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Grammys Live Blog: 68th Annual Grammy Awards Reactions, Thoughts & Information

January 31st, 2026 - 8:47 PM

Grammys Live Blog: 68th Annual Grammy Awards Reactions, Thoughts & Information

Welcome to MXDWN’s official 2026 Grammy Awards live blog! The 68th annual Grammy Award ceremony is here and we are dedicated to bringing you quality Grammys coverage, with consistent updates throughout the preshow and ceremony. So keep up with MXDWN, if you don’t want to miss a thing when it comes to the 2026 Grammy Awards.

This year’s Grammys will take place at the Crypto Arena in Los Angeles and be the last iteration hosted by Trevor Noah. Including this year, Noah has taken on the hosting role for the Grammy Awards every year since 2020. The ceremony starts at 5 pm PST, but there’s more fun to be had ahead of the main event, during the pre-ceremony and carpet, which will begin at 12:30 pm PST. Multiple fashion icons and trendsetters are expected to make their appearance on the carpet, including Doechii, Chappell Roan, Zara Larsson, Lola Young, the Katseye girls and more! 

There will also be multiple performances during the pre-ceremony, which will be hosted by Glee star Darren Criss. Criss will also perform with his Maybe Happy Ending costar Helen J Shen. In addition to that duo, during the pre-ceremony we will see live performances from Grace Potter, Israel Houghton, Lila Iké, Maggie Rose and Trombone Shorty. Heavy hitting metal band Spiritbox will also take the stage. Perhaps their performance will make for another viral moment, like when they went viral last year for their lead singer, Courtney LaPlante, going along with being mistaken for her contemporary, Poppy. And, summer isn’t over yet, because Zara Larsson is sure to dazzle the preshow stage with a song from her beloved album Midnight Sun. 

Performances during the main event are sure to impress fans. Sabrina Carpenter will be returning to the stage this year, as she’s nominated in several categories, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Music Video, and Best Pop Solo Performance with her song “Manchild”. Her latest album Man’s Best Friend is also nominated for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. Lady Gaga will also be performing tonight, and if her Mayhem tour says anything, she’s sure to captivate viewers with an epic set. Ahead of his Coachella set in April, Justin Bieber is also set to perform at this year’s Grammys ceremony. This marks Bieber’s first performance at the event since he performed “Peaches” with Daniel Caesar and Giveon in 2022. Rose of the Kpop group Blackpink will also perform tonight as a solo act, likely alongside Bruno Mars for “APT”. This year, Rose became the first Kpop soloist to be nominated for a Grammy! You can also look forward to performances from every nominee for Best New Artist, which includes Addison Rae, Alex Warren, Katseye, Leon Thomas, Lola Young, Olivia Dean, Sombr, and The Marias. Each nominee for Best New Artist will have a 2-minutes long performance slot. 

Every year, the Grammys pay tribute to the artists who passed away that year with in memoriam performances. One of those performances expected to impress is Post Malone’s tribute to the late music icon Ozzy Osbourne, who sadly died last July. Posty will be joined by Slash and Duff McKagan from Guns N’ Roses, and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith and Andrew Watt. Lauryn Hill will also pay tribute to the late D’Angelo and Roberta Flack. 

Watch alongside us! The 2026 Grammys will air on CBS and live on Paramount+ for users with the Showtime add-on. The show will also be available on multiple Live TV streaming services including Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, YouTube TV and more.

LIVE UPDATES

12:30 pm: The Grammys Premiere Ceremony has begun! The show kicked off with a live performance with a full live band with nominee Israel Houghton on lead vocals and guitar. They performed Shining Star by 6-time Grammy winning and 18-time nominated band Earth Wind & Fire. Midway through the performance, Houghton was joined by fellow nominees Grace Potter, Lila Ike, Maggie Rose. Trombone Shorty accompanied them with an energetic trombone solo. The performance brought the energy, starting the Grammys off strong.

12:35 pm: Harvey Mason Jr., the CEO of The Recording Academy, gave his opening speech, praising the performers. He claimed their performance made a statement and described it using the words “joy”, “resilience” and “brilliance”. During his speech, he stated, “creativity is not a luxury, it’s essential,” and vowed to protect the music industry and advocate for fairness. He also emphasized that the event is not just to celebrate wins, but artistry. He ended his speech by introducing Dr. Chelsey Green, the Recording Academy’s Chair of the Board of Trustees.

12:38 pm: Dr. Chelsey Green took the stage, beginning by speaking about her newly elected role in the academy. She then continued her speech by talking about the reach and impact of music itself, and how it contributes to advocacy, community, and connection. Then, she thanked artists for their contributions that remind us of “music’s power”. She wrapped up her speech, then introduced the host of tonight’s Grammy Premiere Ceremony, Darren Criss.

12:44 pm: Criss graced the stage in a black suit with gold glitter, an understated yet flashy look. In his opening speech, he spoke about the magic of music, before talking about Grammy Camp and Musicares. Criss also confirmed that there are 86 awards to give out, and reminded winners to keep their speeches brief, clarifying they’ll have 45 seconds for their speeches. He also told winners that no substitute acceptors should go on stage during the ceremony. 

12:48 pm: The Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance was given to Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. The song is from last year’s hit musical adaptation movie, Wicked. 

12:50 pm: The Grammy for Best Dance Electronic Recording was awarded to Tame Impala for “End Of Summer”. They played an instrumental of “Sweet Escape” by Gwen Stefani while presenting him with his award. 

12:52 pm: FKA Twigs was awarded the Grammy for Best Dance Electronic Album with her project Eusexua. Criss thought she wasn’t present, but then she appeared in the crowd with red hair and a nude-colored flowy dress. During her speech, she explained that she didn’t expect to win, and was just thankful to be nominated. She thanked her boyfriend for his help with music videos, along with Atlantic Records for believing in her. She then encouraged artists to trust their visions. 

12:56 pm: The Best Remixed Recording Grammy was awarded to Gesaffelstein for his remix of Abracadabra, performed by Lady Gaga. He showed up wearing a black glittery cast over his face, hair and hands. It was an interesting and avant garde look. For his speech, he simply took a bow, before walking off stage. 

12:56 pm: The Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album was awarded to Natalia Lafourcade for her album Cancionera. Lafourcade was not present at the ceremony.

12:58 pm: Papota by CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso wins the Grammy for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album. They accepted their award by giving a speech in Spanish. 

1:00 pm: The Best Musica Mexicana Album Grammy was awarded to Carin Leon for her recent album Palabra De To’s.

1:00 pm: The winner of the Grammy for Best Topical Latin Album goes to Gloria Stefan for her album Raices. She accepted her award on stage with her producer, who she called her “biggest inspiration”. They wrapped up the acceptance speech by proclaiming their Latin pride.

1:03 pm: Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media goes to the Sinners soundtrack.

1:05 pm: The Sinners soundtrack wins its second award of the night for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media. 

1:06 pm: The Grammy award for Best Score For Video Games and Other Interactive Media goes to Sword of the Sea, composed by Austin Wintory.

1:06 pm: The Grammy award for Best Song Written For Visual Media goes to “I Lied To You” from K Pop Demon Hunters. They simply gave thank yous to contributors of the song and movie itself, before continuing their speech in Korean. 

1:10pm: The Grammy for Best Music Video is awarded to Doechii for “Anxiety”. Doechii and the video’s director was not yet present at the ceremony, but is expected to show up later tonight, as she was revealed to have a seat at the main event. The award was accepted by producers of the video, who proclaimed Doechii was a “once in a lifetime talent”. 

1:12 pm: The Grammy award for Best Music Film goes to John Williams for his film Music by John Williams, who is best known for his work in the Star Wars movies. The team behind the movie accepted the awards and stated that John Williams “wrote the soundtrack to their lives.”

1:15pm: Powerhouse vocalist Zara Larsson graced the stage, wearing a summery, glittery yellow outfit that seems to be a nod to the sun. She began her performance of her recent album’s title track “Midnight Sun” with some impressive soft vocal runs. She delivered a more lowkey version of the song with a slower tempo and orchestral accompaniment. The new version of the song made sure every note she sang was savored and put her talent at center stage. She brought big notes, stage presence, and grace to her performance, reminding us why her Midnight Sun album is resonating with so many people. Zara has been giving acclaimed performances a ton recently, including when she opened for Tate McRae on the Miss Possessive tour and her own Midnight Sun tour, which is currently running.

1:21 pm: The Best Pop Recording Grammy was awarded to Lady Gaga for “Abracadabra”. The award was presented by Jesse Welles, who has recently gained a lot of fame through his politically charged folk songs going viral on social media. Cirkut read a message from Gaga, where she explained that her absence was due to her preparing for her performance. This is Gaga’s 15th Grammy award. 

1:23pm: The Grammy for Best Rock Performance goes to Yungblud for her performance of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Changes” from Back to the Beginning. Back to the Beginning served as Ozzy Osbourne’s final performance before his passing. Yungblud was joined by Osbourne’s widow, Sharon Osbourne, to accept the Grammy. Sharon was very emotional whilst joining Yungblud to accept the award. In Yungblud’s speech, he honored Ozzy and proclaimed “we fuckin’ love you ozzy”, before thanking the entire Osbourne family. He stated that he loves the rock genre and proclaimed “rock music is fuckin’ coming back”. Then, he talked a bit about the last time he saw Ozzy Osbourne, saying that he’s with him every time he’s nervous on stage.

1:27 pm: Nine Inch Nails wins the Grammy for Best Rock Song for “As Alive As You Need Me To Be”. The award was accepted by Jesse Welles in lieu of their absence. 

1:28 pm: The Grammy for Best Rock Album was awarded to Turnstile for their album Never Enough. The band was there to give a speech while accepting their award. During their speech, they thanked their team along with friends and family. 

1:30 pm: The Grammy for Best Alternative Music Performance goes to “Alone” by The Cure, who was not at the event. Jesse Welles gave a message from the band, which thanked the Grammys along with collaborators from their album Songs From a Lost World and fans.

1:32 pm: The Cure wins another Grammy, this time for Best Alternative Album with the album Songs From a Lost World.

1:34 pm: The Grammy for Best Immersive Audio Album is given to Immersed by Andres Mayo and Martin Muscatello. They thanked the academy and congratulated the other nominees, before giving a nod to their families. 

1:36 pm: Jimmy Jam graces the stage to present more awards.

1:37 pm: Cirkut wins Producer of the Year Non-Classical. Notably, he recently worked with Lady Gaga on her most recent album Mayhem. During his acceptance speech, he thanked Gaga, Bruno, and Rose, along with his other collaborators. He also thanked his right-hand-man, Andrew Watts. 

1:40 pm: Amy Allen wins Songwriter of the Year Non-classical. She notably wrote on the Grammy-nominated album by Sabrina Carpenter, Man’s Best Friend, along with Tate McRae’s album So Close to What. She’s also worked with Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Halsey, Rose and Shawn Mendes. She wore an ICE OUT pin while accepting her award. 

1:42 pm: Kehlani wins the Grammy for Best R&B Performance with her song “Folded”. During her speech, she proudly proclaimed “fuck ICE” and encouraged artists to come together to fight the good fight against the organization. She also had an ICE OUT pin attached to her gown.

1:44 pm: The Grammy for Best Traditional R&B performance goes to Leon Thomas for “VIBES DON’T LIE”. Thomas was not there to accept his award, but he will be performing later tonight as he’s nominated for Best New Artist.

1:46 pm: The Grammy for Best R&B Song is awarded to “Folded” by Kehlani, marking the song and Kehlani’s second win of the night. She thanked her mom for adopting her and encouraging her musical endeavors. She wrapped up her second speech by saying she needs to take a shot out of her gramophone trophy. 

1:49 pm: The Grammy for Best Progressive R&B Album goes to Bloom by Durand Barnarr, who very excitedly ran up onto the stage in a blue suit with a striking collar. He wished everyone a happy black history and encouraged people to extend kindness to their neighbors, seemingly a nod to the devastating situation going on in the US with ICE. He was joined by his mom and dad on stage during his speech. His mom looked particularly passionate and emotional, and his dad seemed very proud. He thanked himself to wrap up his speech. Barnarr brought lots of energy and charisma to the Premiere Ceremony. 

1:51 pm: Leon Thomas wins the Grammy for R&B Album for Mutt. Leon has arrived to give his speech! First of all, he thanked God. He explained how he ran from rehearsal to accept the award. 

1:53 pm: Clipse wins Best Rap Performance for their song “Chains & Whips” off of their album Let God Sort Em Out, which is nominated for Album of The Year. 

1:54 pm: Best Melodic Rap Performance goes to “Luther” by Kendrick Lamar and SZA. Neither of them are present to accept the award.

1:56 pm:  Kendrick Lamar’s song “tv off” wins The Grammy Award for Best Rap Song. Although Lamar is not yet present, Lefty Gunplay accepted the award, thanking Lamar for propping him up with this collaboration. Then, he encouraged other Latinx people.

1:59 pm: The award for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album is awarded to Mad Skillz for Words For Days Vol. 1. The award was accepted by Mad Skillz’s producers.

2:01 pm: Spiritbox performs “Soft Spine”. They brought the heavy metal spirit. The performance was electric and chaotic, with Courtney Laplante screaming intensely, and an instrumental that hits deep. The performance had a black and white filter over it, with the only color being from the bright red lights. The performance brought the energy and reminded us why metal is such an important genre that has to be represented during the biggest night in music.

2:05 pm: Sierra Hall goes onstage to present more awards.

2:05 pm: Turnstile is awarded their second Grammy of the night, this time for Best Metal Performance with their song “Birds”. 

2:07 pm: The Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance goes to Chris Stapleton for “Bad As I Used To Be” from the movie F1. Other songs from the movie are nominated tonight, including “Just Keep Watching” by Tate McRae. Stapleton was not there to accept the award. 

2:08 pm: The Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance goes to “Amen” by Shaboozey and Jelly Roll. Shaboozey went on stage to accept the award solo, wearing a cool hat reminiscent of a pilot’s. He was emotional to win the award, reading a speech from a piece of paper. Similarly to Leon Thomas, he thanked god, along with his mom, who he congratulated on retiring after years in the medical field. He also thanked his team and the academy. His speech was wrapped up by explaining that he dedicates the award to the immigrants who built this country and thanked them for bringing the traditions and culture to America. 

2:11 pm: Tyler Childers wins the Grammy award for Best Country Song with “Bitin’ List”. A different Jesse Welles goes on stage to accept the award, as Childers is not yet present. He thanks his team, family and RCA Records. He also quotes Prince by saying, “We have to make great country music and treat people right.”

2:14 pm: Zach Top’s Ain’t In It For My Health wins the Grammy award for Best Traditional Country Album. He gave a very short thank you speech. 

2:16 pm: “Beautiful Strangers” by Mavis Staples wins the Grammy award for Best Americana Roots Performance. She was not present to accept the award

2:17 pm: The Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album goes to iconic legacy artist Buddy Guy for Ain’t Done With The Blues. Guy was not at the ceremony to accept his award. 

2:18 pm: Robert Randolph, known for his work with Robert Randolph & the Family Band, wins the award for Best Contemporary Blues Album with Preacher Kids. He was emotional to win a Grammy after being nominated 7 times throughout his 20 year career. He thanked his team, lawyer, management, etc. He also said he was nominated against all his friends. 

2:22 pm: The Grammy for Best Album Cover goes to Tyler, The Creator for the cover of his album Chromakopia. Tyler was not present to accept his award. 

2:25 pm: The Grammy for Best Album Notes goes to Miles ‘55: The Prestige Recordings by Miles Davis and Ashley Kahn. Kahn accepted the award, thanking the academy and reflecting on the album’s writing process. 

2:26 pm: Joni Mitchell wins Best Historical Album for Joni Mitchell Archives – Volume 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980). Mitchell was present to accept her award. She wore an ICE OUT pin while accepting her award. She talked about the project, gave her thank yous, and was met by a roaring crowd.

2:30 pm: Best Gospel Album nominee Tasha Cobbs Leonard graced the stage for an elegant performance of “Church”, along with her husband Kevin Leonard. She provided strong vocals accompanied by a choir backup singers who helped bring the song and performance to life. She wore a white gown with a striking silhouette, perfect for this performance of the holy song. Overall, the performance was electric and you could really hear the passion in Cobbs’ voice.

2:35 pm: After performing in the opening number, Trombone Shorty appeared on the stage to give out more awards. 

2:35 pm: Mavis Staples wins the Grammy for Best Americana Performance with her song “Godspeed”. She was not present to accept the award. 

2:36 pm: The Grammy for Best American Roots Song is awarded to I’m With Her, which consists of Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan and Sara Watkins, for their song “Ancient Light”. The three of them went on stage to accept the award. During their speech, they explained they were surprised to win.

2:38 pm: Jon Batiste wins the Grammy for Best Americana Album with his album Big Money. He was not there to accept his award. 

2:41 pm: The Grammy for Best Bluegrass album goes to Billy Strings for Highway Prayers. He was not there to accept his award. 

2:42 pm: I’m With Her wins the Grammy for Best Folk Album with their project Wild And Clear And Blue. This is the trio’s second award of the night.

2:42 pm: The girl group Flo arrives on the red carpet wearing blue!

2:43 pm: The Grammy for Best Gospel Performance/Song goes to “Come Jesus Come” by Cece Winans featuring Shirley Caesar. They did not accept the award, as they are not at the ceremony. 

2:46 pm: Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song is awarded to “Hard Fought Hallelujah” by Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll. Like Shaboozey, due to Jelly’s absence, Lake accepted the award solo. First off, he thanked Jesus, then he thanked his wife and pastor. He then read the verse John 16:33 in reference to the state of the United States.

2:57 pm: The Grammy for Best Gospel Album goes to Heart of Mine by Darrel Walls and PJ Morton. This is Walls’ first Grammy. During his speech, he expressed his gratitude for the win. Morton gave props to Walls for inspiring him. 

2:49 pm: The Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album is given to Israel & New Breed for their album Coritos Vol. 1. They thanked their team and collaborators. This is Israel & New Breed’s 20th nomination. They gave a message to Latin people, encouraging them to let music heal them, then finished off the speech by encouraging kindness.

2:52 pm: The award for Best Roots Gospel Album goes to I Will Not Be Moved (Live) by Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. During the speech, they spoke on the legacy of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. 

2:55 pm: Didi Bridgewater goes on stage to present more awards. 

2:56 pm: The award for Best Jazz Performance goes to “Windows – Live” by the late Chick Corea, Christian McBride and Brian Blade. Chick’s daughter appeared on stage to accept the award.

2:59 pm: Best Jazz Instrumental Album goes to Southern Nights by Sullivan Fortner Featuring Peter Washington & Marcus Gilmore. None of the artists were there to accept the award

3:01 pm: The Grammy for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album goes to Without Further Ado, Vol 1 by Christian McBride Big Band, who thanked his family, bandmates and collaborators.

3:03 pm: Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Yainer Horta and Joey Calveiro win the Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album for the album A Tribute to Benny Moré and Nat King Cole. During the victory speech, they gave their thank yous and honored Latin people.

3:05 pm: Zara Larsson appears on the red carpet in a striking sparkly yellow gown.

3:06 pm: Tyla graces the carpet in a feathery dress.

3:06 pm: Nate Smith’s Live-Action wins the Grammy for Best Alternative Jazz Album and spoke on humanity and condemning AI. 

3:09 pm: The Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album goes to Laufey for her album A Matter of Time. She is present to accept the award in a beautiful lilac dress that sparkles from head to toe. She thanks the academy, her family, and music educators. She expressed how important music education was to her career and advocated for art programs to receive funding. 

3:11 pm: Bad Bunny wins Best Global Music Performance with “EoO”. He was not present to accept this award, but is expected to be at the main ceremony. 

3:13 pm: Tyla wins the Grammy for Best African Music Performance with her song “Push 2 Start”. She is currently on the carpet, unable to accept her award. Davido’s fans are struggling with this win, as you can see from the post below. 

3:13 pm: The Grammy for Best Global Music Album goes to Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo by Caetano Veloso And Maria Bethânia. They are not there to accept the award.

3:14 pm: The Grammy for Best Reggae Album is awarded to BLXXD & FYAH by Keznamdi. 3:15 pm Rhea Raj arrives on the carpet. She is the sister of Lara Raj of Katseye, who is up for 2 Grammys tonight.

3:15 pm Rhea Raj arrives on the carpet. She is the sister of Lara Raj of Katseye, who is up for 2 Grammys tonight.

3:15 pm: Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album Grammy goes to Nomadica by Carla Patullo featuring The Scorchio Quartet & Tonality. They thanked their moms and dedicated the album to them.

3:19 pm: Darren Criss and Helen J Shen join forces for a performance of a song from Maybe Happy Ending, bringing Broadway to the Grammy stage. It was a classic musical theatre performance with bright vocals, stunning instrumentation, and passion put into the delivery of every lyric. 

3:19 pm: Rose graces the Grammy red carpet as the first Grammy-nominated K-pop soloist.

3:21 pm: Sabrina Carpenter makes her first appearance at this year’s Grammy, before her performance later tonight. 

3:23 pm: Dave Koz goes onstage to present more awards. 

3:24 pm: Samara Joy wins the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album with her album Portraits. During her speech, she thanked her band.

3:26 pm: The Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album is awarded to Best Vista Social Club. 

3:29 pm: The Grammy for Best Regional Roots Music Album goes to A Tribute To The King Of Zydeco, which the academy attributes to “various artists”. 

3:34 pm: The Grammy for Producer of the Year Classical goes to Elaine Martone. During her speech, she thanked her fellow nominees, Julie Smith of the Recording Academy, and the artists she works with. She also thanked her recording engineer, her husband, her husband’s caregivers, and her caregivers.

3:34 pm: Sabrina Carpenter jokes about the carpet being quiet, attributing Chappell Roan reprimanding photographers for that.

3:37 pm: First Snow by Remy Le Boeuf wins the Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition.  He thanks his twin brother, who also previously won in this category. Then, he expressed the meaning of the music, which was “building bridges”. 

3:39 pm: “Super Mario Praise Break” by The 8-Bit Big Band wins the Grammy for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella. 

3:48 pm: Addison Rae appears on the red carpet. She will be performing tonight and is nominated for Best New Artist.

3:50 pm: Olivia Dean stuns on the carpet in a black and white gown.

3:51 pm: Katseye is interviewed on the Red Carpet by the winner of Big Brother 24, Taylor Hale. The women appear in cohesive white lacey dresses.

3:51 pm: Alex Warren graces the carpet, accompanied by his wife Clover Warren.

3:53 pm: Harmony by FYÜTCH & Aura V wins the Grammy for Best Children’s Musical album. They accepted the award in matching purple outfits. He expressed that we are “failing our children” and gave a shoutout to Miss Rachel for “doing god’s work”. Aura V shouted out Laufey. 

3:56 pm: The Grammy for Best Comedy Album is awarded to Nate Bargatze for Your Friend, Nate Bargatze. He is not present to accept the award. 

3:58 pm: The Marias arrive on the carpet as nominees for Best New Artist.

3:59 pm: Katseye officially walks the red carpet for the first time in their career.

4:01 pm: Fashion icon Heidi Klum walks the carpet in a form-fitting gown.

4:02 pm: Madison Beer has arrived at the Grammys and is heading to the red carpet.

 

 

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