Bad Bunny made history at the 68th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles Sunday night, becoming the first-ever artist to win the Grammy for album of the year for a non-English language album for his landmark DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS.
“I want to dedicate this award to all the people who had to leave their homeland, their country, to follow their dreams,” Benito said.
Outside of album of the year, Kendrick Lamar, who was the most-nominated act coming into the evening with nine overall, went back-to-back for record of the year with “Luther,” his collaboration with SZA. The record of the year win, though, came with a bit of confusion as Cher, who’d just received a Lifetime Achievement Award, began to walk off stage before announcing the category, then announced “Luther Vandross” as the winner. Lamar earned five wins on the night, including for best rap album and best rap song, and he became the most-awarded rapper in Grammy history, surpassing Jay-Z as the new record-holder.
A full list of winners is available here.
This year’s Grammys — the final year the show airs on CBS and the last time Trevor Noah is hosting — carried a strong political undercurrent throughout the night as many of the industry’s biggest artists called out ICE amid the turmoil that’s rocked Minneapolis in recent weeks. Many of the evening’s winners either directly called out the government or voicing their support to immigrants.
SZA came backstage Sunday night after the “Luther” win, calling it “dystopian that we’re dressed up and able to celebrate accolades in the material world.”
“People are getting snatched up and shot in the face on the street, it just feels bizarre,” she said.
Billie Eilish had one of the bigger surprises of the evening as “Wildflower,” her hit off 2024 album Hit Me Hard and Soft, took home song of the year, winning out in a category that featured the likes of Kpop Demon Hunters smash “Golden,” Carpenter’s “Manchild” and Bad Bunny’s “DtMF,” among others. During her speech, alongside her brother Finneas, Eilish said “fuck ICE,” further adding that “no one is illegal on stolen land.”
Before the album of the year win, Bad Bunny began his acceptance speech for best música urbana album by saying “ICE out.” “We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens, we are humans and we are Americans,” he said, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Meanwhile, Olivia Dean won out for best new artist, and during her acceptance speech, the “Man I Need” singer called herself “a granddaughter of immigrants.”
“I’m a product of bravery and I think those people deserve to be celebrated,” Dean said. “We’re nothing without each other.”
Bad Bunny, Lamar, Lady Gaga and Carpenter all came into Sunday with nominations across the major three categories, and while Gaga won for pop vocal album of the year, she was left out in the general field and is still yet to win a Grammy outside of the genre categories. Carpenter, who had six nominations this evening, came away empty-handed.
Rosé and Bruno Mars opened the show with global smash “Apt.,” itself a historic performance putting K-pop on music’s biggest stage. (While the song didn’t win for its record of the year nomination, another K-pop tune made history as “Golden” became the first K-pop song to ever win a Grammy). Carpenter followed soon after Mars and Rosé an instant classic “Manchild” performance that had Carpenter playing the role of pilot running through an airport.
Lamar started the night strong, winning the first award of the night for best rap album with GNX, beating out Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out and Tyler, the Creator’s Chromakopia. All three rap albums were up for album of the year. Clipse, meanwhile, took home a Grammy during the pre-telecast for best rap performance with “Chains and Whips,” which featured Lamar as well. (THR)
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