Under crystal chandeliers in Los Angeles, the night’s biggest winners refused to play it safe. Billie Eilish, clutching her Grammy for Song of the Year, used her moment not to bask in praise but to remind viewers that “no one is illegal on stolen land,” her voice shaking between gratitude and grief. Around her, a quiet code of resistance glittered on lapels: “ICE OUT” pins worn by Billie, Finneas, Carole King, Justin and Hailey Bieber, Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Kehlani, Rhiannon Giddens, and more, turning the red carpet into a moving protest line.
From the stage, Bad Bunny’s “ICE out” battle cry and Kehlani’s raw “f— ICE” sealed the night’s message: this wasn’t just entertainment, it was a reckoning. Olivia Dean honored her immigrant roots, while Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon paid tribute to Minneapolis observers “blowing the whistle” on raids. For a few charged hours, the music industry made it unmistakably clear whose side it was on.
