Bad Bunny, Joni Mitchell lead a glittering, political 2026 Grammy Awards
- Peter Howell
- 45 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Carol J. Bream
Night Vision
The 2026 Grammys delivered a dynamic mix of standout performances, plus bold fashion and political statements along with heartfelt tributes to recently departed music legends.
Puerto Rican rapper-singer Bad Bunny made history while winning three Grammys. He took Album of the Year and Best Música Urbana Album for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos (I Should Have Taken More Photos),” the first Spanish-language album to take the top prize. His third Grammy win of the evening, for a career total of six to date, was Best Global Music Performance for the song “EoO,” a track from his acclaimed album.
He began his first acceptance speech with “ICE OUT,” saying in Spanish and English: “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens .… The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love.”
His Album of the Year prize was presented by Harry Styles, who won in the same category in 2023 for “Harry’s House.” Bad Bunny’s second touching speech of the evening was again mainly in Spanish and dedicated to all who had to leave their homeland to succeed.
Canada’s Joni Mitchell added another Grammy, her 11th, to her storied career, winning Best Historical Album for “Joni Mitchell Archives – Volume 4: The Asylum Years (1976–1980).” The expansive box set digs into a pivotal late‑’70s stretch when she was restlessly reshaping her sound, pairing unreleased studio and live recordings with carefully curated, remastered tracks that trace her evolution beyond folk into jazz-inflected, more exploratory songwriting. Besides winning 11 competitive Grammys, Mitchell has also won the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
"This is the most glitter and glamour I ever saw at the Grammys," Mitchell said, and she was adding to it with her attire of full-sequined duster and gold lamé beret. She also wore an "ICE OUT" pin, as did many attendees, commenting on the hot-button issue of government-enforced expulsions of immigrants deemed to be illegally in the U.S. Mitchell’s award and remarks were part of the pre-telecast portion of the Grammys ceremony, not televised.
Show host Trevor Noah, in the comedian’s sixth and what he insists will be his final appearance as host, stayed out of the spotlight most of the time to let the music shine. He did manage several pointed jokes about U.S. President Donald Trump — and received Trump’s ire on social media in return.
Noah’s running joke of the evening was about the fact that Bad Bunny was in the house at L.A.’s Crypto.com Arena but he couldn’t perform due to his contract as headliner at Super Bowl LV next week. At one point, Noah tried to goad him into singing along with the Grammy-winning album title track “DtMF” as Noah sang it in Spanish. Bad Bunny resisted bravely, but with obvious reluctance.
Politics was present but music commanded the stage in ways that looked forward to young artists and back to past greats. Only nine award presentations took place during the show, but several others that had been presented off air were mentioned, both by Noah and by Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. Noah presented the in-person Lifetime Achievement Award to Cher (several others were mentioned by Mason). Carole King’s appearance presenting Song of the Year to 21st century star Billie Eilish underlined the themes of nostalgic legends and bright newcomers.
The new: viewers were treated to a rousing opening number by Bruno Mars and Rosé (an up-and-coming K-Pop star) and then a showcase of the nominees for Best New Artist – all eight of them. When Olivia Dean won, she said she is the proud granddaughter of an immigrant (to the U.K.) and the product of bravery, which needs to be celebrated.
The old: an extensive element of the show was the energetic and nostalgic tributes to recently deceased artists. Bruce Springsteen spoke of Brian Wilson; John Mayer, of Bob Weir; Reba McIntyre, herself a Trailblazer but a first-timer at the Grammys, paid homage to a number of others; the Ozzy Osburne tribute was combined with that to other greats, and the group of legends participating included Slash, Andrew Watt, Duff McKagan, Chad Smith and Teddy Swims. Finally, D’Angelo and Robert Flack were remembered in a huge number headed by Lauryn Hall, then joined by Jon Batiste, John Legend, Chaka Khan, Wyclef Jean and many others.
Eternal diva Cher presented Record of the Year for Luther to Kendrick Lamar, who was joined by collaborator SZA in a gravity-defying red dress. The song is a tribute to Luther Vandross, so another nostalgic element of the evening.
Oscar-nominee Teyana Taylor’s standout (and multi-cutout chain mail) dress also seemed to defy all reason. One wonders how it stayed in place all evening!
This last Grammys on CBS (they will go to ABC next year) was spectacular, from the sets to the performances and the appearance of so many music legends. A fitting end to an era.
(Carol J. Bream is a writer living in Gatineau, Quebec.)
