You may hate Bad Bunny’s “I don’t give a damn” swagger but you can’t ignore him. That air of ease and defiance is hard to miss. But then, creative people seldom bow to conventions.
Now, in winning the album of the year for Debí Tirar Más Fotos, he made history at the 68th Grammy Awards.
It’s the first Spanish-language album ever to take the top prize, highlighted reports.
Earlier, he also won the música urbana album. The crowd roared as the Puerto Rican superstar closed out a night full of surprises.
Bad Bunny’s speech electrified the crowd. Speaking in Spanish, he said: “Puerto Rico, believe me when I tell you that we are much bigger than 100 by 35. And there is nothing we can’t achieve. Thank God, thank you to the Academy, thank you to all the people who have believed in me throughout my career.”
He added, “To all the people who worked on this album, thank you mami for giving birth to me in Puerto Rico, I love you.”
Switching to English, he dedicated the award to “all the people who had to leave their homeland to follow their dreams.” Harry Styles presented the award, recalling when he won album of the year in 2023, beating Bad Bunny, who was then nominated for Un Verano Sin Ti, the first Spanish-language album in the category.
Earlier, after winning the música urbana album, Bad Bunny made another bold statement. “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out. We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”
The moment set the tone for a night in which politics, music, and personal stories collided.
Among the other awards, Kendrick Lamar and SZA took record of the year for “Luther.”
Billie Eilish won song of the year for “Wildflower.”
Olivia Dean was named best new artist.
Lady Gaga won a pop vocal album for Mayhem.
Throughout the night, immigration and identity emerged as a recurring theme, lending the ceremony a charged, urgent atmosphere.
Other winners kept the momentum going. Lola Young won the pop solo performance for “Messy.”
Jelly Roll claimed the inaugural contemporary country album award for Beautifully Broken.
Pharrell Williams received the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award.
This year, the Grammys also split the country album category into contemporary and traditional, reshaping the genre’s landscape.
At the Premiere Ceremony earlier, the Dalai Lama won his first Grammy for audiobook, narration, and storytelling recording. “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters marked the first Grammy win for a K-pop act.
Music film went to “Music for John Williams.” And so, director Steven Spielberg has officially won his first Grammy. As reports highlighted, that makes him an EGOT winner, an artist with an Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Oscar.
Billie Eilish, accepting song of the year, added her voice: “No one is illegal on stolen land. **** ICE is all I want to say.” Olivia Dean, receiving her first Grammy, spoke through tears: “I never really imagined that I would be up here. I’m up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant. I wouldn’t be here … I am a product of bravery, and I think that those people deserve to be celebrated.”
At the Premiere Ceremony, Shaboozey, American singer and rapper, accepted the award for country duo/group performance. He thanked his mother, who had retired that day after 30 years as a registered nurse in a psychiatric ward in the U.S. He said: “This award is for immigrants. They built the country.”
Kendrick Lamar, another US rapper, won rap album of the year for GNX, accepting from Queen Latifah and Doechii. He said it was “an honor to be here” and added that hip-hop would “always remain present” and that the culture would continue to move forward. With 27 career Grammys, Lamar surpassed Jay-Z’s record of 25, becoming the rapper with the most Grammy wins.
Record of the year for “Luther” was presented by Cher, who mistakenly announced the winner as “Luther Vandross.” Producer Sounwave addressed the error, giving a shoutout to the late Luther Vandross.
The ceremony also paid tribute to D’Angelo and Roberta Flack.
Lauryn Hill returned to the Grammy stage for the first time since 1999. She performed a D’Angelo medley with Lucky Daye, Raphael Saadiq, Anthony Hamilton, and Leon Thomas.
She then performed Roberta Flack tributes alongside Jon Batiste, John Legend, Chaka Khan, and Wyclef Jean. The night combined history, music, and bold statements in a way few award shows do.
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