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11 Best and Worst Moments From the 2026 Grammys
Joni’s Still Got It
When an 82-year-old Joni Mitchell took the stage to accept the Grammy for Best Historical Album during the pre-show, it was with an “ICE OUT” pin perched on the lapel of her gold-sequined dress. While Mitchell’s speech focused on the past—she talked about folk music being “destroyed by the British Invasion” and her original cover for 1972’s For the Roses, which depicted a literal “horse’s ass”—the choice of accessory for one of her rare public appearances spoke volumes all on its own. –Walden Green
Mind If I Play This Thing?
The dudes rocked. Leon Thomas, looking like a Moesha love interest in his Canadian tux, celebrated his big wins (Best R&B Album, Best Traditional R&B Performance) by ripping a solo to “Mutt.” Justin Bieber busted out a riff and then looped it during his performance of “Yukon,” in nothing but mesh shorts like a dad being forced to log off Warzone to take his kid to school. And then, Post Malone, with a seemingly empty solo cup in his hand, jammed out as Slash and Andrew Watt faced off. There is a shift happening. –Alphonse Pierre
I’m Scared of Lady Gaga’s Hat
If they’re going to make everything alt-rock, might as well do “Abracadabra” with veteran drummer Josh Freese. Lady Gaga capped a year of MAYHEM with a gothy and intense performance of her Record of the Year nominee, as well as a hat—an enormous black basket with a funnel peak and a profusion of red thorns around the face, like an infuriated anglerfish. This thing could have eaten up anyone else’s performance, but it’s Gaga, so she just came back and accepted Best Pop Vocal Album after the commercial. –Anna Gaca
Bad Bunny Gets Straight to the Point
There were a lot of political statements tonight and most of them were well-meaning but fairly vague and non-direct, like the T-Wolves wearing the “Stand With Minnesota” T-shirts. But Bad Bunny said fuck all that. “ICE Out,” he declared, loud and pointedly, when he accepted his Grammy for Best Musica Urbana Album. “We are not savages, we are not animals, we are not aliens, we are humans, and we are Americans.” What made it hit particularly hard is that, with all the fire he’s been under from the Trump administration and Conservative media who don’t want him performing at the Super Bowl next week out of fear that they might have to think about their racism in the midst of scooping up their third bowl of buffalo chicken dip (terrible eats), he could easily have just kept it moving. But he said what he said anyway. Earlier in the night, Bad Bunny told Trevor Noah that he wasn’t allowed to perform so as not to spoil his halftime show, but I think he gave the country a taste in a different way. –Alphonse Pierre
Guess What? Clipse Can Rap
Backed by a church choir and Pharrell in a Frank Lucas fur, the Virginia Beach brothers did what they do best: Rap. Performing “So Far Ahead,” Pusha’s slimy coke rap set it off, nailing just about every line with little assistance from the muted backing track. Then came Malice with the wary words of repentance as snowflakes dropped down from the roof of the Crypto.com arena. It felt right. –Alphonse Pierre
Tyler Finally Blows Up
Word is the whole arena gasped when Tyler, the Creator closed his performance by dynamiting a building onstage, stumbling out looking like the last guy to survive the zombie attack, and collapsing facedown on the carpet between cocktail tables. Did nobody see the giant cartoon stick of TNT in his hand? Maybe Tyler just moves fast—he already released another album since the one he was nominated for—but his segment was the only time I didn’t feel like I was watching the Grammys. After the justified beef he’s had with the Academy, a regular mic drop wasn’t going to cut it. –Anna Gaca
Should Darren Criss Do Hard Time For Mispronouncing “Eusexua”?
I’ve spent the past 15 minutes trying to phonetically spell out pre-show host Darren Criss’ egregious mispronunciation of Eusexua, which won Best Dance/Electronic Album at last night’s ceremony. First I had it down as “yoo-zoo-a,” then “ig-sua,” before finally settling on “ex-ua,” which at least resembles the original title—albeit a few letters short. “Did I say that right? So sorry if I got that wrong,” Criss fumbled. He then began to accept the trophy in twigs’ stead before he noticed that she was walking up to the podium, at which point I half-expected a large cane to emerge from behind the scenes and pull him offstage. Oh, and Darren, it’s “twigs” for short—not “FKA.” —Walden Green
Chad Hugo Gets Scrubbed From the Pharrell Story
This year, the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, which is still a thing, went to the leader of the lumpenproletariat: Pharrell. It’s the latest domino in the Pharrell hagiography that’s been taking shape in the last half decade or so, which includes an entire Lego movie about how awesome he is. I’ve pretty much accepted that that is what happens when you’re powerful enough and give everyone free clothes, but what I can’t get down with is how the other half of the Neptunes, Chad Hugo, continues to be phased out of the narrative. He wasn’t mentioned in Pharraell’s introduction, nor was he in the acceptance speech. I understand that Chad is currently suing Pharrell for $1 million dollars in unpaid royalties, but that doesn’t suddenly mean that Pharrell produced “Let’s Get Blown” and “Excuse Me Miss” by himself. Or who knows? Maybe that’s the big reveal in Piece By Piece 2? –Alphonse Pierre
Man Crashes the Stage
They need better security at the Grammys. A man in a black tie get-up—supposedly named Alex Warren—broke into the Crypto.com arena and solemnly sung a made-up high school video yearbook ballad titled “Ordinary.” I was appalled. I had to cover the eyes of my 16-year-old son, who was in tears, witnessing the sanctity of the event being compromised like this. Do better! –Alphonse Pierre
Grammy Voters Will Stop at Nothing to Give Billie Eilish an Award
Having failed to send Billie Eilish home with any Grammys for her 2024 album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT last year, the Academy was forced to consider its track “Wildflower”—re-released to radio within the eligibility period—for Song of the Year. A beautiful edge case where the priorities of the people who vote for these things disconnect from the reality of the millions of people streaming Billie Eilish. Justice for Justin Bieber’s “Daisies,” I guess. –Anna Gaca
Conspiracy: Everyone Is Contractually Obligated to Give Bruno Mars a Standing Ovation
I feel like anytime I talk to anyone about Bruno Mars’ music, they just go on and on about how successful he is and how hard he works. Since when is music judged on the same scale as your teen cousin’s lawnmowing business? I thought about that as the crowd went apeshit after (I’m surprised they didn’t start woofing like the audience of the Arsenio Hall Show) he performed the toothless “I Just Might” and did more of the ’70s funk band cosplay he’s been doing forever. Was everyone really that moved? Is the world really that excited for the follow-up to 24K Magic? Honestly, probably. But, somehow, a national conspiracy that extends from the Crypto.com arena to your mom’s book club sounds better. –Alphonse Pierre
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