Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar emerged as the night’s biggest winners at the Grammy Awards, during a ceremony marked by repeated criticism of U.S. immigration enforcement policies and pointed political statements from performers.
Several musicians, including Justin Bieber and Carole King, wore anti-ICE pins, while others used their acceptance speeches to denounce immigration raids and express solidarity with immigrant communities.
Bad Bunny won three awards — album of the year, best música urbana album and best global music performance — becoming the first Spanish-language artist to win album of the year. While accepting the top honor, the Puerto Rican star criticized anti-immigration rhetoric.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say ICE out,” he said. “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens — we’re humans and we are Americans… The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
Billie Eilish, who won song of the year for Wildflower, echoed similar sentiments. “No one is illegal on stolen land,” she told the audience, adding that artists must continue to speak out and protest.
The award for best new artist went to Olivia Dean, who highlighted her family’s immigrant background. “I am up here as the granddaughter of an immigrant,” she said. “I’m a product of bravery, and those people deserve to be celebrated.”
Kendrick Lamar became the most awarded rapper in Grammy history, surpassing Jay-Z’s record. Lamar won five awards, including record of the year for Luther with SZA, as well as honors for rap song and rap album. He now has 27 Grammys overall.
“I’m not good at talking about myself, but I express it through the music,” Lamar said. SZA added during their joint speech, “Please don’t fall into despair… We need each other.”
Singer Kehlani, who won two R&B awards, was more blunt in a red-carpet interview, saying artists were missing an opportunity if they stayed silent on immigration issues.
Gloria Estefan also addressed immigration concerns after winning best tropical Latin album, emphasizing the impact on families and children. “These are people who have contributed to this country for decades,” she said, urging the government to show compassion.
Lady Gaga won awards for pop vocal album and dance-pop recording, using her speech to encourage women in the music industry to trust their instincts. In a surprise result, Lola Young won pop solo performance, defeating Gaga, Justin Bieber and Sabrina Carpenter.
Steven Spielberg achieved EGOT status — winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony — after taking best music film for Music for John Williams, which he produced.
Other winners included Jelly Roll for contemporary country album, Chris Stapleton for country solo performance, and Tyler Childers for country song. Joni Mitchell earned her 11th Grammy for best historical album, while Tyler, the Creator won the inaugural award for best album cover for Chromakopia.
Trevor Noah hosted the Grammys for the final time, calling the ceremony “the best concert money can’t buy.” He said he was stepping down because he believed in term limits and joked about Nicki Minaj’s absence, drawing loud applause.
The ceremony also featured emotional tribute performances, including Post Malone honoring Ozzy Osbourne and Lauryn Hill paying tribute to D’Angelo and Roberta Flack.
Several high-profile nominees, including Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Hayley Williams, left without awards.
Last year’s ceremony saw Beyoncé win her first album of the year Grammy, alongside major wins for Lamar, Carpenter and Charli XCX.
