Pop artist Olivia Dean took home her first Grammy for Best New Artist on Feb. 1 (Image Courtesy of Guard Online)
This piece is from the CU Independent’s opinion section. Any opinions or views do not represent the CU Independent.
In case you missed it, the 68th Grammy Awards, aired on Feb. 1, were filled with many well-timed jokes from the host, Trevor Noah, shocking surprises, snubs and more than one unforgettable acceptance speech.
Comedian and actor Trevor Noah, who has hosted the Grammy Awards since 2021, took advantage of the fact that this would be his last year hosting the show, pushing each bit a little farther. He didn’t shy away from making jokes about President Donald Trump, the Epstein Files or Nicki Minaj’s recent adoration of the President. Noah, however, was not the only political element of the award show.
Celebrities like Justin and Hailey Bieber, Joni Mitchell, Kehlani and more added ‘Ice Out’ pins to their award-show looks. Artists who accepted awards throughout the night, like, Olivia Dean, Billie Eilish and Bad Bunny, used their acceptance speeches to speak out against Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s actions across the country.
Honestly, I had low expectations for this year’s show. Heartbreaking snubs at the 2025 award show (how did Billie Eilish lose 6 awards?!) and Justin Bieber’s nominations caused me to lose some interest in this year’s awards. But without an artist that dominated multiple categories, I was pleasantly surprised by the way things ended up this year.
Here’s a quick recap of who won what:
- Best Pop Vocal Album: “Mayhem” by Lady Gaga
- Best New Artist: Olivia Dean
- Best Pop Solo Performance: “Messy” by Lola Young
- Song of the Year: “Wildflower” by Billie Eilish
- Record of the Year: “Luther” by Kendrick Lamar Ft. SZA
- Album of the Year: “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” by Bad Bunny
If you know me at all, you won’t be surprised that I was thrilled with Olivia Dean’s Best New Artist win. Her performance stood out among the rest of the Best New Artist nominees. She is classy and radiates joy in a way that no one else did on that stage. When her name was announced, she immediately became emotional, tears falling before she got on stage. It was hard to not do the same as I watched her accept her first Grammy. Despite this being Dean’s first award, she has always been one to use her platform to advocate for change.
“I’m a granddaughter of an immigrant… I’m a product of bravery and I think those people deserve to be celebrated,” Dean said.
Billie Eilish and Bad Bunny were both political in their speeches, using their veteran status to more directly call out rising immigrant tensions and ICE violence. Eilish, winning her third Song of the Year award, was met with roaring applause from the audience as she quickly shared her gratitude and then changed the topic of her speech.
“And as grateful as I feel, I honestly don’t feel like I need to say anything but that no one is illegal on stolen land,” Eilish said.
Bad Bunny made history as the first artist to win Album of the Year, arguably the biggest award, with a completely Spanish- language album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos.” When his name was announced for the last award of the night, Bad Bunny took at least thirty seconds before standing to accept the award. I really appreciated seeing him become so emotional and taking his time to savor the moment. It truly communicated just how important this album is to him and his community.
“We’re not savage, we are not animals, we are not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans,” said Bad Bunny, in his first acceptance speech.
While these were the high moments of the show, surprising losses taught us that just because you are chosen to perform at the show, doesn’t mean you will win. In fact, at least four of the performers, Rosé, Bruno Mars, who performed twice, Justin Bieber and Sabrina Carpenter, were completely snubbed. Rosé and Mars both had three nominations for “APT,” Bieber had four nominations and Carpenter lost all six of her nominations. While I do feel bad for Carpenter, “Man’s Best Friend” is definitely not my favorite album of hers (can we please go back to “Emails I Can’t Send”?). I understand the point that the album was trying to make but I feel like we learned that just because an album is untraditional or provocative, doesn’t mean it will win the awards.
But for sure, there is one thing that has happened the last two years during the award show that needs to stop. Both this year and last year, the cameras continued to flip to the most snubbed artist in the audience after they lost each award. Last year, this was Eilish, this year, Carpenter. Sure, I understand doing this technique once or twice, but doing it after six major losses is heartbreaking for all involved. By the end of the show, there were visible tears in both of the artists’ eyes, and I just wanted to run and give them hugs through the screen.
Next year, the Grammys are going to look much different. A new station and a new host could completely change the progressive reputation that the Grammys has developed. But I am excited for the possibility of the Album of the Year category being filled by Olivia Rodrigo, Harry Styles, Raye, Noah Kahan and more. That’s a lineup I won’t be able to stop talking about.
Contact CU Independent Assistant Arts Editor Addisson Pribble at Addisson.Pribble@colorado.edu
