The 68th Grammys, held by the Recording Academy on Feb. 1 in Los Angeles’ Crypto.com arena and aired on CBS, not only reflected on some of the best music that shaped the past year, but also were a preview of where music and culture is going next. Across 95 different award categories, music from a diverse range of genres were recognized. Musicians we’ve lost — the trailblazers— were honored. Artists used the stage to bring attention to pressing issues. The 2026 Grammys were a night of hope.
“DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” by Bad Bunny was awarded Album of the Year. It translates to “I should have taken more photos” and is an album reminiscing about Puerto Rico, his homeland, while making commentary on the impacts of US colonization on the territory.
Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell took home Song of the Year with “Wildflower,” which is a song about the guilt that came along with dating someone that her friend was previously in a relationship with.
During Eilish’s speech, she said, “no one is illegal on stolen land.” She talked about the feeling of uncertainty spread around the world right now, a point also brought up by other artists, but said that being in the room of the Grammys gave her a sense of hope. After winning Best Música Urbana Album, Bad Bunny said, “We’re not aliens. We are humans. And we are Americans,” referencing ICE activity in recent days. Trevor Noah, who hosted the Grammys for the sixth and final time, also inserted political commentary throughout the show.
Recording Academy CEO, Harvey Mason Jr., said, “As we watch what’s unfolding across America and around the world, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed, even helpless. Yet, in challenging times, music never stands still.”
The Record of the Year was “Luther” by Kendrick Lamar, featuring SZA. The song is about how he’d do anything for the one he loves if the world was his. It’s a tribute to 1980s R&B singer Luther Vandross, whom Lamar expressed admiration for during his speech at the Grammys. The song repeats the lyric, “Better days comin’ for sure (if this world were),” mixing optimism for a better future with uncertainty for whether or not it’s possible.
Olivia Dean won the Best New Artist award, following her live performance of “Man I Need” from her album “The Art of Loving,” which is about how love isn’t a momentary feeling, but something that is a constant through- out life. A theme carried across her music is self-love, something that should be being increasingly emphasized as more people struggle with mental health.
For many, music is a way of healing, coping, connecting with others, or expressing oneself. In total, Grammy-nominated artists have received billions of streams; the influence sound and storytelling has on culture and the lives of people around the world is unmistakable. If music could define the course of a year, then in the midst of fear and confusion, this year feels like one of coming together to make things right and better than ever before.
