Of course the Grammys were going to be political. But that’s not all that happened

Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar, two artists unafraid to hold a mirror up to America through their music and performances, dominated the Grammy Awards on Sunday night.

Bad Bunny made history when he won album of the year for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos (I Should Have Taken More Photos)” – the first Spanish-language album to achieve the top honor – while Lamar also broke records with five wins, including best rap album and record of the year, becoming the most-awarded rap artist in Grammy history.

Bad Bunny got emotional after winning the night’s top prize, making his way to the stage with tears in his eyes before acknowledging his homeland of Puerto Rico and dedicating his win to “all the people who had to leave their homeland, their country, to follow their dreams.”

He made a more pointed anti-ICE statement earlier in the evening while accepting the Grammy for best música urbana album.

“We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans,” Bad Bunny said, after deploying the phrase “ICE out,” which has been used as a call for an end to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

Next Sunday, Bad Bunny will take to the Super Bowl Halftime Show stage for a performance that has been marked by anticipation and criticism from conservatives. Lamar knows what that feels like.

He was the performer for Super Bowl LIX and used his time on sports’ biggest stage to deliver a politically-charged performance that featured Samuel L. Jackson dressed as Uncle Sam.

The Grammy Awards weren’t just about political statements, however. There were several stand-out performances and tributes to beloved musicians who passed last year and so much more.

Here are some of the night’s other notable moments.

Cher appeared to have something resembling a “La La Land” moment while presenting Kendrick Lamar and SZA with the record of the year Grammy, when she misread the envelope, awarding the Grammy to the late Luther Vandross, whose first name is the title of the song that was awarded. This plus some teleprompter issues made for an awkward moment. In her defense, she tried to walk off stage after accepting her lifetime achievement award. So, maybe she knew this wasn’t the job for a legend like her.

Television censors couldn’t keep up with Lola Young’s excitement over winning best pop solo performance, failing to properly bleep a four-letter expletive that escaped her mouth during her acceptance speech. The button was ready to go, however, for Billie Eilish’s acceptance speech for song of the year, during which said “F**k ICE,” according to videos posted to social media by those in the crowd. Fun fact: Eilish and her brother and collaborator Finneas became the first songwriting duo to win three times in the category.

As if Steven Spielberg needed another Hollywood accolade, the famed director achieved EGOT status after he scored a Grammy win during the Grammys preshow on Sunday. Spielberg won a Grammy in the best music film category for “Music by John Williams,” on which Spielberg is credited as a producer. This marks his first Grammy. Spielberg has won three Academy Awards, one Tony and four Emmys.

The in-memoriam segment fittingly had a touch of metal this year, with a performance in honor of the late Ozzy Osbourne. With Slash on guitar, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith on percussion and Post Malone singing the vocals, the ensemble played a cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” to honor the band’s late leader. The moment was an emotional one, with the camera cutting to the fallen rocker’s family, Sharon, Kelly and Jack Osbourne, who were all seen tearfully watching the performance. Lauryn Hill subsequently took the stage to perform a medley of her greatest hits, and paid tribute to D’Angelo, who died in October. Earlier, country superstar Reba McEntire launched the in-memoriam segment by singing “Trailerblazer” alongside Brandy Clark and Lukas Nelson, in what was McEntire’s first-ever performance at the Grammys. McEntire’s stepson Brandon Blackstock, a talent agent and Kelly Clarkson’s former husband, died in August and was honored during the segment.

The Dalai Lama is a Grammy winner. The spiritual leader was awarded the honor for the audio book that accompanied his title “Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.” Host Trevor Noah was also nominated in the category. In a statement posted to Instagram, the Dalai Lama wrote that he accepted the award “with gratitude and humility.”

No shirt? No problem — at least at the Grammys. Chappell Roan stepped onto the red carpet wearing a sheer burgundy frock, with its top components held up solely by the hoops of what appeared to be nipple rings. Doechii channeled “Death Becomes Her” in a bejeweled chest piece that probably stressed out the sound operator at the Grammys when it jangled in the mic, and Teyana Taylor floated into the show wearing an abdomen-bearing sparkly gold gown. Justin Bieber also took a note from the skin-loving ladies, wearing only a pair of silvery blue silk boxers for his first performance on the Grammys stage in four years.

Whether they were performing on stage – looking at you sombr, Addison Rae and Alex Warren – or accepting an award like best new artist winner Olivia Dean, the musicians of TikTok had a great night. The same can be said for artists whose older songs felt new again because they happened to find new listeners on the popular social media network. You might know that Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild” came out in June 2025, but it was new to some!

In a night that made history all around, one record-breaking moment came from the world of K-Pop. The infectious and uplifting anthem “Golden” from the surprise Netflix hit movie “K-Pop Demon Hunters” scored a pre-telecast Grammy win on Sunday, when it clinched the award for best song written for visual media. The banger, sung by EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami of HUNTR/X, was nominated for four Grammys total this weekend, including song of the year.

Lady Gaga delivered a powerful speech after winning a Grammy in the pop vocal album category, using her time on stage to encourage women in music to “always listen to yourself and always fight for your ideas” when they’re in the studio, which can sometimes be a male-dominated space. “Fight for yourself as a producer and make sure that you are heard – loudly,” she added.