The 2026 Grammy Awards took place in Los Angeles on Sunday night. Many attendees expressed their concerns about recent fatal shootings in Minneapolis. These incidents involved Alex Pretti and Renee Good during ongoing operations by President Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Bad Bunny, while receiving the Grammy for Best Música Urbana Album for Debí Tirar Más Fotos, said, "ICE out." He highlighted the humanity of immigrants, stating, "We are humans and we are Americans." He also spoke about the power of love over hate.
During his Album of the Year acceptance speech, Bad Bunny dedicated his award "to all the people who had to leave their homeland to follow their dreams." Billie Eilish, who won Song of the Year for "Wildflower," used her speech to protest against ICE, saying, "No one is illegal on stolen land." She urged everyone to keep fighting for justice.
Many artists, including Joni Mitchell and Justin Bieber, wore buttons stating “ICE Out.” Justin Vernon from Bon Iver showed support by wearing a whistle to honour observers in Minneapolis who alert communities about ICE activities.
Gloria Estefan, a Grammy winner, expressed her hopes for government action on immigration issues, stressing that many detained are not criminals but families. Comedian Ricky Gervais criticized the political speeches, suggesting attendees should not use their time for political statements.
Vocabulary List:
- Acceptance /əkˈsɛp.təns/ (noun): The act of receiving something or agreeing to something.
- Humanity /hjuːˈmæn.ɪ.ti/ (noun): The quality of being human; the collective human race.
- Justice /ˈdʒʌs.tɪs/ (noun): The administration of law; the quality of being just or fair.
- Protest /ˈproʊ.tɛst/ (verb): To express an objection or disapproval.
- Immigration /ˌɪm.ɪˈɡreɪ.ʃən/ (noun): The action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country.
- Detained /dɪˈteɪnd/ (verb): Kept in custody or under restraint.
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