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WINNER: Jelly Roll, Beautifully Broken — contemporary country album
Adrian Horton Photograph: John Salangsang/Shutterstock
Though I am a longtime country fan, I am out of the loop with current country so I can’t comment on how surprising or not this win is for the very affable and popular figure that is Jelly Roll. But he certainly appears surprised, breathlessly thanking Jesus and country radio – the two things he credits for his inspiring journey from incarceration and drug use to country music star.
“Jesus is for everybody,” he concluded. Jesus, additionally “is not owned by one political party” or record label.
ShareWINNER: Bad Bunny, Debí Tirar Más Fotos – best música urbana albumAdrian HortonBad Bunny. Photograph: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Well, well, well, no surprise here – música urbana album goes to Bad Bunny, who uses his time to speak directly, in English, to the current crisis of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement in cities across the US. “Before I say thanks to god, I’m going to say ICE out,” he said to a standing ovation. “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens, we are humans and we are Americans.”
“The only thing stronger than hate is love,” he added, appearing slightly overwhelmed a week before the biggest performance of his life at the Super Bowl. “So please, we need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love. If we don’t hate them, we love our people, we love our family, that’s the way to do it. We love. Thank you!”
Updated at 21.27 EST
Adrian HortonJustin Bieber. Photograph: Christopher Polk/Billboard/Getty Images
Justin Bieber tested my nerves with that extended intro to his first major performance in four years, strolling around the carpeted stage in maybe boxers (or gym shorts?) and strumming a guitar. But he stuck the landing, delivering a soulful, if understated, rendition of the standout swag track Yukon. This bodes well for the Coachella headliner set … I think.
Updated at 21.18 EST
Adrian HortonBad Bunny and Trevor Noah Photograph: Daniel Cole/Reuters
I do love to see Trevor Noah shouting out Bad Bunny for his groundbreaking residency in Puerto Rico, where he partnered with local hotels, kept tickets affordable for locals and still added $400m to the island’s economy.
The host sat down at the superstar’s table – where he’s seated next to Miley Cyrus?! – for a slightly awkward bit about his lack of performance tonight (he can’t, because Super Bowl next week) and leaving the US for Puerto Rico … (a joke on colonialism, get it) that Benito handled as smoothly as he could.
Updated at 21.18 EST
Benjamin Lee
That’s very not it:
ShareBenjamin Lee
An applause-worthy reveal:
ShareWINNER: Olivia Dean — best new artistAdrian Horton
As is tradition, last year’s honored newcomer, Chappell Roan, anoints the new: Olivia Dean, who appears surprised and overwhelmed.
Olivia Dean. Photograph: Daniel Cole/Reuters
“I never really imagined that I would be up here,” she said, pulling it together quickly. “An artist is really nothing without her team,” so she thanked her best friend and manager of 10 years, Emily.
And she added, pointedly and politely and to many cheers, that she is the granddaughter of an immigrant: “Yeah, I’m a product of bravery and I think those people deserve to be celebrated. We’re nothing without each other.”
Updated at 21.09 EST
Adrian HortonAlex Warren. Photograph: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
We’re still doing the best new artist medley – and by that I mean Alex Warren has gone onto an elevated platform for his mega-hit Ordinary, a song I cannot remember even though I’ve now heard it dozens of times.
Moving on – Lola Young, the soulful British singer who recently took a self-imposed mental health break from touring, is here! For a stripped-down, emotional rendition of her hit Messy.
Olivia Dean. Photograph: JC Olivera/WireImage
Then it’s on to the likely winner: fellow Brit Olivia Dean, poised and polished as ever for Man I Need, which remains on permanent rotation for me.
And bringing us home is New York’s sombr, the 20-year-old coming for Harry Styles’s place in pop music, wearing a disco ball-esque suit for his breakout track 12 to 12.
Updated at 20.59 EST
Benjamin Lee
The tightly packed table setup situation is … a choice
If you don’t want a restaurant host wandering around to tables and bothering guests why would you want a Grammys host to
— Richard Lawson (@rilaws) February 2, 2026
ShareAdrian Horton
It’s time (already?!) for the best new artist medley, where each of the eight nominees make their case, in quick succession, to join the ranks of Chappell Roan, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, et al.
LA’s own The Marías kicked it off with a blue-dosed track No One Noticed, which ceded to a backstage Addison Rae, completing her miraculous transformation from TikTok star to legit pop star (and my personal best new artist fave) with a tongue-in-cheek rendition of Fame Is A Gun underneath the Crypto.com arena.
KATSEYE. Photograph: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
But then there’s KATSEYE, the multinational K-pop supergroup, who doubled down on the choreo for their track Gnarly, which got Teyana Taylor and the women Haim on their feet. Also on their feet: Doechii, for R&B breakout Leon Thomas’s hit Mutt, which offered a stirring and soulful change of pace.
Updated at 20.58 EST