Grammys winners 2026: Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar make history in politics-heavy ceremony
Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar broke records at this year’s Grammy awards during a ceremony where politics, Donald Trump and ICE were never far from winners’ speeches.
Ahead of his halftime performance at the Super Bowl next week, Bad Bunny has made Grammys history as the first person to win Album of the Year for a Spanish-language release.
The Puerto Rican artist claimed the top prize for Debi Tirar Mas Fotos, along with two other awards in the Best Musica Urbana Album and Global Music Performance categories.
Bad Bunny, full name Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, was one of the several winners who used their time on stage to hit out at Donald Trump’s government, and particularly at his administration’s Immigrant and Customs Enforcement agency.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“Before I say thanks to god, I’m gonna say ‘ICE out’,” Bad Bunny. “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, 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 families, and that’s the way to do it, we love.”
In his Album of the Year speech, he added, “I want to dedicate this award to all the people who had to leave their homeland to follow their dreams.”
Bad Bunny was, for some, a controversial choice for the Super Bowl half-time gig when he was announced last year. He had previously chosen to skip the US on his world tour because, he said, he was concerned about ICE agents targeting Spanish-speaking fans outside the venues.
Trump has already made his thoughts on the Super Bowl’s decision to book Bad Bunny and Green Day clear. He had previously said, “I’m anti-them, I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred.”
The spectre of Trump and American politics was ever-present on the Grammys stage.
Billie Eilish, who won Song of the Year for her track Wildflower, was similarly political. She said, “As grateful as I feel, I honestly don’t feel like I need to say anything but that no one is illegal on stolen land.
“It’s really hard to know what to say or what to do right now. We need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting.
“F—k ICE is all I want to say.”
Olivia Dean was awarded Best New Artist and while she wasn’t as vocal, she too referenced the ongoing political turmoil in the US. She said, “I am up here as a grand-daughter of an immigrant. I’m a product of bravery and I think those people deserve to be celebrated”.
Shaboozey, who won in a country music category, paid tribute to his mother, who worked as registered nurse for 30 years before her retirement. He called out that she was an immigrant, and that, “immigrants built this country, literally, actually, so this is for them”.
Kendrick Lamar broke Jay-Z’s record to become the rapper with the most Grammy wins over his career, adding five gongs to his now total of 27. Jay-Z’s former record was 25 Grammys.
Among Lamar’s wins were Record of the Year, Rap Song and Rap Album.
Lady Gaga won Pop Vocal Album and Dance/Pop Recording but she, along with Justin Bieber and Sabrina Carpenter, lost out to Lola Young in the pop solo performance category, a surprise triumph.
This year’s Grammys was the first time Bieber had been in play for a number of years, and he shocked some in the audience and at home when he took to the stage and performed his song Yukon wearing just socks and boxer shorts.
He was nominated for four awards but went home empty handed. As did Carpenter, who had been up in six categories.
Perth artist Tame Impala won the Best Dance/Electronic Recording for End of Summer, but Amyl and the Sniffers, who were nominated for Best Rock Performance lost out to Yungblud. Rufus Du Sol also lost their shot, ceding to FKA Twigs in the Best Dance/Electronic Album race.
Huntri/x claimed the first ever Grammy for a KPop release, winning for its song Golden from the runaway Netflix movie KPop Demon Hunters. It won in Best Song Written for a Visual Media category, but lost Best Pop Duo/Group Performance to Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande for their song from the first Wicked movie, Defying Gravity.
Among the more unconventional winners was the Dalai Lama, who won in the Best Audiobook category for his release Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Steven Spielberg also won his first ever Grammy, for producing the documentary Music by John Williams, in the Best Music Film race.
With this victory, Spielberg has now attained EGOT status, designating those elite few who have won at least one of each of a competitive Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. Spielberg joins just 21 others who have done the same.
The eligibility period for the 2026 Grammys encompassed the 12 months to August 31, which excluded, for example, Taylor Swift’s latest album. Trevor Noah was the host.
