File Photo: In this image posted on December 28, 2025, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama during a meeting in Mundgod, Karnataka. | Photo credits: –
The Dalai Lama won his first Grammy for audiobook, narration and recording of stories, beating Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. You have prepared that well.
“I’m not the Dalai Lama,” Rufus Wainwright joked in an acceptance speech. “It was a privilege to participate in this project.”
“Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters” won a song written for visual media at the premiere ceremony, marking the first time a K-pop act won a Grammy. Songwriters delivered their acceptance speeches in both English and Korean, highlighting the song’s bilingual appeal.
Music Film went to ‘Music for John Williams’, meaning director Steven Spielberg has officially won his first Grammy. That makes him an EGOT winner – an artist with an Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Oscar.
The premiere ceremony, a pre-broadcast show held in the adjacent Peacock Theater, kicked off with musician and host Darren Criss setting the tone, presenting the day’s first award for best pop/duo group performance to Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande for “Defying Gravity.” They were not present to receive the award.
No fewer than 86 Grammys will be awarded before the broadcast.
Yungblud won his first Grammy for rock performance for his cover of Black Sabbath’s “Changes (live from Villa Park),” which he performed at Ozzy Osbourne’s final show. Hardcore band Turnstile also won their first Grammy for rock album and later metal performance.
“To Baltimore, thank you, we love you,” said frontman Brendan Yates.
The Cure won an alternative music performance, but were unable to attend because they were attending the funeral of Perry Archangelo Bamonte, The Cure’s longtime guitarist and keyboardist, who died last month.
FKA twigs won her first Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album for “EUSEXUA,” becoming only the second Black woman to win in the category. “I didn’t expect to come here. I was so happy to be nominated,” she said in her speech. “Thank you so much – wow.” “All the Latino kids in the neighborhood are watching, anything is possible,” said rapper Lefty Gunplay, who also won his first Grammy for rap performance for his role in Kendrick Lamar’s “TV Off.” Previously, Edgar Barrera handed out some categories for Latin music: Natalia Lafourcade won best Latin pop album for “Cancionera”; best Latin Rock or Alternative album for CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso for “Papota.” It is their first win after their first nomination. In their speech, in Spanish, they thanked their home country Argentina and all of Latin America. The album Música Mexicana (including Tejano) went to Carín León for “Palabra De To’s (Seca).” It is his second win after his second nomination.
It’s a dramatically different tone than last year. The 2025 awards ceremony was completely reimagined and refocused on relief efforts following the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area. The focus will once again be on the music in 2026, with Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny and more competing in the televised ceremony.
The energy was high from minute one at the premiere ceremony: Earth, Wind & Fire gave a groovy opening performance of “Shining Star” with some help from Israel Houghton, Lila Ike, Grace Potter, Maggie Rose and Trombone Shorty.
“This is how you start a show!” Recording Academy CEO and President Harvey Mason Jr. said in his opening statement. “That’s a statement. That’s joy. That’s resilience.” There were many more performances: Zara Larsson performed her Swedish pop ‘Midnight Sun’, followed by Spiritbox’s metallic ‘Soft Spine’, Tasha Cobbs Leonard’s ‘Church’ and Criss and Helen J. Shen’s ‘Never Fly Away’. Following the premiere ceremony, comedian Trevor Noah will host the main show for the sixth and final year and history could be made as some of music’s biggest names come together. Here are some key things to know ahead of Sunday’s show at the Crypto.com Arena.
Artists are speaking out about the Trump administration’s immigration policies. During the premiere ceremony, artists offered pro-immigration and anti-ICE messages.
The country duo/group performance went to first-time winners Shaboozey and Jelly Roll. Shaboozey accepted the award with tears in his eyes. “I want to thank my mother, who as of today has retired from her job of 30 years… as a nurse in a psychiatric ward… as an immigrant to this country. Thank you, Mom.
“Immigrants literally built this country. So this is for them,” he concluded. “Thank you for bringing your culture, your music and your stories.” Amy Allen won songwriter of the year, non-classical, for the second year in a row, wearing an “ICE Out” pin, an anti-immigration enforcement message. So did Kehlani – who won her first Grammy for R&B performance and later, her second, for R&B song.
“I’ve never won anything before, this is a really crazy feeling,” she said as she fought back tears and reflected on her first nomination a decade ago. She then shifted gears to focus on the current political moment: “I’ll leave this saying, (expletive) ICE.” “I’m scared,” Gloria Estefan said of the current political moment backstage at the Grammys. “There are hundreds of children in detention centers. …I don’t recognize my country right now.” Who is nominated for the 2025 Grammys Kendrick Lamar leads the 2026 Grammy Award nominations with nine. Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff and Canadian producer/songwriter Cirkut follow with seven nominations each.
Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Bunny, Leon Thomas and Serban Ghenea all have six nominations. Andrew Watt, Clipse, Doechii, Sounwave, SZA, Turnstile and Tyler, the Creator each have five. (AP) NB NB
Published on February 2, 2026
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