At the 68th Grammys, Bad Bunny secures the first-ever Spanish-language Album of the Year and Kendrick Lamar becomes the most-awarded rapper in history; no win for Indian contingent, led by Anoushka Shankar
For all the spectacle that surrounds music’s most celebrated and storied prize, the 68th Annual Grammy Awards — held on Sunday (February 1) at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and hosted by Trevor Noah in his final year at the helm — saw pointed political resistance against the Donald Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement through US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). With nationwide protests raging over ICE’s militarised raids, fatal shootings, and mass deportations that began intensifying in January 2025, artists used the stage to voice outrage, with many of them donning ‘ICE OUT’ pins and delivering impassioned speeches that echoed the chants of demonstrators in the street.
In one of the evening’s many ground-breaking ‘firsts’, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, now 90 years old, clinched his maiden Grammy for Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, a spoken-word and narrative album that won in the Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording category. If Bad Bunny’s sixth studio album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, became the first Spanish-language album to win the Album of the Year award in the Grammys’ nearly seven-decade history, the song Golden from the movie KPop Demon Hunters won for Best Song Written for Visual Media, marking the first time a K-pop act has ever won a Grammy.
No win for Indian artists
By winning his first-ever Grammy for the music film Music by John Williams, legendary director Steven Spielberg officially achieved EGOT status (winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). With five wins this year, Kendrick Lamar surpassed Jay-Z to become the most-awarded rapper in Grammy history, with a total of 27 wins. His five wins this year include: Record of the Year for Luther (with SZA), Best Rap Album (GNX), Best Rap Song (TV Off, featuring Lefty Gunplay), Best Rap Performance (Chains and Whips, with Clipse and Pharrell Williams) and Best Melodic Rap Performance (Luther). By winning Best Dance/Electronic Album for EUSEXUA, FKA twigs (Tahliah Debrett Barnett) became only the second Black woman to ever win in that category.
Also read: Alternative music, global healing: Indian-origin musicians strike a chord at the Grammys
Though Indian musicians had secured multiple nominations, they didn’t win in any category. Sitarist Anoushka Shankar had received two nods: one for Best Global Music Performance for the evocative Daybreak (featuring Alam Khan and Sarathy Korwar), and another for Best Global Music Album for Chapter III: We Return to Light. Joining her in the Global Music Album category was Siddhant Bhatia, whose work Sounds of Kumbha was picked for its immersive exploration of South Asian heritage through ambient soundscapes. This project also highlighted the versatility of Charu Suri, who served as a producer on Bhatia’s album while simultaneously earning her own nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for her work Shayan. The legendary band Shakti, led by John McLaughlin, had received two nominations for their Mind Explosion (50th Anniversary Tour Live) project.
When Harry Styles read out Bad Bunny’s name, Benito Ocasio, the Puerto Rican’s real name, took a breath. When he finally made it to the stage, tears welled in his eyes as he dedicated the award to immigrants, people who leave behind homes, languages, histories, and still dare to imagine a future elsewhere. Debí Tirar Más Fotos — which loosely translates to I should have taken more photos — is a song that draws on memory, loss, and the ache of looking back. It’s deeply personal, rooted in Latin musical history, and unafraid of grief. No wonder it edged out albums by the likes of Lady Gaga (Mayhem), Lamar (GNX), Sabrina Carpenter (Man’s Best Friend), Tyler, The Creator (Chromakopia), Justin Bieber (Swag), Leon Thomas (Mutt) and Clipse, Pusha T & Malice (Let God Sort Em Out).
Common refrain: ‘ICE out’
Earlier in the evening, while accepting Best Música Urbana Album, Bad Bunny dropped the politeness altogether. Before thanking God, before the usual gratitude roll-call, he said it plainly: “ICE out.” The phrase — also spotted on badges worn by artists across the red carpet — was a direct rebuke of US immigration enforcement, amid weeks of tension and protests in Minneapolis following the deaths of two civilians. “We’re not savages. We’re not animals. We’re not aliens,” he said. “We are humans. And we are Americans.” Olivia Dean, the British singer who took home Best New Artist, brought the point home poignantly. “I’m up here as the granddaughter of an immigrant,” she said, speaking about her grandmother Carmen, who arrived in the UK as part of the Windrush generation. “I’m a product of bravery. We’re nothing without each other.”
Lady Gaga during the performance
Artists across different generations and genres kept underlining their concern for immigrants. They’re, after all, the reason music sounds the way it does. Billie Eilish, collecting Song of the Year for Wildflower, said: “It’s just really hard to know what to say and what to do right now, but we have to keep fighting and speaking up. Our voices matter.” Wildflower — a slow-burn favourite from Hit Me Hard and Soft — marked Billie’s third Song of the Year win this decade, following Bad Guy and Everything I Wanted. Early in the ceremony, Lamar won Best Rap Album for GNX. By the end of the night, he’d added another — Record of the Year for Luther, his duet with SZA — bringing the total to 27. The award was presented by Cher, who had just received a lifetime achievement honour of her own.
Cher searched for the teleprompter, opened the envelope, and briefly misread the card. For a split second, it sounded like the award had gone to the late soul legend Luther Vandross, whose voice is sampled on Lamar’s track. Lamar, however, handled it with grace. When he finally accepted the award, he paid tribute to Vandross, calling him one of his all-time favourite artists. He revealed he’d cried when given permission to use the sample. “They only had one condition,” he laughed. “No cursing.” SZA, joining him onstage, said: “Please don’t fall into despair,” she said. “This is a scary time. But we need to trust each other. We’re not governed by the government. We’re governed by God.”
Stand-out performances
Pop had its moments too, and plenty of them. Lola Young, the Londoner whose rise has been impossible to ignore, won Best Pop Performance for Messy, an ADHD anthem that explores the internal and external frustrations of never feeling ‘enough’ for others or herself. Young, who was recently diagnosed of severe ADHD, describes the ‘messy’ reality of her life, from never holding a broom to the daily contradictions of feeling ‘too messy’ one day and ‘too clean’ the next. Lady Gaga, meanwhile, collected Best Pop Album for Mayhem, rushing to the stage to accept her 16th Grammy like someone who still can’t quite believe she’s here. “I still feel like I need to pinch myself,” she said, before turning her attention to women in music. Gaga urged them to defend their creative instincts, especially in male-dominated studio spaces. “Fight for your songs. Fight for yourself as a producer. Make sure you’re heard.”
Also read: Grammys: Shankar Mahadevan's band 'Shakti' wins best global music album award
Bad Bunny ultimately walked away with three awards; since Latin music has been long sidelined unless it’s translated itself into English, the moment felt overdue. Last year alone, Bad Bunny was Spotify’s most-streamed artist, pulling in nearly 20 billion plays. Accepting Album of the Year, he returned to the album. “For everyone who has lost someone and had to keep going,” he said in Spanish, “this award is for you.” The evening began with Rosé and Bruno Mars kicked things off with a high-energy rock version of their megahit APT, a song inspired by a South Korean drinking game, which host Noah couldn’t resist joking about. “In America,” he quipped, “every time you turn on the news, you drink.”
Later, Sabrina Carpenter delivered one of the evening’s most theatrical performances. Dressed as a flight attendant in all-white, pantsless uniform, she sang Manchild while dancing across luggage carousels, weaving through dancers dressed as baggage handlers. The stage was transformed into a retro airport, featuring a silver airplane set piece, a working baggage claim conveyor belt, and rolling suitcases. Lady Gaga’s performance of Abracadabra was another moment to remember. True to her reputation for high-concept theatre, she delivered a ‘rock-ified’ rendition of the track in a striking red and black feathered coat paired with a shiny black skirt. The most talked-about element was her headgear, a large, decorative cage-like dome (described by some as looking like an upside-down wicker basket) that completely concealed her head for much of the performance.
Justin Bieber’s performance of Yukon left the audience stunned. Returning to the Grammy stage for the first time in four years, Bieber, who has been having health issues, opted for a literally stripped-down aesthetic, appearing solo and shirtless in only satin boxer shorts and socks. Ditching the high-octane choreography of his past, he stood centre stage with a purple electric guitar and a looping device, building a soulful R&B soundscape for a few minutes. The intimate set put his extensive body art on full display, including a rumored new back tattoo of his wife, Hailey Bieber, and focused entirely on his vocals. It was undeniably authentic comeback that took the audeinces back to the bedroom-pop vibe of Swag, showcasing how he has become more of an introspective artist. Trevor Noah, on his part, struck the right balance: irreverent without being flippant, political without being preachy, aware of the moment and coming up with just right punchlines.
