On Feb. 1, 2026, the annual Grammy Awards were held at Cypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and was another high-stakes presentation. This year’s show featured performances from Alex Warren, Andrew Watt, Brandy Clark, Bruno Mars, Chad Smith, Clipse, Duff McKagan, Justin Bieber, KATSEYE, Lady Gaga, Lauryn Hill, Leon Thomas, Lola Young, Lukas Nelson, Olivia Dean, Pharrell Williams, Post Malone, Reba McEntire, ROSÉ, Sabrina Carpenter, Slash, sombr, The Marías and Tyler, The Creator.
Aside from the performances, the show televised awards for Best Pop Solo Performance — awarded to Lola Young, Best Pop Vocal Album — awarded to Lady Gaga, Best Rap Album — awarded to Kendrick Lamar, Best Contemporary Country Album — awarded to Jelly Roll as well as Song of The Year, Record of The Year and Album of The Year.
The winner for Song of The Year was “WILDFLOWER” by Billie Eilish. Song of the Year honors the lyrical composition of a song, while Record of the Year— awarded to Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “luther,”— honors the recording and recognizes the performers, producers, engineers and other team members involved.
After a high-grossing stadium tour, Lamar and SZA received the award for their collaboration, which paid tribute to Luther Vandross. While the award was being presented, Cher, the presenter, mistook the song title for Vandross’s name, creating a viral moment online.
Nominees for the Best New Artist category have all received more visibility throughout 2025 and will likely continue to climb the charts with their new projects. Each of the nominees had a special, two minute performance during the show. Each performer played their most popular song, showcasing the diversity between artists and their vocal abilities. Dean was awarded with the Best New Artist award.
“I’m up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant. I wouldn’t be here. … I’m a product of bravery and I think those people deserve to be celebrated,” Dean said.
The Album of The Year category honors albums that were celebrated throughout the year for their artistic direction, production and the popularity they gave the winning artist. The winner of Album of The Year was “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” by Bad Bunny.
He accepted the various awards he took home with a message about extreme inequality around the world right now.
“The only thing more powerful than hate is love,” Bad Bunny said.
His words are now widespread throughout social media and were integrated into Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance, celebrating immigrants and their achievements.
The 68th Grammy Awards had some of the highest-stakes yet. Many artists were nominated that did not receive any awards, while others went home with multiple. The show was a welcoming place for artists to voice their opinions on current global events.
