Bad Bunny wins top Grammy prize in a first for a Spanish-language album

Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny made Grammy history yesterday (1 February), winning album of the year for Debí Tirar Más Fotos; the first Spanish-language album to claim the ceremony's top prize, while using the awards stage to sharply criticise US immigration enforcement.

The 31-year-old artist, born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, also won best Latin urban music album for the same record and took home five awards overall at the ceremony, broadcast live on CBS from the Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles.

"I want to dedicate this award to all the people who had to leave their homeland, their country, to follow their dreams," Bad Bunny said in his acceptance speech. "We're not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans."

Later in the night, as he accepted another award, the artist declared "ICE out," echoing opposition to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement that surfaced repeatedly during the more than three-hour telecast.

Often referred to as the "King of Trap," Bad Bunny said love was more powerful than hate and urged people to confront cruelty with compassion. "We love our people. We love our family," he said.

The Grammy recognition carried strong political overtones, given Bad Bunny's outspoken criticism of President Donald Trump's immigration policies. The singer-producer has said he skipped the continental United States on his most recent concert tour because he feared federal immigration agents would show up to arrest his fans.

His upcoming appearance as the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show headliner has drawn backlash from conservative figures, including US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. Trump himself has criticised the choice, calling it "absolutely ridiculous" and saying he had never heard of the artist. Bad Bunny openly supported Trump's Democratic opponent Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

Opposition to immigration enforcement actions was a recurring theme throughout the ceremony. Many attendees, including Justin Bieber, were seen wearing "ICE Out" buttons.

Billie Eilish, who wore an "ICE out" pin, used her acceptance speech for Song of the Year, awarded for Wildflower, written with her brother Finneas O'Connell, to denounce Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"No one is illegal on stolen land," Eilish said on stage, adding an expletive-laden condemnation of the agency.

Outside the ceremony, protests against immigration enforcement intensified, with thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets in Minneapolis and students across the United States staging walkouts demanding the withdrawal of federal immigration agents from Minnesota following the fatal shootings of two US citizens.

"Right now, feeling any sense of joy and lightness feels a little bit irresponsible," OK Go lead vocalist Damian Kulash told Reuters on the red carpet. "Our own government has raised an army of masked, anonymous men to attack its own people."

The ceremony was hosted by comedian Trevor Noah. Grammy winners are selected by about 15,000 voting members of the Recording Academy, whose membership has expanded in recent years to increase diversity, including the addition of about 1,000 Latin Grammy voters this year.