Grammys 2026: Dalai Lama, Lady Gaga Win

The Grammy Awards began at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles with Trevor Noah returning for the sixth time as host.

Grammys 2026: Sabrina Carpenter's ruffled gown takes over red carpet

Sabrina Carpenter turned heads in her custom Valentino dress designed by Alessandro Michele that gave off fairy tale vibes on the red carpet.

The Espresso singer kept her jewellery simple, wearing three diamond rings, including a special 'SC' initial ring, along with diamond drop earrings.

Grammys 2026: Anoushka Shankar loses to Bad Bunny

Before the main television show, the Recording Academy presented 86 awards across various categories. One of the key categories was Best Global Music Performance, where musician and composer Anoushka Shankar was nominated for her song Daybreak, which featured Alam Khan and Sarathy Korwar.

But Anoushka lost to global star Bad Bunny, who won for EoO. Other nominees in the category included Ciro Hurtado, Angelique Kidjo, Yeisy Rojas and Shakti.

Ahead of the ceremony, Anoushka took to her Instagram account to share a message about her nominations and why she chose not to attend the event this year.

'It's Grammy day today!' she posted.

'I'm proud to be twice nominated -- for my album Chapter III: We Return to Light and for Daybreak, the lead song from the album. These are my 12th and 13th nominations, which in itself is HUGE!

'At the same time, it feels really good NOT to be in LA getting sucked into the whirlwind of interlocking excitement and stress that comes with major awards events. This year, I made a conscious decision not to go, and to be on the road in India during the ceremony.

'I wanted to practice what I preach, which is that awards don't matter like the actual connection playing music for people affords us as artists.

'I wanted to take care of my mental health too -- and I have to say, sometimes the process of spending literally thousands of dollars on the privilege of flying, attending, marketing and getting sucked in to the machine, hugely anxious about outfits and red carpets, starting to hope to win and then not winning (again and again!) can take a toll.

'There is always a bigger mainstream artist dropping into our global categories who has MORE money to spend on marketing; there is always an artist who chooses to spend months networking, attending nominee events and ensuring their music and name lands in front of voters.

'I don't say this from bitterness, but just to acknowledge what the behind-the-scenes reality can be. If tonight, I happen to win for the first time, of course it will be a joyful experience, but I truly, truly believe it doesn't matter in a deeper context.'

Delhi-born composer Siddhant Bhatia's album Sounds of Kumbha, which was nominated in the same category, didn't win either.

Grammys 2026: 'We're not savages'

Bad Bunny received a standing ovation at the Grammys 2026 when he spoke about the treatment of immigrants in the US.

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican star won the Grammy for Best Musical Urbana Album for DeBI TiRAR MaS FOToS.

As he walked on stage, the crowd was already on its feet. But it was his first words about ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and humans that made the moment even more powerful.

'Before I say thanks to God, I'm gonna say ICE out. We're not savages, we're not animals, we're not aliens, we are humans, and we are Americans,' he said, getting a loud standing ovation.

'Also, I want to say to the people: I know it's tough not to hate these days, and I was thinking that sometimes we get contaminado, I don't know how to say that in English.

'We have to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love. We don't hate them. We love our people, we love our family, and that's the way to do it, with love. Don't forget that, please. Thank you. Thank you, God, and thank you to the Grammys.'

His comments come after he opted not to take his Debi Tirar Mas Fotos World Tour to the US due to the Trump administration's use of ICE and other federal agencies for an immigration crackdown. Healso faced backlash from Donald Trump and some Republicans after being named the headliner for the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show on February 8.

Bad Bunny also won the Grammy for Album of the Year for DeBI TiRAR MaS FOToS, making history as the first Spanish-language artist to take home the top prize in this category.

'Nothing exists that we can't achieve. Thank you, God. Thank you to the Academy. Thank you to all the people who have believed in me throughout my career. (I want to thank) all the people who worked on this album. Thank you, mommy, for birthing me in Puerto Rico. I love you.'

He added with great emotion, 'I want to dedicate this award to all the people who had to leave their homeland, their country, to follow their dreams.'

Grammy 2026: Dalai Lama wins a Grammy

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama won a Grammy after being nominated alongside Elvis, Rocky & Me: The Carol Connors Story by Kathy Garver, Into the Uncut Grass by Trevor Noah, Lovely One: A Memoir by Ketanji Brown Jackson and You Know It's True: The Real Story of Milli Vanilli by Fab Morvan.

In response to the award, the Dalai Lama's office posted a message from His Holiness, saying, 'I receive this recognition with gratitude and humility. I don't see it as something personal, but as a recognition of our shared universal responsibility.

'I truly believe that peace, compassion, care for our environment, and an understanding of the oneness of humanity are essential for the collective well-being of all eight billion human beings. I'm grateful that this Grammy recognition can help spread these messages more widely.'

Grammys 2026: Justin Bieber gets bold

Justin Bieber turned heads at the awards ceremony with a bold stage look and a high-energy performance.

He performed his song Yukon, which was nominated for Best R&B Performance category, wearing purple satin boxer shorts that matched his guitar and a pair of black socks flaunting his abs and the many tattoos.

This was Justin's first time performing at the Grammys since 2022. This year, he was in the race for four awards, including Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album for SWAG, Best Pop Solo Performance for Daises, and Best R&B Performance for Yukon.

Earlier, Justin walked the red carpet hand-in-hand with his wife Hailey Bieber. The couple wore matching black outfits.

Grammys 2026: 'Fight for your ideas, fight for your songs'

Lady Gaga won the Grammy for the Best Pop Vocal Album for her latest record, Mayhem.

Other nominees in the category were Justin Bieber for Swag, Miley Cyrus for Something Beautiful, Teddy Swims for I've Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 2), and last year's winner, Sabrina Carpenter, for Man's Best Friend.

'I'm honoured to be up here,' Lady Gaga said during her acceptance speech.

"I've been making music since I was a little girl, and every time I'm here, I still feel like I have to pinch myself. I respect everybody in this room so much. I have to say thank you first to my partner, Michael. I love you so much. You are by my side every single day in a way that I can't thank you enough for. You worked so hard with me on this record all year. So, I love you and thank you.'

'I just want to say to women in music that I know sometimes when you're in the studio with a bunch of guys, it can be hard. So, I urge you to always listen to yourself, always fight for your ideas, fight for your songs, fight for yourself as a producer, and make sure that you are heard loudly. And thank you so much for supporting me, all of you, in my craft. I believe in discipline and hard work and craftsmanship, and that's really what Mayhem is to me.'

This win marks Lady Gaga's second Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album. She first won the award in 2011 for The Fame Monster.

Grammys 2026: Lola Young wins her first Grammy

Musician Lola Young bagged the Best Pop Solo Performance award after being nominated alongside Justin Bieber's Daisies, Sabrina Carpenter's Manchild, Lady Gaga's Disease and Chappell Roan's The Subway.

After accepting her debut Grammy, Lola got very emotional.

Grammys 2026: 'I'm up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant'

British singer-songwriter Olivia Dean was crowned Best New Artist.

The 26-year-old artist became a first-time Grammy winner, and could not hold back her tears, as she walked up to accept the award.

'I never really imagined that I would be up here, let alone nominated. So thank you so much. I just want to say that an artist is really nothing without their team. Emily, my best friend, my manager, we've been doing this for 10 years. So this is for you, too, my family,' she said in her speech.

'I guess I want to say I'm up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant. I wouldn't be here -- I'm a product of bravery, and I think those people deserve to be celebrated. We're nothing without each other,' she added.

Grammys 2026: Steven Spielberg joins elite club

With his latest Grammy win, Steven Spielberg has achieved one of the highest honours in global entertainment, officially joining the elite EGOT club.

The filmmaker secured the honour by winning the Grammy for Best Music Film for Music by John Williams, a documentary celebrating the career of his longtime collaborator and one of cinema's most influential composers.

The Grammy completes Spielberg's collection of the four major entertainment awards -- the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, which is a rare feat accomplished by only 20 artists including Audrey Hepburn, Rita Moreno, John Legend, Jennifer Hudson and Viola Davis.

 

Grammys 2026: Kendrick Lamar breaks record

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Rapper Kendrick Lamar now holds the title of the most awarded rapper at the Grammys.

He shattered the record previously set by Jay-Z. While the Empire State of Mind rapper has 25 Grammys, Lamar now has 26 Grammys under his belt.

During the non-televised Grammys premiere ceremony, Lamar won three awards, including rap performance (for Chains & Whips, which he was a featured artist on); melodic rap performance (for Luther with SZA); and rap song (Tv off).

He bagged the Best Rap Album for his performance in GNX.

During his acceptance speech, the rapper paid tribute to hip-hop, saying that the art skill of hip-hop is ever present.

'It is hip-hop as usual, man. I'm not good at talking about myself, but I express it through the music. It's an honour to be here. Hip-hop is going to always be right here.

'We are going to be in these suits looking good, having our folks with us. We are going to be having the culture with us. So I appreciate y'all. God is to glory. Love y'all,' Kendrick said in his acceptance speech.

Kendrick Lamar and SZA also won the Record of the Year Grammy for their song em>Luther.

Grammys 2026: Yungblud Arrives with Sharon Osbourne

Musician Yungblud arrived at the Grammys alongside Sharon Osbourne, the late Ozzy Osbourne's wife.

According to the Grammys web site, Yungblud took home the 2026 Grammy for Best Rock Performance with his powerful performance on Changes, marking a milestone moment in the British rocker's career.

'The song, a cover of Black Sabbath's original, was praised for its raw energy, emotive vocals, and genre-blurring rock sensibilities,' noted the Grammy's website. 'Accepting the award, Yungblud honoured the late Ozzy Osbourne who originally sang the track, joined by a tearful Sharon Osbourne.'

Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff