I’ve always been prone to alliteration, so I thought about using “mild” as the first superlative in the title of this 2026 Grammys roundup, but let’s be honest. Mildness is the hallmark of music’s biggest nights, and it’s not a temporary thing. Staying interested is especially difficult for those of us who have to stay up all night to sit in on the Recording Academy’s eight hours of award-giving (including the pre-telecast premiere ceremony, where the majority of awards are given out) and have to be contractually obligated, financially invested, or nominated. What’s the point in singling out the most bland parts of Ceremony, Trevor Noah’s excruciating jokes, Pharrell’s corny advice, Billie Eilish picking up the trophy two years after the release of her last album, Alex Warren’s performance that somehow made Benson Boone feel nostalgic?
I might add, but what’s the point in worrying about it? The Grammys have always skirted the line between celebration and self-congratulation, but veering too far in the wrong direction can undermine its momentary significance. Despite proving that Sabrina Carpenter should be on the cast list every year, she walked away empty-handed, but I laughed out loud during “Manchild” when she asked everyone who wanted a little validation to stand up. (Unlike Noah, she understands that a good roast should always reflect a little of one’s own vulnerability.) But whether it’s recognizing musical excellence, righting past wrongs, or a genuine attempt to stay relevant, the Recording Academy is doing some things right. And sometimes, when it happens, it feels like it’s worth watching.
This feeling was ignited in me early on when The Cure won their first Grammy. And when FKA Twigs took a surprise win in the male-dominated Best Dance/Electronic Album category, despite presenter Darren Criss hilariously mispronunciation. Essexure. And Turnstile accepted the award as faithfully as ever. But there was always room for the Grammys to fail at the main awards ceremony. But despite the inevitable chaos, something genuine resonated through all the pomp, reminding us that the people behind today’s most popular recordings are more important than record-breaking celebrities.
Let’s sort through the weirdest, chaotic, and admirable parts of the night (sorry, Rap Album of the Year) GNX It just doesn’t lend itself to wordplay. ) Please draw the line wherever you like.
First-time winners include The Cure, Kehlani, Turnstyle, and… His Holiness the Dalai Lama
This year’s first-time winners were an odd mix of generations, including The Cure, Kehlani, Turnstile, Clipse, FKA Twigs, and Tyler Childers. Rufus Wainwright, winner of the Dalai Lama’s award for Best Audiobook, Narration, or Storytelling, delivered one of the most quotable lines of the night. “Obviously, I’m not the Dalai Lama.” I will use it the next time I give advice to someone.
Justin Bieber’s stripped-down performance
Justin Bieber performs in full at the Grammy Awards #Grammy Awards pic.twitter.com/dAteeMQK5M
— Beer⸸ |Grammy Awards (@ARTP0PMAYH3M) February 2, 2026
We all had the same thought when Justin Bieber took the stage. Why is he only wearing boxers and socks? The longer the stripped-down performance went on, the more I became convinced that it contained an examination of the uncomfortable intimacy of it all, and I didn’t even care about “Yukon.” As the camera moved between him and his wife, it was somehow refreshingly irreverent, unmistakably serious, even raw. Everything that happens at the Grammys is bogged down by the fact that it’s happening at a Grammy called the Crypto.com Arena, but this seemed to exist outside of that realm. We all stood there stunned for a moment.
Best new artist whirlwind
The Grammys are not a fast-paced event, a fact underlined by the fact that many of the performances took place at the margins of transportation, such as airport terminals, parking lots, and gas stations. But the Best New Artist Medley a lot I digested it all at once, and the quality deteriorated rapidly. Maria and the others gave a moving and lush performance, and Billie Eilish cheered loudly. hit me hard and soft Addison Rae’s glamorous look in the back of the truck had drag race fans typing away, the transition to Katsy was smooth, and Leon Thomas was solid – but Alex Warren and Laura Young’s swaggering ballads (“Messy” didn’t need cutting), not to mention Sombre’s gonzo disco, just got too out of hand. Thankfully, those were offset by the effortlessly refreshing Olivia Deane, who ended up being a worthy winner of the award.
Laura Young, of course.
“I really relate to this song,” Charli XCX said when announcing Laura Young’s “Messy” as the winner for Best Pop Solo Performance. The song would have been one of the biggest surprises had it not received a standing ovation sooner.
Tyler the Creator self-destructs
Tyler the He Creator Performance #Grammy Awards pic.twitter.com/sdb8vcOLkO
— Archive Tyler, The Creator (@xerecadotyler) February 2, 2026
The Grammy Awards can often be chaotic and bad, but Tyler, the Creator’s performance, the best of the night, was on the other end of the spectrum. His medley of “Thought I Was Dead,” “Like Him,” and “Sugar on My Tongue” was seamless and moving, a testament to his magnetism as much as the aesthetic sensibility that made him the inaugural Best Album Cover winner. That was to be expected, but watching him blow up a building and fall to the floor was gruesome entertainment.
Cher’s surprise appearance
The only thing more iconic than Joni Mitchell’s “Oh, I Won?” Last night, Cher showed up, gave some words of wisdom, and left before announcing the record of the year. After Noah called her back, she told him that the winner was Luther Vandross and that Kendrick Lamar sampled the winning song “Luther.” Her stupidity near the supposed climax of the event was enlightening. If they let her ramble for a few more minutes without revealing the winner, how many of us would realize they skipped a category?
The Grammy Awards (Rock Version)
Lady Gaga performs rock version of “Abracadabra” at Grammy Awards 🔥
pic.twitter.com/LxKtcHiiq1— 2000s (@PopCulture2000s) February 2, 2026
While certain sections of the internet may be upset that a hardcore band won in the Best Metal category featuring Spiritbox, Sleep Token, and Ghost, other sections are reigniting the debate over Turnstile’s hardcore status. But for the average viewer, the more immediate impression was that this year’s Grammys were all about the guitar. So Bruno Mars wasn’t like that. have He was scheduled to shred his guitar while playing “APT.,” but it felt like a fitting way to start the ceremony, which ended up also including a rockier version of “Abracadabra” featuring drummer Josh Freese. (Perhaps they felt the need to raise the bar even more after last year’s just-right “Die With a Smile.”) Lady Gaga’s extravagant performance was not only a full-circle moment after the song’s music video premiered at the 2025 Grammys, but also a much-needed jolt of energy after Jelly Roll’s depressing victory.
vast memorial segment
Although oddly fragmented by genre and reasonably chaotic, the expansive In Memoriam segment does just about everything right. While Post Malone’s vibrato was incredible during the Ozzy tribute with Slash, Duff McKagan, Chad Smith and Andrew Watt, Lauryn Hill’s first Grammys appearance since 1999 did not disappoint. It soared through several moods before paying homage to D’Angelo and Roberta Flack and rejoicing with a take on the Fugees’ “Killing Me Softly.”
“ICE OUT” and Bad Bunny’s AOTY
A number of artists, from Justin Bieber to Joni Mitchell, wore “ICE OUT” pins as they took to the stage, culminating with Bad Bunny’s declaration accepting the Album of the Year trophy. Sometimes Grammy voters surprise us with the right choice for the most coveted award, but rarely with such great urgency and weight, amplifying the messages repeated in unambiguous and variedly personal terms throughout the ceremony, from Billie Eilish’s “No one is wrong on stolen land” to Olivia Deen’s “I am a product of courage.” For Bunny, courage seemed like soaking in the weight of the moment and saying as lovingly as possible, “We are not savages. We are not animals. We are not aliens. We are human beings. We are Americans.” It appeared to speak in its native language before dedicating the award to “all those who had to leave their homeland, their homeland, to pursue their dreams.” As the coffee finished and the sun rose, his faith was the only thing keeping my heart racing.
Source: Our Culture – ourculturemag.com
