Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish, Shaboozey, and Olivia Dean all took home Grammys Sunday night, and all took a moment during their speeches to speak out on behalf of immigrants or call out ICE as the Trump admin’s brutal and deadly immigration crackdown continues.
Bad Bunny shared arguably the most pointed and poignant words while accepting the Grammy for Best Música Urbana Album, which began: “Before I say, ‘Thank God,’ I’m going to say, ‘ICE out.’”
The musician, who decided not to tour the U.S. out of fear that ICE would target attendees, went on to deliver an impassioned plea against hate. “It’s tough not to hate these days,” he said. “The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing more powerful than hate is love. So, we need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love. We don’t hate them. We love our people, we love our family, and that’s the way to do it — with love. Don’t forget that, please.”
Eilish, a frequent critic of the Trump administration, who’s previously called out ICE’s deadly operations in Minneapolis, was at once thoughtful and blunt during her Song of the Year acceptance speech. “No one is illegal on stolen land,” Eilish said, before acknowledging how it can be difficult to know what to do in times like these.
“I feel like we just need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting, and our voices really do matter, and the people matter,” Eilish said. Then, before walking off stage, she declared: “Fuck ICE.”
As for Dean, the British singer-songwriter ended her Best New Artist speech by noting that she was the granddaughter of an immigrant. “I’m a product of bravery, and I think those people deserve to be celebrated,” she said.
Speaking with reporters backstage after winning Record of the Year for “luther,” her blockbuster hit with Kendrick Lamar, SZA didn’t hold back. “It’s incredibly dystopian that we’re dressed up and able to celebrate accolades in the material world, and people are getting snatched up and shot in the face on the street,” she said. It’s understandable to feel “rage and hopelessness,” she continued, but she’s not giving up.
“I believe that this is a time when we can dig deep as a community and really learn that, OK, it’s not time to count on anyone else but us and our neighbors to protect ourselves. To rally for each other, to be that morale booster, to disseminate mutual aid, to take care of each other,” she said. “It’s always fuck ICE, but it’s just a matter of, I just don’t want everyone to fall into despair, because when you lose morale, change becomes, you know, impossible, but it’s so not. It’s so not. I’m personally not going. I will not be going quietly into the dying of the light. So, I encourage everybody to stay.”
Prior to the main telecast, Kehlani ended Best R&B Performance award speech with a vociferous, “Fuck ICE.” And Shaboozey dedicated his first Grammy — Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Amen,” his collaboration with Jelly Roll — to the “children of immigrants.”
The country star, whose parents are from Nigeria, continued: “This is also for those who came to this country in search of better opportunity to be a part of a nation that promised freedom for all and equal opportunity to everyone willing to work for it. Thank you for bringing your culture, your music, your stories, and your traditions here. You give America color.”
Gloria Estefan told reporters backstage that she’s alarmed about the state of the country. After winning Best Tropical Latin Album for Raíces, the five-time Grammy winner said she hopes “our government listens to our plea for humanity.”
“I’m scared. I’m very worried,” she said. “I don’t think anyone would say we want a free-for-all at the border, but what is happening is not criminals being arrested,” she said. “These are people that have families, that have contributed to this country for decades, little children. There’s hundreds of children in detention centers. It’s inhumane.”
Along with all the speeches, numerous artists showed up to the Grammys and walked the red carpet while sporting “ICE Out” pins. These included Eilish, her brother/collaborator Finneas, Justin and Hailey Bieber, Brandi Carlile, Jack Antonoff, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Margo Price, and Samara Joy.
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