The Grammys 2026 weren’t just about trophies and tearful thank-yous. They were joyful, defiant and unmistakably queer. From breakthrough wins to unapologetic political statements, the night flowed with the kind of energy that reminds you pop culture still matters.
Queer artists were front and centre. Lola Young and Yungblud picked up their first Grammy awards, with Young’s ‘Messy’ named Best Pop Solo Performance and Yungblud’s ‘Changes’ taking Best Rock Performance.
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Kehlani dominated the R&B categories, winning both Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for ‘Folded’. Cynthia Erivo collected her second Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance alongside Ariana Grande for ‘Defying Gravity’, while Doechii matched that achievement with her second win for Best Music Video.
Lady Gaga bagged three awards, including Best Pop Vocal Album for her maximalist 2025 release, Mayhem, and Best Dance-Pop Recording for ‘Abracadabra’. Billie Eilish claimed Song of the Year for ‘Wildflower’ with her brother FINNEAS, making them the first songwriters to win that category three times. Singer-songwriter Durand Bernarr won his first-ever Grammy Award, taking home the Best Progressive R&B Album accolade for his 2025 record, BLOOM.
Whereas on the style front, Chappell Roan’s red carpet appearance was pure theatre, bold, camp and effortless. The Midwest princess wore Mugler’s Spring/Summer 1998 couture nipple piercing garment, matched with black underwear and black shoes. All topped off with some intricate temporary tattoos. The kind of look that felt like a victory in itself.
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But the night’s most striking moments came when acceptance speeches turned into statements. Accepting Best Latin Urban Album, Bad Bunny led with “Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say: ICE out!” before going on to say, “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens,” he said. He later dedicated his Album of the Year win to those who left their homelands to chase their dreams. Eilish also used her time to declare her support for those affected by ICE, declaring: “No one is illegal on stolen land,” and urging people to keep protesting and speaking up.
Host Trevor Noah also used his airtime to protest. His jokes about Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein and even Nicki Minaj drew laughter from the crowd and later backlash from Minaj and Trump. The singer turned self-proclaimed Trump superfan responded online with a homophobic jab, lashing out on X. Trump, meanwhile, threatened legal action, branding Noah a “total loser” after jokes linking him to Epstein.
Proud, loud and political, the Grammys 2026 proved that queer joy and queer rage can share the same stage and neither is going anywhere.
© 2026 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
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