The Grammy Awards are to music fans what the Super Bowl is to sports fans. When this year’s ceremony aired Feb. 1, it did so not just as an industry tradition, but as a cultural checkpoint, reflecting the sounds, anxieties and politics of the past year. The Hustler staff members sat up in dorms discussing the fashion choices, analyzing the performances and cheering — or heckling — the winners with friends and each other. Moments from the show are already circulating not just on social media, but also from student to student on campus.
Back in November, members of The Hustler staff shared their predictions for the “Big Four” categories at the Grammys. Now that the envelopes have been opened, we’re looking back at what we got right, where the Recording Academy surprised us and the moments that defined the night.
Record of the Year
Record of the Year recognizes the track with the best overall production, considering all artists, producers and engineers involved with the work.
Nominees: “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga, “Anxiety” by Doechii, “APT.” by ROSÉ & Bruno Mars, “DtMF” by Bad Bunny, “luther” by Kendrick Lamar with SZA, “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter, “The Subway” by Chappell Roan and “WILDFLOWER” by Billie Eilish
Predictions:
Marques Watson, Deputy Life Editor: “luther” by Kendrick Lamar with SZA
Rachel Marlowe, Music Correspondent: “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter
Alex Brodeur, Deputy Life Editor: “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga
WINNER: “luther” by Kendrick Lamar with SZA
Though he took home five Grammys just last year, including Record of the Year, the academy showed no signs of fatigue for Kendrick Lamar. The rapper ended an already very successful night — including four other Grammy wins — by replicating this success. “luther” took home record of the year, marking a whopping 27th career Grammy for Lamar. His collaborator SZA is also credited, which marks her seventh Grammy.
Song of the Year
Song of the Year recognizes the lyrical composition of a song. The award is credited to the track’s songwriter(s).
Nominees: “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga, “Anxiety” by Doechii, “APT.” by ROSÉ & Bruno Mars, “DtMF” by Bad Bunny, “Golden [From “KPop Demon Hunters”]” by HUNTR/X: (EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI), “luther” by Kendrick Lamar with SZA, “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter and “WILDFLOWER” by Billie Eilish
Predictions:
Watson: “WILDFLOWER” by Billie Eilish
Marlowe: “WILDFLOWER” by Billie Eilish
Brodeur: “WILDFLOWER” by Billie Eilish
WINNER: “WILDFLOWER” by Billie Eilish
Siblings Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell finally snagged Song of the Year for her chart-topping “WILDFLOWER,” a long-awaited win after last year’s snub. This win marks their total Grammy win count to 10. This moment felt like overdue recognition for one of the year’s most emotionally resonant songs.
Album of the Year
Album of the Year credits all contributors to the best overall album.
Nominees: “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” by Bad Bunny, “CHROMAKOPIA” by Tyler, the Creator, “GNX” by Kendrick Lamar, “Let God Sort Em Out” by Clipse, Pusha T and Malice, “Man’s Best Friend” by Sabrina Carpenter, “MAYHEM” by Lady Gaga, “MUTT” by Leon Thomas and “SWAG” by Justin Bieber
Predictions:
Watson: “MAYHEM” by Lady Gaga
Marlowe: “Man’s Best Friend” by Sabrina Carpenter
Brodeur: “GNX” by Kendrick Lamar
WINNER: “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” by Bad Bunny
Solidifying an already massive year just days before his highly anticipated Super Bowl halftime show, Bad Bunny took home Album of the Year with his sixth studio album, “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” marking his fourth Grammy win overall and second win of the night — a surprise none of The Hustler writers predicted. He makes history as the first Spanish-language artist to take home the top prize at the Grammys. The moment echoed last year’s boundary-breaking Album of the Year win by Beyoncé, highlighting the Academy’s continued embrace of genre-defying work.
Best New Artist
Best New Artist awards a musician or group who has broken into the mainstream eye within the past year and has not previously been nominated for a Grammy as a performing artist.
Nominees: Addison Rae, Alex Warren, KATSEYE, Leon Thomas, Lola Young, Olivia Dean, sombr and The Marías
Predictions:
Watson: Olivia Dean
Marlowe: The Marías
Brodeur: Olivia Dean
WINNER: Olivia Dean
Female artists had taken home the Grammy for Best New Artist eight times consecutively prior to this year’s ceremony. Although Leon Thomas seemed to be a strong contender to break this streak, Olivia Dean ultimately cinched the coveted gramophone trophy. This feels like the pinnacle to a massive year for the British singer whose viral single “Man I Need” and second studio album “The Art of Loving” have catapulted her to international fame.
Overall, The Hustler staffers’ predictions for the “Big Four” categories were relatively on target, with the Album of the Year winner being the staff’s biggest surprise. However, beyond the actual trophies, there were plenty of other aspects of the ceremony that generated buzz.
Immigrants take center stage
Hosted by Trevor Noah, the 2026 Grammys balanced spectacle with urgency, pairing high-gloss performances with blunt political statements in one of the most outspoken ceremonies in recent memory. Three of the four winners in the “Big Four” categories spoke up about immigration in their acceptance speeches.
Dean took the stage in tears after winning her first-ever Grammy for Best New Artist. A descendant of Jamaican Guyanese immigrants, Dean used her platform to pay respect to those that made her success possible.
“I’m up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant … I’m a product of bravery and I think those people deserve to be celebrated,” Dean said in her acceptance speech.
Eilish echoed similar pro-immigrant sentiments in her speech.
“No one is illegal on stolen land,” Eilish said while accepting the award for Song of the Year for her track “WILDFLOWER.”
Bad Bunny’s acceptance speech after his historic Album of the Year win concluded the night on a similar note.
“I want to dedicate this award to all the people that had to leave their homeland, their country, to follow their dreams,” Bad Bunny said.
Beyond these acceptance speeches, several other artists could be spotted wearing “ICE OUT” pins at the ceremony. Political discourse was frequent as Noah made several snarky comments about Nicki Minaj, Donald Trump and even Jeffery Epstein’s island.
Other memorable moments
Beyond the politically charged atmosphere of the night, the 2026 Grammys served up plenty of notable pop culture moments as well.
Justin Bieber took the stage to perform “YUKON” wearing little more than his underwear, a performance that immediately became one of the night’s most talked-about visuals. This was Bieber’s first Grammy performance since 2022.
Chappell Roan made a statement of her own, arriving in a topless Mugler gown. True to her brand, the look rejected subtlety entirely and reinforced her refusal to play by traditional pop-star rules.
Sabrina Carpenter delivered one of the most conceptually playful performances of the night with “Manchild,” staged as an airline-themed fantasy leaning into humor and controlled chaos.
In somewhat atypical fashion, this year’s ceremony featured a sort-of “mashup” performance from all eight Best New Artist nominees. Each artist had around two minutes. The Marías, Olivia Dean and sombr showcased their captivating vocals. The latter artist surprisingly did not perform his biggest hit “back to friends” and instead went with the rock-esque “12 to 12” which better highlighted his vocal range. Others such as KATSEYE and Addison Rae took a more “camp” approach, delivering elaborate choreography and iconic outfits.
After receiving special recognition from the Grammys for her music career, Cher was supposed to announce the winner of Record of the Year. However, she began walking off stage instead, only to be called back by Noah. Then, when presenting the award, she first forgot to open her envelope and then read the wrong name off. While it’s possible the whole stunt was pre-planned, Cher and the audience alike seemed visibly disoriented.
Fans went wild when 2023 Album of the Year winner Harry Styles returned to the Grammy stage to present the 2026 Album of the Year award to Bad Bunny, a moment that added buzz ahead of his newly announced album, “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally,” set for release March 6.
If this year’s Grammys proved anything, it’s that the Recording Academy is still deeply invested in mainstream impact but increasingly willing to reward risk-taking, honesty and originality. We didn’t get everything correct. However, when the Grammys work, they don’t just crown winners; they capture a cultural moment. This year, that moment was loud, complicated and impossible to ignore.
