While accepting an award for Best Música Urbana Album, Bad Bunny opened his speech with “ICE out!” and was met by a standing ovation. Then, he delivered an emotional message to ICE and Republicans. “We’re not savage. We’re not animals. We’re not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans. Also, I want to say to the people… I know it’s tough not to hate on these days, and I was thinking sometimes we get contaminamos,” Bunny said. “The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that’s more powerful than hate is love, so, please, we need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love. If we don’t hate them, we love our people, and we love our family. And that’s the way to do it, with love.”
Later during the broadcast, while accepting an award for Song of the Year, Billie Eilish gave a brief but motivated speech: “As grateful as I feel, I honestly don’t feel like I need to say anything, but that no one is illegal on stolen land. And yeah, it’s really hard to know what to say and what to do right now. I feel very hopeful in this room, and I feel like we need to keep fighting and keep speaking up and keep protesting.” The crowd responded by giving Eilish a standing ovation of her own.
While accepting her Best New Artist award, Olivia Dean told the audience (and the millions of us watching) that she is “a granddaughter of an immigrant. I am a product of bravery, and those people need to be celebrated.” After Gloria Estefan picked up a fifth Grammy award during the pre-show, the Cuban-born singer spoke about uplifting Latino voices in the face of inhumane policy. “I don’t think anyone would say we want a free-for-all at the border,” she continued. “But what is happening is not at all criminals being arrested. These are people that have families that have contributed to this country for decades. Little children—there’s hundreds of children in detention centers.”
Also during the pre-show ceremony, Kehlani closed her Best R&B Performance speech with a call to action, asking everyone present to “join together as a community of artists and speak out against what’s going on, fuck ICE.” Shaboozey also spoke out, commending the immigrants who “built this country—literally. Thank you for bringing your culture, your music, your stories and your traditions here. You give America color.” In the media workroom soon after, Shaboozey elaborated on his comments by mentioning that his parents are Nigerian immigrants. “I’m from that lineage,” he said, “inspiring people, hopefully, and trying to live up to my fullest potential.” Justin Bieber, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Samara Joy, and others were seen on the red carpet sporting “ICE OUT” pins.
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