Grammys 2026 becomes platform for political outcry

Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell accept Song of the Year at the Grammys' ceremony. (Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Content Warning: This article mentions immigration enforcement, detention and explicit language used in speeches at the Grammys.

Every year, the Recording Academy celebrates artists and their music at the Grammy Awards. 

This year marked the 68th Annual Grammy Awards. For many artists, it was a celebration of their work, but for others, it was an opportunity to speak out against recent actions from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Celebrities made sure their political views were heard and seen, whether it was on the red carpet or during their acceptance speeches.

Artists from Billie Eilish to Joni Mitchell wore “ICE OUT” pins as a form of protest against recent actions by immigration enforcement authorities during the Trump administration’s crackdown across the country.

The singer and Bon Iver band member, Justin Vernon, spoke with Variety and said that the pin was “to honour the observers in Minneapolis” who “blow the whistle when they see ICE come in.” 

After the tragic deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, thousands of Minnesotans have signed up to work as ICE observers and keep their community safe from ICE. 

“They are there to protect their community and they’ve been doing it for weeks. It’s great to stop here and celebrate music and the power of music, but the real work is in the streets of Minneapolis right now,” Vernon said to Variety.

Olivia Dean at the 2026 Grammys. (Credit: Johnny Nunez/Getty Images)

The ceremony started with the Best New Artist award and British singer Olivia Dean won the first award of the night. In her speech, she mentioned, “I'm up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant. I'm a product of bravery and I think those people deserve to be celebrated.”

This was a tribute to her immigrant grandmother, standing up for all immigrants living in the U.S. who are currently afraid of being taken away.

Kehlani accepts Best R&B Performance at Grammys premiere ceremony. (Credit: Rich Polk/Billboard/ Getty)

The famous American singer, Kehlani, did not stay behind and spoke out as well. During the premiere ceremony, she won best R&B performance.

What I wanna make sure that I say is that everybody is so powerful in this room … and together, we’re stronger in numbers to speak against all the injustice going on in the world right now,” she said. 

“I hope everybody is inspired to join together as a community of artists and speak out against what's going on. And I'm going to leave this and say, f--- ICE.”

She also wore an “ICE OUT” pin during the red carpet and ceremony.

Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell attended the Grammys wearing an “ICE OUT” pin. They took home one of the biggest awards of the night, Song of the Year for “Wildflower,” which they co-wrote together.

During her acceptance speech, Eilish said, "No one is illegal on stolen land." 

"It's just really hard to know what to say and what to do right now. And I just feel really hopeful in this room and I feel like we just need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting … our voices really do matter and the people matter," she said.

Days before the ceremony, the sibling duo posted on their social media statements about the social injustices related to ICE, criticizing the Trump administration and their lack of transparency.

Trevor Noah, the six-time host of the Grammys, made a joke about Trump, saying: “A Grammy that every artist wants – almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because Epstein’s island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton.”

Bad Bunny during his Acceptance Speech for Best Musica Urbana Album (Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

The Puerto Rican singer Benito Martínez, also known as Bad Bunny, took home the award for Best Música Urbana Album. 

He received a standing ovation from the audience after opening his speech with a strong statement: "Before I say thanks to God, I'm gonna say ICE out.”

He continued his speech with a powerful message: “We're not savage, we're not animals, we're not aliens—we are humans and we are Americans." 

“The only thing that is 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 family and that’s the way to do it – with love. Don’t forget that please.”