2026 Grammys: Celebrities Who Talked Politics
Amidst the endless political turmoil in this chapter of American history, award shows have become an opportunity for celebrities to express their opinions.
From making political statements in their closets to winners using their speeches to call out the Donald Trump administration, here’s how celebrities used their platforms at the 68th Grammy Awards:
1.
Trevor Noah, the first The Daily Show host, took the Grammys Crypto.com Arena stage for what he called his sixth and final hosting, because he “believes in time limits.” So, it’s safe to say that he used this last article to rant about Trump.
He made this joke – commenting on Trump, Greenland, Clinton, and Epstein all at the same time. “Wow, that’s the Grammy every artist wants. It’s almost like Trump wants Greenland,” Noah said, referring to the win for Billie Eilish’s “WILDFLOWER.” “Which makes sense. I mean, since Epstein’s island is gone, he needs a new island to hang out with Bill Clinton.”
3.
Throughout the night, Noah joked with Bad Bunny about a number of topics, namely his Super Bowl contract, which prevented him from performing at the Grammys, much to the host’s annoyance. But Noah made a sly joke for the Puerto Rican singer that had MAGA fury.
After Noah asked Bad Bunny if he could stay with him in Puerto Rico if things got worse in the US, Bad Bunny replied, “Trevor, I’ve got news for you. Puerto Rico is part of America.”
4.
Speaking of Bad Rabbit, who made history as the first Latin artist to win Album of the Year Photos by Debà Tirar Más, used the Grammys stage to make powerful statements about immigration.
He continued, “We are not evil. We are not animals. We are not aliens. We are human beings, and we are Americans.”
5.
After picking up the Album of the Year award, he dedicated the award to immigrants. “I want to dedicate this award to all the people who had to leave their country, their country, to follow their dreams,” he said during his speech.
6.
Another star who used her speaking time to participate was Billie Eilish.
The 24-year-old Grammy Award winner has been very vocal about her opposition to ICE. Recently, he has even called out his fellow celebrities for failing to do the same.
After “WILDFLOWER” won Song of the Year, Eilish had this to say in her acceptance speech: “As grateful as I am, I don’t feel like I need to say anything except that no one is illegal in the stolen world.”
“Also, fuck ICE is all I want to say,” he concluded.
7.
Eilish’s brother and collaborator, Finneas O’Connell, also stood by her side, wearing a matching white “ICE OUT” pin.
8.
Justin Bieber made his first appearance on the red carpet at the Grammys since 2022, accompanied by his wife, Hailey Bieber. These are wearing simple black clothes, with “ICE OUT” pins.
9.
Kehlani, who also wore an “ICE OUT” pin, took home two awards for her song “Folded” – one for Best R&B Performance, and one for Best R&B Song. When accepting his first Grammy, he said, “Together, we have the strength in numbers to speak out against all the injustices that are happening in the world right now. So instead of letting it be a few of you here and there, I hope that everyone is inspired to come together as a community of artists and speak out against what’s going on. And, I’m going to leave this and say, fuck ICE.”
10.
Olivia Dean won a Grammy for Best New Artist. The “Man I Need” singer gave a shout out to her immigrant grandfather as she accepted her award.
“I’m up here as the grandson of an immigrant,” Dean said. “I’m a product of courage, and I think those people deserve to be celebrated.”
11.
Chrissy Teigen has been a famous opponent of Trump, once calling him a “pussy ass bitch,” during his first term in office. While Noah joked about Minaj not showing up to the awards show, Teigen gave her a thumbs up behind her back.
12.
If you thought Lady Gaga didn’t make her stop on ICE known last night, you probably didn’t see the back of her head. The 16-time Grammy Award winner wore a bow with an “ICE OUT” pin in the middle.
13.
Shaboozey accepted the award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for his song “Amen” with Jelly Roll. He gave an award to immigrants, who, he said, “built this country, literally.”
He held up his Grammy, saying, “This is theirs. It’s for all immigrant children. This is also for those who came to this country looking for a better chance to be part of a nation that promised freedom for everyone, and equal opportunity for everyone who is willing to work for it.”
“Thank you for bringing your culture, your music, your stories, and your traditions here. You give color to America,” said the first winner.
14.
Justin Vernon, who started Bon Iver, a solo project that became a band, wore an “ICE OUT” pin and an orange whistle on his papers. He told Variety that the whistle was a practice of Minneapolis bystanders, who blew whistles to signal to others that ICE was in the area.
“They’re there to protect their community, and they’ve been doing it for weeks,” Vernon said of the viewers. “It’s great to stand here and celebrate the power of music, but the real work is on the streets of Minneapolis right now, and I’m here to honor them.”
15.
Samara Joy has been taking home Grammy awards for her jazz music since 2023. This year was the same, as he won the award for Best Jazz Vocal Album Portraiture. On the red carpet, she was spotted with an “ICE OUT” pin.
He told Variety about it, saying, “Now is not the time to be depressed or to be too depressed about what is happening, but to speak up and speak up for those who can’t at the moment. There is very little I can do…I want to stand up. I don’t want to draw attention to myself all the time without realizing the humanity of all the people who are experiencing global disasters.”
16.
Many, many celebrities have been spotted on the red carpet with “ICE OUT” pins, such as Brandi Carlile, Joni Mitchell, Amy Allen, and Kamal Wilson.
