Historic Wins Highlight the 2026 Grammys
MC students give their thoughts on the iconic awards ceremony.
The 68th annual Grammy Awards took place Feb. 1 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The ceremony brought historic wins, elaborate performances and emotional tributes to music’s biggest stage. From Lady Gaga’s theatrical production to Bad Bunny’s historic wins, the night delivered a wide range of standout musical moments.
Mississippi College students and writers with Blue & Gold Media shared their reactions to the performances and major awards that defined this year’s ceremony.
This year’s Grammy Awards ceremony included a star-studded lineup of performers and presenters, with appearances from Bruno Mars, Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Harry Styles. Trevor Noah hosted the ceremony for his sixth and final time.
Notable performances of the night included Sabrina Carpenter’s upbeat and playful performance of her song, “Manchild,” during which the stage was turned into an airport. Carpenter donned a pilot’s uniform fit for a pop star and descended onto the stage from behind a mock airplane.
Lady Gaga delivered an eccentric yet electrifying performance of her smash hit, “Abracadabra,” during which Gaga donned a large, mysterious, black and red headpiece. Strobe lights, fire, and strange camera angles gave the performance an exciting, eerie feel.
Bruno Mars took to the Grammys stage twice during the ceremony, opening the show alongside K-pop singer Rosé with an upbeat rock performance of their song, “APT.” Mars later returned to the stage and delivered a jazzy, 1970s-style live debut of his new song, “I Just Might.”
Tyler, the Creator, performed his songs, “Thought I Was Dead,” from his album, Chromakopia, and “Sugar on My Tongue,” from his album, Don’t Tap the Glass. His performance included elaborate sets and storytelling, concluding with an exploding gas station from which Tyler escaped before falling to the ground.
Other significant performances of the night included the Best New Artist nominees medley, which consisted of performances by The Mariás, Addison Rae, Katseye, Leon Thomas, Alex Warren, Lola Young, Olivia Dean and SOMBR.
Justin Bieber delivered a simple performance of his song, “Yukon,” and the hip-hop duo Clipse, alongside Pharrell Williams, performed their song “So Far Ahead,” featuring Virginia-based gospel choir Voices of Fire.
To honor former artists who have passed away within the last year, Reba McEntire delivered a touching performance of her song, “Trailblazer,” while Lauryn Hill led a soulful tribute that honored artists Roberta Flack and D’Angelo. Post Malone, Slash, Andrew Watt and Andrew McKagan delivered an exciting, electrifying tribute to rock legend Ozzy Osbourne.
Significant winners of the night included Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, who took home the Grammys for Best Música Urbana and for Album of the Year. Both awards were for his 2025 album, titled Debí Tirar Más Fotos. Bad Bunny’s album made history for being the first Spanish-language album to win a Grammy for Album of the Year.
Best Pop Vocal Album was awarded to Lady Gaga for her 2025 album, Mayhem, and Kendrick Lamar was awarded Best Rap Album for his 2024 album, GNX. Lamar also took home Record of the Year, alongside SZA, for their 2024 song, “Luther.” Lamar was the most nominated artist of the night, with nine nominations in total.
Other significant winners included Billie Eilish, who won Song of the Year for her 2024 hit, “Wildflower,” and Olivia Dean, who took home the Grammy for Best New Artist. Jelly Roll was awarded Best Contemporary Country Album for his 2024 album, Beautifully Broken.
Mississippi College students shared their opinions on this year’s Grammy Awards.
Stephanie Ladner, a sophomore at MC, gave her perspective on the Award Show. “I think the Grammys are honestly a little overrated,” Ladner said. “Sometimes the awards seem to be given out to artists who don’t fit the category or don’t deserve them as much as another artist, in my opinion.” Ladner also explained that she noticed more technical difficulties occurring during artists’ performances over the past couple of years, citing Alex Warren’s technical problems while performing his song, “Ordinary.”
Ellanor Coleman, also a sophomore at MC, explained that she was happy to see Olivia Dean take home an award. “Olivia Dean winning Best New Artist was the correct answer,” Coleman said.
Katherine Secoy, a senior at MC, talked about her favorite performances of the night. “I thought Tyler, the Creator, was cool, but I think my favorite was Lady Gaga,” Secoy said. “I love Lady Gaga. She just has such a cool stage aura about her. Her costumes are so cool, her dancers. It tells a story on the stage. I like that a lot.”