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On February 1st, 2026, Trevor Noah hosted the 68th annual Grammys. While most award winners dedicate their speeches to friends or family, artists like Bad Bunny, Olivia Dean, Billie Eilish, and others use the time to speak out against the cruelty and brutality of ICE in the United States. Other guests wore “ICE OUT” pins in more discreet but still visible places. Every artist who has spoken out has risked their platform and career with statements now viewed as “controversial”. 

One of the most notable speeches was delivered by Bad Bunny. Bad Bunny is a 31-year-old Puerto Rican American citizen who has received countless death threats, especially after he was announced to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, which resulted in his wearing a bulletproof vest to both events. He has been making music for a decade, releasing his first studio album, “X 100pre,” in 2018. He writes and sings about the struggles of being a Hispanic man who is not considered American despite Puerto Rico being a United States territory. His most recent album, “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” is highly politically charged, depicting the pains and sorrows of Latin American culture while also serving as a love letter to his home country. This production won album of the year. During his acceptance speech, he stated, “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say, ICE OUT. We are not savage, we are not animals, we are not aliens, we are human, and we are American.” Instead of receiving backlash as he expected, he received enormous praise and support from his fanbase and other artists around him. Bad Bunny makes it clear where he stands politically; he expects his fans to do the same.

Billie Eilish was nominated and chosen for Song of the Year with the song “WILDFLOWER” from the album “Hit Me Hard and Soft”. Eilish and her brother FINNEAS immediately went on to declare their stance on ICE and immigration with their statement, “No one is illegal on stolen land. We just need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting! Our voices really do matter and fuck ICE”. Both siblings have made multiple posts on social media platforms such as Instagram and Tiktok with Billie most notably posting “Fellow artists, when are you going to speak up” after multiple cases of ICE brutality surfaced. Both Billie and Finneas were terrified to say anything, but they let their morals shine through by speaking out about the unfairness they had seen.

While these two cases have been the most talked about, the smaller yet quickly rising artist Olivia Dean, who won artist of the year, used her time to mention her family and her personal experience with immigration. She sympathized with the victims of ICE brutality and even brought up the fact that her grandparent is an immigrant, and she owes her entire life to their bravery. “I am up here as the granddaughter of an immigrant. I am a proud product of, and I think those people should be celebrated”. Her statement brings unity to everyone who is a product of immigration or has a close familiar connection with someone who is. 

Instead of using their speeches, other artists, such as Justin Bieber, Hailey Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, Kehlani, Joni Mitchell, and Carole King, wore ICE OUT pins handed out at the beginning of the event. Together, they stand for inclusivity and unity. They all encourage their fans to have a stance for what they believe is fair and right. Posting resources, donating to foundations, and getting sponsored to speak out for organizations are all examples they feel are the “least they can do” and want others to do as well.