The theme of the 2026 Grammy Awards: “ICE Out.”
It was the message emblazoned on the pins many celebrities affixed to their finery during the awards show, held February 1. The sentiment comes following an uptick in aggression from agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other government entities, who have harmed protesters, jailed journalists and taken several civilian lives over the past few weeks.
But some of those honored at the Grammys chose to take that anti-ICE message beyond their accessories – the most notable of them being singer-songwriter Kehlani, who won awards for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song.
During one of their acceptance speeches, they noted that “everybody is so powerful in this room,” addressing their fellow luminaries directly. “Together, we’re stronger in numbers to speak against all of the injustice going on in the world right now. Instead of letting it be just a couple few here and there, I hope everybody is inspired to join together as a community of artists and speak out against what’s going on.”
They concluded, “I’m gonna leave this and say: F*ck ICE.”
Several other artists used their celebratory moments similarly. Olivia Dean told the audience that she is the proud granddaughter of an immigrant, adding that “I’m a product of bravery, and I think those people deserve to be celebrated.” Billie Eilish said that “no one is illegal on stolen land” in her own speech. She also echoed Kehlani’s “f*ck ICE” sentiment, as did SZA. Bad Bunny, who took home an historic win to end the night, said that immigrants and Latinos “are not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens – we are humans, and we are Americans.”
I’m not saying that we can – or should – look to the most financially and socially powerful among us for social-justice answers. Not reliably, anyway. But there is something real in what each of these artists did on that stage.
There is something real in breaking away from the tendency among folks working within older, more established industries, like entertainment, to soften their messaging – lest they be branded a trouble-maker. (Or, the tendency to simply kowtow to the powers that be, especially as their fellow famous musicians are, say, performing at President Donald Trump’s inauguration, like Snoop Dogg and others did, or crowing the Trump message, as Nicki Minaj has been.)
There is something real in using one’s “moment” and platform to humanize those who are being harmed the most. There is something real in refusing to “just shut up and perform,” as so many artists are told to do when they speak out against the powerful with some genuine force.
There is something real in such deeds that we can, perhaps, take forward with us.
I’ve been thinking a great deal – as many of us have been, I’m sure – about what greater part I, an individual, could possibly play in keeping our nation from backsliding further. A significant part of the answer to that question involves talking openly about how we each get involved with making our world better, and actively sharing this information with one another.
But we can also learn something small but true from the 2026 Grammys about the sort of boldness and compassion we must put behind our chosen words and deeds. ◼️
