The 68th Annual Grammy Awards didn’t just celebrate the charts; they became a high-voltage platform for a country in the middle of a reckoning. While the trophy count was high, the night was defined by a tension between the glitz of the Crypto.com Arena and the political firestorm outside its doors, stretching from Los Angeles to cities across the country. The irony of these messages being broadcast on CBS was palpable, especially given recent accusations of the network’s “rightward turn.” It was a reminder that while networks may shift, the artists filling their airtime will rarely stay silent.
The sentiment shared across acceptance speeches and the “ICE Out” pins worn by a number of artists was clear: a defiant protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In fact, while fashion was on another level, those pins became the most essential accessory of the evening.
Some of the night’s most striking moments came from winners who refused to “just shut up and sing,” if you will. Olivia Dean’s Best New Artist win for the soul-drenched “Man I Need” was a win for tradition, but her acceptance speech was a tribute to resilience. “I’m up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant,” Dean said, wiping away tears. “I’m a product of bravery, and I think those people deserve to be celebrated.”
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Bad Bunny echoed that sentiment, turning the symbolism into a rallying cry during his acceptance for Best Música Urbana Album. The Puerto Rican superstar delivered a pointed rebuke to current immigration rhetoric. “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say: ICE OUT,” he declared to a standing ovation. “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”
Later in the evening, Billie Eilish further fueled the activist fire. Taking the stage for Song of the Year for her track “Wildflower,” Eilish delivered a speech as raw as the melody itself. “No one is illegal on stolen land,” she told the crowd. “It’s really hard to know what to say and what to do right now… we need to keep speaking up and keep protesting. Our voices really do matter.”
Beyond politics, the night was dominated by equally memorable and confusing performances, dramatic fashion statements, and historic firsts. Justin Bieber took “unplugged” a little too literally during his performance of “Yukon.” The pop star performed on a bare stage in only boxer shorts and socks next to a mirror. While not a political statement in and of itself, perhaps his lack of clothing was a signal for all of us to bare it all more often.
On the history-making front, K-Pop finally broke through the Grammy ceiling as “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters took home Best Song Written for Visual Media—a first for the genre. Meanwhile, Kendrick Lamar officially became the most-awarded rapper in Grammys history, surpassing Jay-Z’s record with a career total of 26 wins. Lamar also pulled off the rare feat of winning Record of the Year two years in a row, following up last year’s vi ctory with a win for “Luther.” While accepting Best Rap Album for GNX, he reminded the room, “Hip-hop is going to always be right here… we are going to be having the culture with us.”
But the history didn’t stop there; Bad Bunny’s win for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS marked the first time an all-Spanish language project has ever taken home Album of the Year, a monumental shift for a category that has historically played it safe.
In the end, the “Big Three” belonged to the night’s most vocal cultural forces. Billie Eilish’s “Wildflower” took Song of the Year, Kendrick Lamar secured Record of the Year for “Luther,” but the night’s crowning achievement belonged to Bad Bunny, with DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS taking home Album of the Year. The diversity and sentiments of the top three are a stark signal that the Academy is sending us a message: the definition of “American,” at least in terms of popular music, is one that reflects exactly what Dean, Eilish, Bad Bunny and others were calling for throughout the night.
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