The 2026 Grammy Awards have come and gone, and they marked a night full of major fashion capital-M Moments, ripe-to-be-copied makeup looks, unforgettable live performances, and a few wonky-yet-hilarious presenter cameos. (Oh, Cher… we love you, queen!)
If you didn’t catch the Grammys live this year, worry not; we’ve rounded up all the moments you need to know about so that you can sound clued-in at the water cooler—or in the Slack channel—at work tomorrow. Without further ado, here are the five moments that defined the 2026 Grammys:
The unabashedly pro-immigrant speeches
From Kehlani, Bon Iver, the Biebers, and others wearing “ICE OUT” pins on the red carpet to both Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish using their speeches to condemn ICE’s violence, the music industry made their support for immigrant communities across the national loud and clear at Sunday’s ceremony.
Justin Bieber performing in his boxers
The 2026 Grammys saw Bieber return to the Grammys stage after four years away, and he approached the occasion in characteristically irreverent style, performing the song “Yukon” from his 2025 album Swag in nothing but a pair of silk boxers and a purple guitar. When you’ve got the vocal talent, who needs the frippery?
Sabrina Carpenter bringing the production value
Imagine if air travel were actually fun and/or bearable, and you’d have the general gist of Carpenter’s rendition of “Manchild,” which she largely performed perched atop a luggage cart, dressed in a pilot-inspired, all-white ’fit (minus the pants, obviously). Her immersive set was followed by others from the likes of Tyler, the Creator and Lady Gaga. We love a little mise en scène on a Sunday eve!
Lola Young and Olivia Dean’s first-time-winner exuberance
“I don’t know what I’m going to say because I don’t have any speech prepared!” Young adorably gushed as she took the 2026 Grammys stage to accept her award for best pop solo performance. Possibly even sweeter, Olivia Dean burst into tears when she won the coveted Grammy for best new artist earlier in the night—reminding jaded viewers (ahem, me) of how powerful it can still be to see newcomers welcomed into the musical big leagues.
That sprawling In Memoriam segment
The last year came with tremendous losses to the music community, from Ozzy Osbourne to Roberta Flack to D’Angelo—but hearing Reba McEntire, Brandy Clark, and Lukas Nelson honor their memories alongside some very special guests (including Ms. Lauryn Hill, Post Malone, Andrew Watt, Chad Smith, Duff McKagan, and Slash) was undoubtedly a highlight of the night.
See all the red carpet looks at the 2026 Grammy Awards:
