The 68th Grammys: High Gloss, Loud Politics, and the Vanishing Soul of Song

While history was made with Bad Bunny’s landmark win, the 2026 Grammys felt less like a tribute to timeless art and more like a carefully staged, gimmick-heavy broadcast

The lights dimmed at the Crypto.com Arena this past Sunday, but the glare of the 68th Annual Grammy Awards felt less like a celebration of song and more like a high-production commercial for the ephemeral. While the history books will record Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos as the first Spanish-language project to claim Album of the Year, the ceremony itself served as a stark reminder that the "music business" has largely replaced the "music" with the "business."

The evening was a curated parade of political messaging and algorithmic darlings. Between the trophies, the stage became a soapbox for the national immigration debate. Bad Bunny opened his acceptance speech with a blunt "ICE out," a sentiment echoed by Song of the Year winner Billie Eilish, who used her moment for "Wildflower" to declare that "no one is illegal on stolen land." Whether you agreed with the rhetoric or not, the inclusion of such heavy-handed politics felt less like organic protest and more like another layer of the night's calculated brand management.

Kendrick Lamar emerged as the night's titan, surpassing Jay-Z as the most-awarded rapper in history with five wins, including Record of the Year for "Luther" alongside SZA. Yet, even these moments of genuine talent were shrouded in the industry's obsession with the "gimmick." We saw Justin Bieber performing in gym shorts and a parade of Best New Artist nominees—like winner Olivia Dean and TikTok-adjacent stars—who seem to exist primarily within the five-inch glow of a smartphone screen.

For anyone over the age of 25, the 2026 Grammys likely felt like watching a foreign film without subtitles. There is a growing, palpable disconnect between the "prestige" of the Recording Academy and the soul of the art form. The industry has doubled down on music that is "content"—designed to trigger a trend, fit a 15-second clip, or appease a social media algorithm. The nuance of the bridge, the patience of a slow build, and the grit of a live instrument have been traded for "moments" and "aesthetics."

Even the legends in the room felt like relics from a more intentional era. When Joni Mitchell accepted Best Historical Album, or when Post Malone paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, there was a fleeting glimpse of what music used to be: a shared human experience rather than a digital asset.

As the credits rolled on another year of self-congratulation, the takeaway remained unchanged from a decade ago. The outfits are louder, the politics are more pointed, and the production is more seamless, but the heart of the industry is beating thinner. We are living in an era where the music isn't meant to last; it’s just meant to be "liked." And for those of us who remember when a song could change your life rather than just your feed, that is a hard pill to swallow.

68th Annual Grammy Awards: Major Winners

The General Field

• Album of the Year: Debí Tirar Más Fotos – Bad Bunny
• Record of the Year: "Luther" – Kendrick Lamar with SZA
• Song of the Year: "Wildflower" – Billie Eilish & Finneas O'Connell
• Best New Artist: Olivia Dean

Pop & Dance

• Best Pop Vocal Album: Mayhem – Lady Gaga
• Best Pop Solo Performance: "Messy" – Lola Young
• Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: "Defying Gravity" – Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande
• Best Dance Pop Recording: "Abracadabra" – Lady Gaga
• Best Dance/Electronic Album: Eusexua – FKA twigs

Rap, R&B, & Rock

• Best Rap Album: GNX – Kendrick Lamar
• Best Rap Song: "TV Off" – Kendrick Lamar ft. Lefty Gunplay
• Best R&B Album: Mutt – Leon Thomas
• Best R&B Song: "Folded" – Kehlani
• Best Rock Album: Never Enough – Turnstile
• Best Rock Song: "As Alive as You Need Me to Be" – Nine Inch Nails

Country & Alternative

• Best Contemporary Country Album: Beautifully Broken – Jelly Roll
• Best Country Solo Performance: "Bad As I Used to Be" – Chris Stapleton
• Best Alternative Music Album: Songs of a Lost World – The Cure
• Best Alternative Music Performance: "Alone" – The Cure

Special Recognition

• Best Historical Album: Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 4: The Asylum Years (1976–1980) – Joni Mitchell
• Best Music Film: Music by John Williams – Steven Spielberg (Producer)
• Dr. Dre Global Impact Award: Pharrell Williams

Sources

• Associated Press
• Billboard
• The Recording Academy
• The Guardian
• The Los Angeles Times
• Washington Post