Bad Bunny, Tyla shine as Global South lead historic 2026 Grammy Awards

For the first time in the history of the Recording Academy, a Spanish-language album won the night’s top honour, Album of the Year, for Bad Bunny’s critically acclaimed Debí Tirar Más Fotos.

A historic night for global representation

Bad Bunny, representing Puerto Rico, also secured the award for Best Música Urbana Album and Best Global Music Performance for "EoO". In a poignant acceptance speech delivered in both Spanish and English, Bad Bunny, who is set to headline the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday, February 8, dedicated his win to "all the people who had to leave their homeland to follow their dreams". 

Other significant wins for the Global South included:

• Tyla (South Africa): The rising star won Best African Music Performance for her hit "PUSH 2 START". The South African, who won the inaugural award for the category in 2024, beat out stiff competition from Nigerian artists Davido, Burna Boy and Arya Starr, and Ugandan Eddy Kenzo.
• Natalia Lafourcade (Mexico): The celebrated singer-songwriter took home the award for Best Latin Pop Album for Cancionera.
• The Dalai Lama (Tibet/India):  In one of the evening's most surprising moments, the spiritual leader won his first Grammy for Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording.  The 90-year-old Buddhist spiritual leader, exiled in India, expressed on social media, “I accept this honour with thankfulness and modesty… I view it not as a personal accolade, but as an acknowledgement of our collective global duty.”
• Huntr/x (K-pop):  Marking the first-ever Grammy win for a K-pop act, the group won Best Song Written for Visual Media for "Golden" from the film KPop Demon Hunters. The songwriters delivered their speech in both English and Korean.

Main category winners and record-breaking achievements

Several industry giants continued to expand their legacies. Kendrick Lamar was the most-awarded artist of the night, winning Record of the Year for "Luther" (shared with SZA), Best Rap Album for GNX, and Best Rap Song for "TV Off". These victories allowed Lamar to surpass Jay-Z for the most career Grammys by a rapper, reaching a total of 27 awards.

Other major winners included:

• Song of the Year: Billie Eilish for "Wildflower".
• Best New Artist: Olivia Dean, who emotionally identified herself as a "granddaughter of an immigrant" during her speech.
• Best Pop Vocal Album: Lady Gaga for Mayhem. She also won Best Dance-Pop Recording for "Abracadabra".
• Best Contemporary Country Album: Jelly Roll for Beautifully Broken.

Political statements and immigrant advocacy

The 2026 ceremony was defined by its political undertones, as many artists used the global platform to protest immigration enforcement. Billie Eilish, Kehlani, and Bad Bunny all voiced strong anti-ICE sentiments from the stage. Shaboozey, who won for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, dedicated his award to his immigrant mother and the cultural contributions of immigrants to the United States. Backstage, legendary Cuban singer Gloria Estefan expressed fear regarding the current political climate and children in detention centres.

Other notable winners

The evening also saw Leon Thomas win Best R&B Album for Mutt and Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Vibes Don’t Lie". Kehlani took home both Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for "Folded". 

In the rock and alternative categories, The Cure won Best Alternative Music Album (Songs of a Lost World), while Turnstile swept multiple awards, including Best Rock Album and Best Metal Performance. Notably, director Steven Spielberg earned his first Grammy for the film Music for John Williams, officially making him the latest member of people to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards (EGOT).