair in celebration. Instead he remained seated, one hand covering his face, letting the significance of what had just happened sink in.
Bad Bunny, who was born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, had just become the first artist in the 67-year history of the Grammys to win its highest award for an album performed entirely in Spanish. The significance of that history-making milestone for Latin American music can hardly be divorced from the circumstances in which it occurred.
From the first moment, stars started gathering on the Grammys red carpet, pins reading “ICE out” could be seen on artists from all backgrounds and across generations. From Joni Mitchell to Justin Bieber, the music world made it clear that events in Minneapolis and beyond would not be ignored.
Fittingly Ocasio, who will headline the Super Bowl halftime show next weekend, delivered most of his Album of the Year acceptance speech in Spanish. However, he did switch to English long enough to deliver a riposte to ICE by dedicating the prize to “all the people who had to leave their homeland to follow their dreams”.
Earlier, when his album Debí Tirar Más Fotos also won the Grammy for Best Música Urbana Album, he was even more direct. “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out,” he began, before an impassioned call to remember that hatred will only breed more hate. “The only thing that's more powerful than hate is love,” he said. “So please we need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love. We don’t hate them. We love our people. We love our family and there’s a way to do it, with love, and don’t forget that.”
That message of solidarity and inclusiveness echoed through many of the winners’ speeches. When British star Olivia Dean was named Best New Artist shortly after performing her breakout hit “Man I Need”, the clearly emotional 26-year-old referred to herself as the “granddaughter of an immigrant” to widespread cheers. “I’m a product of bravery, and I think those people deserve to be celebrated,” she added. “We’re nothing without each other.”
Dean was far from the only British success story to come out of a Grammys where UK artists both new and not-so-new were recognised for the first time. Most prominently, Lola Young, who had been up for Best New Artist, instead had to make do with merely beating big names Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Chappell Roan to Best Pop Solo Performance for her viral hit “Messy.”
Elsewhere, there were first Grammy wins for Doncaster-born Yungblud, who snagged Best Rock Performance for his Ozzy Osbourne tribute cover of “Changes” (Live From Villa Park), and for Cheltenham-born FKA Twigs, who won Best Dance/Electronic Album for Eusexua. Meanwhile, The Cure may be five decades into their career but they can now finally call themselves Grammy winners after Songs of a Lost World was recognised as the Best Alternative Music Album, while the album’s lead single “Alone” won Best Alternative Music Performance.
On a night of so many firsts, it felt apt that a K-pop song should finally win a Grammy, too. “Golden” from the film KPop Demon Hunters. performed by EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, won Best Song for Visual Media. It was also an historic night for Kendrick Lamar, whose wins for Best Rap Album and Record of the Year saw him surpass Jay-Z as the most awarded rapper in Grammys history, with 27.
As for the live performances, they ran the gamut from Justin Bieber’s literally stripped down rendition of “Yukon”, played alone on stage in his boxer shorts with just a guitar and some loop pedals for company, to Tyler, the Creator’s theatrical production of “Sugar On My Tongue” that concluded with him blowing up an ersatz garage he’d constructed on stage. Lady Gaga gave us an energetic “Abracadabra” shortly before winning Best Pop Vocal Album for Mayhem, but generally it was a night light on surprises. The closest thing to an upset was Billie Eilish winning Song of the Year for “Wildflower” ahead of the likes of Gaga, Kendrick and Bad Bunny.
Thank goodness then for Cher, who injected some much-needed chaos into proceedings. She appeared on stage to collect a Lifetime Achievement Award, delivered a quick speech about not giving up on your dreams and then promptly wandered off, only to have to be reminded by host Trevor Noah that she was supposed to announce the nominees for Record of the Year.
Moments later, been reminded to actually reveal the winner’s name from the envelope in her hand, Cher announced that the award would go to “Luther Vandross”, the soul singer who’s been dead since 2005. She was close: the winner was Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther”, which is named after Vandross and samples his 1982 duet with Cheryl Lynn, “If This World Were Mine.”
As momentarily confusing as Cher’s slip-up had been, it ended up gifting this year’s Grammys a memorable moment of grace. It set the stage for Lamar and producer Sounwave and Lamar to speak about the debt they owe to Vandross, before SZA urged everyone watching not to fall into despair.
“I know that right now is a scary time,” she said. “I know the algorithms tell us that it’s so scary and all is lost. There’s been world wars and there’s been plagues and we have gone on. We can go on. We need each other. We’re not governed by the government, we’re governed by God.”
With her impassioned words, SZA was echoing the theme that ran through the night loud and clear. “No one is illegal on stolen land,” said Eilish when she accepted her award.
Kehlani, who won for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song, put it even more straightforwardly. “Together, we’re stronger in numbers to speak out against all the injustice going on in the world right now. I hope everyone is inspired to come together as a community of artists ad speak out against what’s going on,” she said.
Then, before walking off stage, she added succinctly: “F*** ICE.”
Bad Bunny makes history, stars condemn ICE and Cher causes chaos at the Grammys -live
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