The 2026 Grammys spoke Spanish : amid Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration, Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny won Album of the Year for "Debí Tirar Más Fotos," the first Latin artist to win in this category . Overcome with emotion, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, who had canceled U.S. concerts in 2025 to avoid exposing fans to threats from ICE, remained seated in his chair with his head in his hands for ten long seconds before dedicating the evening's most important award to "all the people who had to leave their homeland to pursue their dreams." "Debi Tirar Más Fotos," an exploration of Latin American musical traditions made while returning to Puerto Rico, is the first album of the year almost entirely in Spanish.
The victory capped an evening of music and political statements : "Before I thank God, I'll say one thing: Ice out," the Puerto Rican singer, who will host the Super Bowl halftime show next Sunday, the most important American sporting event and by far the most-watched TV event in the US, had said shortly before, accepting the award for Best Urban Music Album: "We are not savages, we are not animals, we are not aliens. We are human beings and we are Americans." Other award-winning artists used the Crypto.com Arena stage and the show's live broadcast, for the last time on CBS, to attack Donald Trump's anti-migrant policies : "No one is illegal in a stolen land. We must continue to speak out and protest. Our voices matter," said Billie Eilish , accepting the Song of the Year award for "Wildflower." Billie, her brother Finneas O'Connell, who wrote the song, and other music stars like Justin Bieber arrived wearing "Ice Out" and "Be Good" pins to honor victims of recent clashes between federal agents and civilians, such as Alex Pretti and Renée Good, who were killed by federal agents in Minneapolis.
"I'm the granddaughter of an immigrant. I'm the product of his courage, and I think people like my grandfather should be celebrated," said Olivia Dean, accepting the award for Best New Actress. At the 2025 Grammys, Kendrick Lamar, who won a record nine nominations, won five, including Best Rap Album for "Gmx" and Best Recording for the track "Luther" with SZA, bringing his total to 27. Bad Bunny earned three, and Lady Gaga two (including Best Pop Album for "Mayhem"), tied with SZA, Leon Thomas, and Turnstile. For fans of the K-Pop anime Demon Hunters, "Golden" did not disappoint, winning the first-ever K-Pop Grammy (Best Song Written for an Audiovisual Production). Steven Spielberg also won a Grammy for producing Music for John Williams, an honor that put him in the rarefied club of Egot (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony winners).
(Unioneonline)
