Los Angeles: Bad Bunny has become the first Latin artist to win album of the year in the 68-year history of the Grammy Awards, at a ceremony where dozens of stars railed against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. The shape-shifting musician beat Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar to win the night's top prize for his sixth album, Debí Tirar Mas Fotos, a personal and powerful exploration of Puerto Rico's musical history.
According to BBC, the 31-year-old, who will headline next week's Super Bowl half-time show, dedicated the award to immigrants who "leave their home, land, their country, to follow their dreams". British singer Olivia Dean, who was named best new artist, also used her speech to defend immigrants. "I'm up here as the granddaughter of an immigrant," said the singer, whose grandmother Carmen was part of the Windrush generation. "I'm a product of bravery and I think those people deserve to be celebrated. We're nothing without each other."
Stars including Kehlani, Gloria Estefan, and Billie Eilish also spoke in support of immigrants, while many musicians wore badges reading "ICE out" on the red carpet. Meanwhile, other British winners included Lola Young, Yungblud, FKA Twigs, Cynthia Erivo, and The Cure. Bad Bunny, real name Benito Ocasio, seemed to be stunned when Harry Styles read out his name for the album of the year prize. He took a few moments to collect himself before walking to the stage, and there were tears in his eyes during his speech.
Earlier, winning the prize for best música urbana album, he had spoken more directly about his feelings towards immigration enforcement. "Before I say thanks to God, I'm going to say ICE out," he said, referencing weeks of tension in Minneapolis, including the deaths of two civilians. "We're not savages, we're not animals, we're not aliens, we are humans and we are Americans." Billie Eilish, winning song of the year for Wildflower, also addressed the turmoil gripping America. "It's just really hard to know what to say and what to do right now," she said. "And I feel like we just need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting. Our voices really do matter, and the people matter."
Host Trevor Noah stirred controversy by bringing up Donald Trump and his connections to Jeffrey Epstein during the ceremony. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein and has not been accused of any crimes by Epstein's victims. In response, Trump wrote that he had "never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close," and threatened legal action against Noah.
In other Grammy highlights, Kendrick Lamar won best rap album for GNX, overtaking Jay-Z as the rapper with the most Grammy Awards—26 in total. He later added a 27th trophy to his shelf, winning record of the year for Luther, a soulful duet with R&B singer SZA. Lady Gaga's Mayhem was named best pop album, and the star rushed to the stage to accept her 16th golden gramophone trophy.
Bad Bunny took home three awards in all—a significant milestone for Latin music which, for many years, was sidelined by the Anglophone music industry. But the advent of streaming has helped to demolish language barriers. Last year, Bad Bunny was the most-played artist on Spotify, racking up a staggering 19.8 billion streams. Accepting album of the year, the artist addressed the themes of grief and loss that informed his latest record. "For all the people who have lost someone close to them and had to continue forward with lots of strength, this award is for you," he said in Spanish.
All eight of the nominees for best new artist got their chance to shine in an extended segment celebrating "emerging talents who are defining music's zeitgeist." Among them were Young, making her first televised performance since taking an extended break to protect her mental and physical health last year. Joining her were six-piece girl group Katseye, playing their viral hit Gnarly, and New York indie artist Sombr, sporting a spangled jumpsuit for his rendition of 12 to 12.
The ceremony also featured a star-studded tribute to metal legend Ozzy Osbourne, with an all-star band including Post Malone and members of Guns N' Roses and The Red Hot Chili Peppers performing the Black Sabbath classic War Pigs. Lauryn Hill paid her respects to Angie Stone, Roberta Flack, and R&B star D'Angelo, closing with a celebratory version of Killing Me Softly alongside Chaka Khan, Jon Batiste, Wyclef Jean, and John Legend.