By Emmanuel Bobby
Forget thank-yous. At least two musicians used their Grammy acceptance speeches Sunday night to spotlight immigration issues instead.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say, ‘ICE out,’” Bad Bunny said as he took the stage to accept the Grammy for best música urbana album for Debí Tirar Más Fotos.
“We’re not savage. We’re not animals. We’re not aliens,” he continued. “We are humans, and we are Americans.”
The Grammy Awards in Los Angeles became a political flashpoint, with at least a dozen artists using the broadcast to criticize the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations. Billie Eilish, Olivia Dean and others made statements onstage or through symbolic gestures.
Justin and Hailey Bieber, Carole King, Teddy Swims, Joni Mitchell, Finneas, Eilish, Samara Joy, Lachi and Kehlani all wore pins reading “ICE OUT.” Bon Iver wore a bright orange whistle on his lapel to honor volunteer “observers” in Minneapolis who patrol neighborhoods and blow whistles when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are nearby, warning residents.
The statements followed a month of heightened tensions in Minneapolis, where two American protesters were fatally shot by federal agents during immigration operations. The deaths intensified calls for ICE to leave Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities targeted by raids.
Later in the ceremony, Eilish and her brother Finneas accepted the Grammy for song of the year and used their brief moment onstage to address immigration.
“No one is illegal on stolen land,” Eilish said. “It’s just really hard to know what to say and what to do right now, and I feel really hopeful in this room.”
She urged continued protest and advocacy, saying, “Our voices really do matter, and the people matter.” Part of her remarks were bleeped during the broadcast, apparently due to profanity.
The award was for Eilish’s song “Wildflower,” from her 2024 album Hit Me Hard and Soft.
Earlier in the night, Olivia Dean, who won best new artist, opened the show’s political commentary by praising immigrant families.
“I’m up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant,” Dean said. “I wouldn’t be here — I’m a product of bravery, and I think those people deserve to be celebrated. We’re nothing without each other.”
Bad Bunny’s remarks came just a week before he is set to headline the Super Bowl halftime show at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. His selection has drawn criticism from some who object to a Spanish-language artist critical of President Donald Trump taking the prestigious stage. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has defended the decision.
Bad Bunny, who won three Grammys on Sunday, including album of the year, will make history as the first Spanish-language Latin solo artist — and the first reggaeton artist — to headline the Super Bowl halftime show.
He recently completed a residency in Puerto Rico celebrating his latest release and said he chose not to tour the album in the U.S. in part because of fears surrounding deportations.
“There was the issue of — like, f—–g ICE could be outside [my concert],” he told i-D magazine. “It’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”
During his Grammy speech, Bad Bunny emphasized unity over anger.
“Hate gets more powerful with more hate,” he said. “The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love.”
“If we fight, we have to do it with love,” he added. “We don’t hate them. We love our people. We love our family. And that’s the way to do it — with love.”
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