Grammy Awards Ceremony Showcases Anti-ICE Sentiment as Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar Take Home Major Prizes.
The 65th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony took place last night, featuring a plethora of musical performances and emotional tributes. Amidst the excitement, many artists used their platforms to speak out against ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) policies and the anti-immigrant sentiment that has been on the rise in recent times.
Bad Bunny, who became the first Spanish-language artist to win Album of the Year for his release "Un Verano Sin Ti", took a bold stance during his acceptance speech. "Before I say thanks to God, I'm gonna say ICE out," he declared, sparking applause from the audience. "We're not savage, we're not animals, we're not aliens, we're humans and we are Americans … The only thing more powerful than hate is love so please we need 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 families and that's the way to do it, we love."
Billie Eilish also used her speech to address the issue of ICE policies, saying "No one is illegal on stolen land." Her message resonated deeply with the audience, highlighting the need for unity and action against anti-immigrant sentiment.
The night also saw a notable performance by Olivia Dean, who took home the award for Best New Artist. The 25-year-old singer expressed her gratitude by stating, "I am up here as the grand-daughter of an immigrant. I'm a product of bravery and I think those people deserve to be celebrated." Her words were met with thunderous applause, emphasizing the significance of representation and celebrating the contributions of immigrants in American society.
Kendrick Lamar continued his reign as one of the most awarded artists in Grammy history, breaking Jay Z's record by winning five awards including Record of the Year for "Luther" with SZA. His speech was brief but meaningful, as he said, "I'm not good at talking about myself but I express it through the music."
Other notable winners included Lady Gaga, who took home awards for Pop Vocal Album and Dance-Pop Recording, and Steven Spielberg, who achieved Egot status after winning for Best Music Film.
The evening was filled with star-studded performances and emotional tributes, including a heartfelt in memoriam segment led by Post Malone, which honored the late Ozzy Osbourne. The night also saw the return of Lauryn Hill on stage, reuniting with Wyclef Jean to pay tribute to D'Angelo and Roberta Flack.
While many artists went home empty-handed, the night was undoubtedly filled with a sense of unity and purpose. As Trevor Noah said in his opening speech, "the Grammys are the best concert money can't buy." The message echoed throughout the evening, as artists used their platforms to advocate for love, acceptance, and inclusivity – a reminder that music has the power to bring people together and spark meaningful change.
The 65th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony took place last night, featuring a plethora of musical performances and emotional tributes. Amidst the excitement, many artists used their platforms to speak out against ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) policies and the anti-immigrant sentiment that has been on the rise in recent times.
Bad Bunny, who became the first Spanish-language artist to win Album of the Year for his release "Un Verano Sin Ti", took a bold stance during his acceptance speech. "Before I say thanks to God, I'm gonna say ICE out," he declared, sparking applause from the audience. "We're not savage, we're not animals, we're not aliens, we're humans and we are Americans … The only thing more powerful than hate is love so please we need 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 families and that's the way to do it, we love."
Billie Eilish also used her speech to address the issue of ICE policies, saying "No one is illegal on stolen land." Her message resonated deeply with the audience, highlighting the need for unity and action against anti-immigrant sentiment.
The night also saw a notable performance by Olivia Dean, who took home the award for Best New Artist. The 25-year-old singer expressed her gratitude by stating, "I am up here as the grand-daughter of an immigrant. I'm a product of bravery and I think those people deserve to be celebrated." Her words were met with thunderous applause, emphasizing the significance of representation and celebrating the contributions of immigrants in American society.
Kendrick Lamar continued his reign as one of the most awarded artists in Grammy history, breaking Jay Z's record by winning five awards including Record of the Year for "Luther" with SZA. His speech was brief but meaningful, as he said, "I'm not good at talking about myself but I express it through the music."
Other notable winners included Lady Gaga, who took home awards for Pop Vocal Album and Dance-Pop Recording, and Steven Spielberg, who achieved Egot status after winning for Best Music Film.
The evening was filled with star-studded performances and emotional tributes, including a heartfelt in memoriam segment led by Post Malone, which honored the late Ozzy Osbourne. The night also saw the return of Lauryn Hill on stage, reuniting with Wyclef Jean to pay tribute to D'Angelo and Roberta Flack.
While many artists went home empty-handed, the night was undoubtedly filled with a sense of unity and purpose. As Trevor Noah said in his opening speech, "the Grammys are the best concert money can't buy." The message echoed throughout the evening, as artists used their platforms to advocate for love, acceptance, and inclusivity – a reminder that music has the power to bring people together and spark meaningful change.
I think it's really telling that Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar used their platform to speak out against ICE policies 
. It's not often that we see artists taking such bold stances, but it's long overdue especially given the current climate in the US 
. The fact that Billie Eilish's message resonated so deeply with the audience is a testament to the power of music as a force for change 
. We need more artists like these who are willing to use their influence to promote love and acceptance, rather than hate and division 
. It was also amazing to see Lauryn Hill reunite with Wyclef Jean on stage 
- it's moments like those that remind us of the impact music can have on our lives and our communities 
So, finally an award show where diversity is celebrated 
... kind of. Like, we're glad Bad Bunny spoke up about ICE (who wouldn't want to say those three words out loud?) but it's just a bit ironic that he won Album of the Year for a Spanish-language album that literally mentions ICE in his lyrics 
. And Billie Eilish being the "hero" who said no one is illegal on stolen land... yeah, because that's not something we've been hearing from politicians and pundits for years already 
. Anyway, it was nice to see some artists using their platforms for good, but can't they just stick to singing about love and acceptance instead of bringing up real-life issues all the time? 
. And I'm loving the message from Olivia Dean - it's so important that we celebrate our diversity and the contributions of immigrants in American society 
.
I'm loving how Bad Bunny is using his platform to speak out against ICE policies! 
It's so powerful when artists like him use their voice to amplify important messages like this one. 
Billie Eilish is also doing an amazing job of raising awareness about the issue, and it's so great that her message was met with applause from the audience! 
.
. As Trevor Noah said, the Grammys are about more than just awards – they're about music that brings people together 
. Billie Eilish's message "No one is illegal on stolen land" hit me hard, we need more voices like hers advocating for change 
. And can we talk about how beautiful it was to see the Grammys bring people together with love, acceptance, and inclusivity? Music has the power to change lives and spark meaningful conversations 
.
! I'm loving how he took his platform to speak truth to power. We need more artists speaking up against systemic injustices like this. Billie Eilish's message was so powerful too, "No one is illegal on stolen land" 
. billie eilish's message was so powerful - "no one is illegal on stolen land" 
. we need more of those kinds of conversations and less hate 
. it's amazing to see Olivia Dean speaking up as the grand-daughter of an immigrant, celebrating their bravery 
he's literally a genius 
she's so brave for speaking out against ICE and saying "No one is illegal on stolen land" 
he's the king of hip hop 
the more i think about it, the more i realize that our immigration status shouldn't define us as people, we should be judged based on who we are inside 
. Can't they just stick to making music and leave politics out of it? 
. And Billie Eilish's "no one is illegal" thing is so played out 
.
I mean, some of us were born here too, you know! 
. Give me a break!
and Olivia Dean's speech gave me ALL THE FEELS 
. People are just tuning in for the awards, not because they actually care about what the artists are saying 
. And honestly, with all these "message" speeches, I'm over it 
the way they highlighted the importance of love & unity over hate is just so inspiring 